Dominion of the Sword lyrics

Lay by your pleading, law lies a-bleeding

Burn all your studies down, and throw away your reading

Small power the word has, and can afford us

Not half so much privilege as the sword does

It'll the foster the master, plaster disaster

This'll make a servant quickly greater than the master

Ventures, enters, seeks and it centres

Ever the upper hand, never a dissenter

Talks of small things, it sets up all things

This'll master money, though money masters all things

It is not season to talk of reason

Never call it loyal when the sword says treason

Kruger, Krugerrand-a, whither do you wander?

Gone to the suborning of Hastings Banda

Kruger, Krugerrand-a, tear you all asunder

Beira to Luanda, Gabarone to Nyanga

Subtle deceiver turns calm to fever

See the pilgrim flay the unbeliever

It'll make a lay man preach and to pray man

It'll make a Lord of him that was but a drayman

Balm for the worrier, the whaler, the furrier

This'll get the measure of a Rainbow Warrior

Incognito, come and sink a Rainbow

President will never know, I should bloody coco

Conquers the crown too, grave and the gown too

Set you up a province, but it'll pull it down too

No gospel can guide it, no law decide it

In church or state, till the sword sanctified it

Take books, rent 'em, who can invent 'em?

When that the sword says there'll be no argumentum

Blood that is spilt, sir, has gained all the guilt, sir

Thus have you seen me run my sword up to the hilt, sir

• Artist:Martin Carthy