KING OF THE MORNING, QUEEN OF DAY

"And there's strangers and dangers and darkness"

With your face to the wind
You're beginning to think of a new life,
And you pull tight your cloak 'round your throat
And the wind seems to sing,
Though we're both on the run from a place in the sun and it's raining,
And there's strangers and dangers and darkness
We're still going to win.
So don't you cry, don't you fear,
wipe away each lonely tear.

If I were king of morning and you were queen of day,
We'd love all summer long together,
Love would find a way.
If I were king of evening and you were queen of night,
We'd pass the time in pleasure,
We'd love until the morning light.
If I were king of pleasure and you were queen of pain
You would love me.

As the rain starts to fall, I recall how it was
In the good times,
When the sun seemed to shine
And the wine was a gift from above,
But I know that the day's on the way
And it's bringing the sunshine,
So sing me a song, make it long,
Make it all about love.

Recorded On:

1. The Book of Invasions: A Celtic Symphony

Source Tune:

The Kilfenora, jig. Also known as Kilfenora Jig No. 1, Kitty Lie Over, Paddy's Return, Patsy McCann's.

Recordings (Before Horslips):

1. The Fabulous Kilfenora Ceili Band, The Kilfenora Ceili Band, 1960

Recordings (After Horslips):

1. The Chieftains, 1977
2. Seán Ryan, 1989
3. Cherish the Ladies, 1993
4. Four Men and a Dog, 1993
5. Martin Hayes, 1994
6. The Abbey Céilí Band, 2000

Covered By:

1. Horslypse - Tribute with a Capital T, Omagh

Annotated Lyrics:

"If I were king of morning and you were queen of day"

It is in fact a different song, or more correctly a poem. Must of snuck in subconsciously. It's from A Match by Swinburne, the last stanza of which goes:

If you were queen of pleasure,
And I were king of pain,
We'd hunt down love together,
Pluck out his flying-feather,
And teach his feet a measure,
And find his mouth a rein;
If you were queen of pleasure,
And I were king of pain.

OK it's a steal, but a tasty one, no?

Locky Jim, Official Horslips Guestbook, archived Tuesday, 31 August 2004

"A Match" appeared in Swinburne's 1866 Collection Poems and Ballads. It can be found in:

1. Swinburne, Algernon Charles. The Complete Works of Algernon Charles Swinburne, Vol. 1. Gosse, Sir Edmund & Thomas James Wise, eds. London: William Heinemann Ltd., 1925.
2. Bryant, William Cullen, ed. A New Library of Poetry and Song (Utopian Edition). Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1927.

Poem of the Week.org