LYRICS

When I was just a bravo,
And yet to make my name,
I longed for reputation so I played the Reaper's game.

I drank and fought for money,
I doubled down for show,
And earned my reputation because:
You reap what you sow!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm
Black and red and bloody fine,
Sing our tales of blood and wine,
Brash and bold until I die!

By blade or winter magic,
We take our weight in gold,
And live life hard and fast until the Reaper takes its toll.

By cutlass, coin or cunning
Our reputation grows!
Nothing given, always earned
'Cause you reap what you sow!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm
Black and red and bloody fine,
Sing our tales of blood and wine,
Brash and bold until I die!

We're friends in every nation's eyes,
(I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm!)
Packing thrones and rich in pride,
(I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm!)
Drinking, fighting, shaking dice!
(I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm!)
Dashing, daring, dressed so nice,
But cross us and you'll pay the price!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, I'm
Black and red and bloody fine,
Sing our tales of blood and wine,
Brash and bold until I die!

I'm a Crimson Reaper, aye!
Cross us and you'll pay the price!

Crimson Reapers

Wrote this one bloody ages ago, but it made its proper Anvil debut at E3 2023 during the Virtue's Roar performance. The recording lacks a certain something compared to the live performance (such as another 15 bards all playing along).

This is another one that started off as an idea for a filk that I couldn't actually make work, but i liked some of the lyrics i had and so I just rewrote the music around it. 

The sharp eyed/eared may hear the ghost of the original inspiration in the lyrics of the second verse, especially if they are of a musical theatre persuasion. ;) 

My thanks to Emma for providing the epic backing vocals for this one (and for the gift of the portable studio device it was recorded on).

I still suspect that the scream at the end is too much, but it continues to make me smile and so I'll continue doing it in the field whenever I have the voice to belt it out. 

FUN FACT: The final vocals for this were recorded in my car after I drove to the middle of a building site with my porta-studio as I was too self conscious to the shouty-screamy vocals at home where the entire neighbourhood would hear.

What We Came For

A song for star-crossed lovers, will-they wont-theys and passing ships in the night.

LYRICS

I met with a cambion
Was she Marcher or a Freeborn?
I don't know.

She looked in disguise,
But still her eyes invited me,
To see her show.

She told me she was leaving then she'd gone
If don't find the words to say then I would sing this song:

Come my love let's away together,
Dance all night for the world to see,
Tip our tankards in every bar,
So come, come and run away with me!

We'll up Highguard, down to Wintermark,
Then hit Navarr where the drink's on me
Take my hand 'cause the night's not over,
Come, come and run away with me!

I asked her "what's your poison?"
She said "Something with a taste you can't ignore"

I asked her what's her fancy
She said "Something that'll leave me wanting more"

She told she me was leaving then she'd gone
If I don't tell her how I feel, I'll never live this down.

Come my love let's away together,
Dance all night for the world to see,
Tip our tankards in every bar,
So come, come and run away with me!

We'll up Highguard, down to Wintermark,
Then hit Navarr where the drink's on me
Take my hand 'cause the night's not over,
Come, come and run away with me!

I'll never live this down...

Come my love let's away together,
Dance all night for the world to see,
Tip our tankards in every bar,
So come, come and run away with me!

We'll up Highguard, down to Wintermark
Then hit Navarr where the drink's on me
Take my hand 'cause the night's not over,
Come, come and run away with me!

What We Came For

Andrew Ruddick