Phish - Colonel Forbin's Ascent Lyrics
Colonel forbin stared up at the mountainAnd wiped away the beads of sweatThat glistened on his browHis tired feet were buried in the quagmireAnd his bloodshot eyes saw all that lay between himAnd fulfillment of his vowAnd he felt his fingers wrap around a knotted rootAnd pulled his body upwardsTo a sea green mossy boulderAnd he dragged his weary carcass [or shit-ass] up the mountainAnd he climbed so slowlyHe climbed so slowlyAheadAheadSuddenly he heard the crack of thunderAnd the rocks began to crumble overheadAnd tumble down the mountain to theDismal swamp that lay beneath the jagged cliffsThrough which his path had ledAnd the earth began to quake beneath his feetAnd the mighty mountain changed before his eyesAnd he stood amidst a sea of dust and rocks and stonesCascading down the mountainAnd a thousand birds were headed for the sky. oh...The sacred creed will be yoursAnd if you wait until tomorrowThe sacred creed will be yoursTo devourYoursTo seizeAnd to obeyObeyWhen the dust had cleared, the colonel lifted up his headAnd was driven to his knees by a blazing beam of lightAnd he saw the silhouette that stood before himAnd he bowed in reverenceTrembling in the shadow of the mighty legends formIcculus the prophet stood before his eyesLooking down on colonel forbinWhere he shuddered in the puddles and the muckAnd he quietly addressed himAnd he spoke so slowlyHe spoke so slowlyAheadHe saidColonel forbin I know why youve come hereAnd Ill help you with your quest to gain the knowledge that you lackI call upon my faithful friend the mockingbirdTo fly and seize the helping book and bring it to your shackAnd a tree of knowledge in your soul will growAnd the helping friendly book will plant the seedBut I warn you that all knowledge seeming innocent and pureBecomes a deadly weapon in the hands of avariceAnd greedThe sacred greed will be yoursAnd if you wait until tomorrowThe sacred creed will be yoursTo devourYoursTo seizeAnd to obeyAnd to obeyAnd the famous mockingbird swooped down out of the sky and landed on icculuss shoulder, and icculus whispered into the birds ear, and it flew off toward wilsons castle in the valley below.
