Seventh Scott

A 'light' post with a 'heavy subject, courtesy of Mr. Scott Walker and The Seventh Seal from 1969's Scott 4.

 

I probably haven't seen Ingmar Bergman's 1957 film of the same name for over thirty years, a time when I was voraciously viewing all of the monochrome masterpieces of cinematic history that I could find. And up to that point, I most likely only knew lead actor Max Von Sydow from his late career star turn as Ming The Merciless in the wonderfully OTT 1980 remake of Flash Gordon.

It's a wonderful, powerful film that's been paid homage to (most recently by Depeche Mode's video for Ghosts Again) and spoofed (brilliantly in Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey). 

It was many, many years later that I finally got around to buying a CD collection of Scott Walker's early albums and therefore discovered his own adaptation of The Seventh Seal on Scott 4.

 

And then, in deciding to post The Seventh Seal on the seventh day of October, I discovered that standingathwart had edited together snippets from the film to accompany the song, so that the former more or less parallels the narrative of the latter. There are even moments when the original subtitles crossover with Scott's own lyrics.

Very nicely done, and if it encouraged visitors to check out the song or the film or both, then all the better for it.

Anybody seen a knight pass this way
I saw him playing chess with Death yesterday
His crusade was a search for God and they say
It's been a along way to carry on

 

Anybody hear of plague in this town
The town I've left behind was burned to the ground
A young girl on a stake her face framed in flames cried
I'm not a witch God knows my name

 

The knight he watched with fear
He needed to know
He ran where he might feel God's breath
And in the misty church
He knelt to confess
The face within the booth was Mr. Death

 

My life's a vain pursuit of meaningless smiles
Why can't God touch me with a sign
Perhaps there's no one there answered the booth
And Death hid within his cloak and smiled

 

This morning I played chess with Death said the knight
We played that he might grant me time
My bishop and my knight will shatter his flanks
And still I might feel God's heart in mine

 

And through confession's grille Death's laughter was heard
The knight cried No you've cheated me!
But still I'll find a way
We'll meet once again and once again
Continue to play

 

They met within the woods the knight his squire and friends
And Death said now the game shall end
The final move was made
The knight hung his head
And said you've won I've nothing left to play

 

The minstrel filled with visions sang to his love
To look against the stormy sky
The knight his squire and friends
Their hands held as one
Solemnly danced toward the dawn

 

His hourglass in his hand his scythe by his side
The master Death he leads them on
The rain will wash away the tears from their faces
And as the thunder cracked they were gone