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Temper of Revenge

from Divine Intervention by Julia Ecklar

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about

Although I wouldn’t make my first professional fiction sale until 1989, I had been writing novels and short stories since long before I’d ever first considered writing songs.

“Temper of Revenge” is one of three songs on Divine Intervention based on my own writings, and all three are based on characters and/or stories which never did see their way into print.

Apparently, they were more successful inspirations for songs than they were subjects of fiction. (Further proven by Michael and Henry, who, after a long night of mixing, discovered that you could sing most of the refrain from “Temper of Revenge” to the theme song from Mr. Ed. “Find me a horse, a real big horse, for a horse is a horse, of course, of course.”)

“Temper” is based on a novelette (and later novel) by the same name. The horse in the song really was created out of the fires of the rising sun (and not cloned, as one clueless editor suggested in her rejection letter), and graced the cover of the original cassette.

lyrics

We were sworn to protect a timeless land,
Our steel pledged to greater goals,
Meant to serve what our Lords deemed as good,
Part of a greater whole.

We swore Lords a pledge with breath and tongue —
A pledge I now break with my heart.
Those beliefs impede what I’m called now to do,
My allegiances sunder apart.

My soul was torn from me this day;
Half of me lies interred in his grave.
That shattered life I can never retrieve,
No well-meaning wizard can save.

So find me a horse, as red as the sun;
Find me a blade that will make their blood run.
I will ride out at dawn, while the sun’s in the sky,
So the buzzards can see where the bodies will lie.
Bring me my lance, bring my shield.
Strong as my sword is the vengeance I wield.
To seek vengeance is wrong,
Claim my masterful Lords,
But vengeance has tempered my sword,
Vengeance has tempered my sword.

My companion was made to be half of me,
We were sealed in both body and soul.
What is life to one Human alone?
How can one, Unpartnered, be whole?

He was slaughtered at night — not a warrior’s death.
All goodness seemed useless and vile.
Good let my fragile world be destroyed.
My oaths by such lies were defiled!

Forgive me, my Lords, for what I do.
Know that this sinner is suffering, too.
But your virtues pure don’t allow what I plan,
And, by God, I’ll pay killers their due!

credits

from Divine Intervention, released August 27, 1986

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Julia Ecklar Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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