When Onward finally disbanded in the summer of 2003, Grant and Delucie decided to convert their project into a full band. They completed the line-up with drummer Craig Anderson (ex-Ignite/Engine) and bassist Melanie Sisneros (ex-New Eden/The Iron Maidens/Sinergy), two veterans of the Los Angeles music scene.
Together, this foursome strives to bring forth energy-driven traditional/power metal to the United States. Crescent Shield brings forth high-energy guitar riffing/solos combined with melodic vocals and a solid metal backbone.
www.crescentshield.com
The Bellman
Crescent Shield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
C... The Chorus
Y... The Young
B... The Bellman]
[The Chorus:]
Curse the hand of the man
With the bell he doth ring
[The Young:]
Old man with traveler's hands
Scarred by age and salt of the sea
Tell me, warn thee your tales
Of cried from the ocean's abide
[The Bellman:]
You fallow lads with smoother hands
Beware the beyond sea
The sun does not quite follow
The skies of the water you seek
C
Sunsets sadden
Mornings terrify!
B
On and on from the shores they do go
With their hearts and minds one way do they know
My bell will ring
And they will sing
A song I did too once sing
Y
Mercator's Poles and Meridian Lines
The stars will guide, the sun will time
The winds of trade will guide the way
To the unknown and then
Home
B
Hold my hand and stay
With me listen to what I warn you
For so long am I imprisoned
To these streets of ports call
Still they sail, hence I raise
My bell and strike it's chime of fate!
Y
On and on from the shores we do go
With our hearts and minds one way do we know
Our bell will ring, And we will sing
The song we always dreamed to sing
Mercator's Poles and Meridian Lines
The stars will guide, the sun will time
The winds of trade will guide the way
To the unknown and then
[Solo]
C
Unseen or heard is the ghost
Of the Bellman we know
B
Unless you're the fool who
Is doomed from the moment you sail
C
Once was he the arrogant Bellman ago
B
Cursed to live on to call
The cry of the fell
C
Cursed be the hand of the man
With the bell he doth ring
B
Death to you all whose
Warnings you never did heed
C
Beware of the shivering bell
When you set forth to sea
B
For it rings the chime of fate!
The lyrics of "The Bellman" by Crescent Shield present a conversation among three people, the Chorus, the Young, and the Bellman. The Chorus begins by cursing the person who rings the bell, blaming them for some unknown misfortune. Then the Young asks the Bellman to tell him tales of the sea, and the Bellman warns him of the dangers that lie beyond. He tells him to be careful and not to trust the calm waters, as the sun does not always accurately represent the weather.
The lyrics then shift to the Bellman's perspective, where he speaks of his imprisonment to the streets of ports and his duty to warn foolish sailors of the dangers of the sea. He sings of Mercator's poles and meridian lines, guiding sailors to the unknown and back home again. The chorus repeats its warning, saying that the Bellman is cursed to live on to call the cry of the fell. In the end, the Bellman warns everyone to beware of the shivering bell, for it rings the chime of fate.
The lyrics, while cryptic, ultimately convey the danger and uncertainty of sailing the seas, emphasizing the importance of being cautious and heeding warnings.
Line by Line Meaning
Curse the hand of the man
With the bell he doth ring
One did tell me
The Chorus puts a curse on whoever rings the bell, and warns the others that they have heard stories about it.
Old man with traveler's hands
Scarred by age and salt of the sea
Tell me, warn thee your tales
Of cried from the ocean's abide
The Young asks the old man with experience to tell him stories about dangers of the sea that he has been through.
You fallow lads with smoother hands
Beware the beyond sea
The sun does not quite follow
The skies of the water you seek
The Bellman warns those without experience to be cautious of the foreign seas.
Sunsets sadden
Mornings terrify!
Chorus warns that the conditions at sea can be extremely tough and unpleasant.
On and on from the shores they do go
With their hearts and minds one way do they know
My bell will ring
And they will sing
A song I did too once sing
The Bellman explains that he rings his bell to warn the sailors of the dangers and reminds them how he was once like them.
Mercator's Poles and Meridian Lines
The stars will guide, the sun will time
The winds of trade will guide the way
To the unknown and then
Home
The Young talks about how the sailors will use geography and the forces of nature to guide them back home.
Hold my hand and stay
With me listen to what I warn you
For so long am I imprisoned
To these streets of ports call
Still they sail, hence I raise
My bell and strike it's chime of fate!
The Bellman makes a plea for companionship and warns the sailors that he will always be here to warn them just as he has been doing for a long time.
On and on from the shores we do go
With our hearts and minds one way do we know
Our bell will ring, And we will sing
The song we always dreamed to sing
Mercator's Poles and Meridian Lines
The stars will guide, the sun will time
The winds of trade will guide the way
To the unknown and then
The Young sings about how they will follow their dreams while relying on natural forces to guide them.
Unseen or heard is the ghost
Of the Bellman we know
Chorus talks about the Bellman who is known by his bell, but never seen or heard.
Unless you're the fool who
Is doomed from the moment you sail
The Bellman implies that not heeding his warning will lead to doom.
Once was he the arrogant Bellman ago
Chorus reveals that the Bellman was once arrogant.
Cursed to live on to call
The cry of the fell
The Bellman is cursed to stay behind and warn sailors despite the misery it brings him.
Death to you all whose
Warnings you never did heed
The Bellman curses those who do not heed his warning with death.
Beware of the shivering bell
When you set forth to sea
Chorus warns the sailors of the bell that they should be cautious of when setting off to sea.
For it rings the chime of fate!
The Bellman claims that the sound of his bell represents the destiny of the sailors.
Contributed by Hudson W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.