The House Band - Pharoah

Cover taken from The World Is a Wonderful Place: The Songs of Richard Thompson, 1994. "Pharaoh" appears in R.Thompson's lp Amnesia, 1988.

The House Band are:
Ged Foley (vocals, guitar); Jimmy Young (smallpipes, flute, whistle); Iain Macleod (guitar, mandolin); Chris Parkinson (melodeon, keyboards, piano accordion and harmonica)

Pharaoh he sits in his tower of steel,
the dogs of money all at his heel.
Magicians cry "Oh truth! Oh real!"
We're all working for the Pharaoh

A thousand eyes, a thousand ears,
he feeds us all, he feeds our fears.
Don't stir in your sleep tonight, my dears,
we're all working for the Pharaoh.

It's Egypt land, Egypt land,
we're all living in Egypt land.
Tell me, brother, don't you understand?
We're all working for the Pharaoh

Hidden from the eye of chance,
the men of shadow dance a dance.
We're all struck into a trance,
we're all working for the Pharaoh.

The idols rise into the sky,
Pyramids soar, Sphinxes lie.
Head of dog, Osiris eye,
we're all working for the Pharaoh.

And it's Egypt land, Egypt land,
we're all living in Egypt land.
Tell me, brother, don't you understand?
We're all working for the Pharaoh.

I dig a ditch, I shape a stone,
another battlement for his throne,
another day on earth is flown,
we're all working for the Pharaoh.

Call it England, you call it Spain,
Egypt rules with a whip and chain.
Moses free my people again,
we're all working for the Pharaoh.

And it's Egypt land, Egypt land,
we're all living in Egypt land.
Tell me, brother, don't you understand?
We're all working for the Pharaoh.

Pharaoh he sits in his tower of steel,
around his feet the princes kneel.
Far beneath we shoulder the wheel,
We're all working for the Pharaoh.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• pharoah

[MrParkymusic]

small addition to lineup -

Ged Foley, vocals and guitar, John Skelton, flute and bombarde,

Chris Parkinson, piano accordion & backing vocals.

[marketsquarecorvux]

Thanks, Mr

[markinpenna]

The lineup of the band listed above is wrong. Playing here are Ged Foley, vocals and guitar; John Skelton, flute and bombarde; Chris Parkinson, melodeon. No one else. The vocals and bombarde are double tracked.

[kafkarockopera]

This is a masterful cover of a brilliant song.

[42Springfield]

This is my alltime favorite song for the fellahin of corporate America.