Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple & Rainbow) met ethereal … Read Full Bio ↴Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple & Rainbow) met ethereal vocalist Candice Night in 1989. Ritchie had always loved Renaissance music. The haunting songs were a departure from Blackmore's decades in rock, but were folk rock renaissance infused melodies that became a journey that Ritchie and Candice felt in their souls & continue to explore and tour with now over 20 years later. Their main wish was to revisit songs from hundreds of years ago and reinterpret them with new arrangements, lyrics written by Night and new instrumentation. Their first songs became 1997's Shadow of the Moon. Play Minstrel Play featured Jethro Tull frontman Ian Anderson on flute. Under A Violet Moon (1999) brought crowd pleasing favorites, like the title track. In Fires At Midnight, (2001) the band revisited the roots of songs from medieval times but with Blackmore's electric guitar and Candice introduced her double reed woodwind instruments to retain the spirits of the songs they reinterpreted. Ghost of A Rose (2003) was orchestrally inspired. The Village Lanterne came in (2006). Then: Secret Voyage (2008), Autumn Sky (2010), Dancer and the Moon (2013), and All Our Yesterdays (2015). They have 3 full length dvds and an award winning Christmas cd, Winter Carols. They are a favorite of the Renaissance Faire-goers. Fans often come to the concerts in renaissance garb and are a strong community. Their new studio album, Nature's Light, was released in March 2021.

Past Time With Good Company
Blackmore's Night Lyrics

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Past time with good company
I love, and shall until I die
Grutch who lust, but none deny
So God be pleased, thus live will I

For my pastance
Hunt, sing and dance
My heart is set

All goodly sport
For my comfort
Who shall me let?

Youth must have some dalliance
Of good or ill some pastance
Company me thinks then best
All thoughts and fancies to digest

For idleness is chief mistress
Of vices all then who can say
But mirth and play
Is best of all?

Past time with good company
I love, and shall until I die
Grutch who lust, but none deny
So God be pleased, thus live will I

For my pastance
Hunt, sing and dance
My heart is set
All goodly sport
For my comfort
Who shall me let?

Company with honesty
Is virtue, vices to flee
Company is good and ill
But every man hath his free will

The best ensue
The worst eschew
My mind shall be
Virtue to use

Vice to refuse
Thus shall I use me

Overall Meaning

"Past Time With Good Company" is a song by Blackmore's Night, a band formed in 1997 by Ritchie Blackmore, a former member of Deep Purple, and his wife Candice Night. The song is written in the style of a Renaissance dance, and features the sounds of traditional instruments such as the lute and recorder. The lyrics are a celebration of the joys of good company, and the various forms of leisure that people enjoy.

The song begins by proclaiming a love for spending time with good company, and states that the singer will continue to do so until they die. The phrase "grutch who lust, but none deny" suggests that some people may envy the pleasures enjoyed by others, but that nobody can deny the joy that comes from good company. The singer declares that they will live their life in a way that pleases God, and lists their preferred forms of entertainment: hunting, singing, and dancing.

The second verse suggests that youth should be allowed to indulge in some form of leisure, whether it is good or bad. The phrase "company me thinks then best" suggests that spending time with others is the best way to process one's thoughts and emotions. The third verse argues that companionship is virtuous as long as one stays away from vice. The final lines reveal the singer's intention to use their mind to pursue virtue and avoid vice.

Line by Line Meaning

Past time with good company
I enjoy spending time with good friends

I love, and shall until I die
This is my passion, I will always cherish it

Grutch who lust, but none deny
Some people may complain, but nobody can resist this joy

So God be pleased, thus live will I
As long as I am faithful to God, I will continue to enjoy life

For my pastance
To satisfy my leisure time

Hunt, sing and dance
Engage in various activities to entertain myself

My heart is set
I am determined to follow my passion

All goodly sport
Every enjoyable activity

For my comfort
To make myself happy

Who shall me let?
Who could possibly stop me?

Youth must have some dalliance
Young people need to enjoy themselves

Of good or ill some pastance
Whether good or bad activities, young people should indulge in some leisure

Company me thinks then best
Being in the company of others is the most enjoyable way to spend time

All thoughts and fancies to digest
To ponder on and appreciate all ideas and imaginations

For idleness is chief mistress
Being idle is the root cause of all vices

Of vices all then who can say
Nobody can deny the existence of vices

But mirth and play
Happiness and enjoyment

Is best of all?
Is the greatest pleasure of all?

Company with honesty
Spending time with truthful and sincere people

Is virtue, vices to flee
Being in such company encourages good behavior and discourages bad behavior

Company is good and ill
The people you associate with can have positive or negative effects on you

But every man hath his free will
In the end, it is up to every individual to make their own choices

The best ensue
Follow the good path

The worst eschew
Avoid the bad path

My mind shall be
I have made a decision to

Virtue to use
Practice good behavior

Vice to refuse
Reject bad behavior

Thus shall I use me
This is how I will live my life

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ritchie Blackmore, Henry VIII

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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