A Ritual Mask Songtext
von Peter Hammill

A ritual mask
Upon the wall
Furnishes his surroundings
And he thinks that′s all
The ritual mask
Its power still strong
A memento of his travels
That he got for a song
He got it for a song
He got it for a song


It was the song of the centuries
Undisturbed
It was the song of secrets
And power words
It was the song of the culture
Not grown immune
To the virus of progress
To the theft of the tune

The ritual mask
The evil eye
It averages the four limbs
It averages life

It was the song of vengeance
It was the song of a debt repaid
It was the song of justice
It was the song of a hammer's day
It was the song of a culture
As old as the hills
That sits uneasy on the living room wall
Like a snake, well, that′s the deal

The ritual mask
It won't take long
Before he finds out the bargain
Has turned out dreadfully wrong

Oh, he got it for a song