Cat Steven’s My Lady D’arbanville.
Bauhaus’ Hollow Hills deals with faerie imagery in a Spenserian way.
…And of course, Dead Can Dance does well here, but I’d especially mention Song of the Sybil and Fortune Presets Gifts Not According To The Book, because those are both powerful authentic Medieval imagery (Apocalypse prophecy and the Wheel of Fortune).
I, too, used to wonder what a reference to hooded Klansmen were doing in a love song. I decided it was an internal dialogue of a good-at-heart KKK member coming to terms with what it all really meant.
Some try to tell me thoughts they cannot defend,
Just what you want to be – you will be in the end
And I love you, yes, I love you …
At some level I think it makes the song better to think of it that way!
Other songs with (real) medieval imagery:
King Crimson, The Court of the Crimson King
Spin Doctors, Two Princes (sort of)
Crash Test Dummies, Two Knights And Ladies (more so)
Bob Dylan, Queen Jane Approximately
And it’s my favorite album.
Also check out The Necromancer from Caress of Steel. Blatantly Tolkienesque.
Dire Straits - Iron Hand
At first, without any research, it would seem like it accurately describes an English battle taking place back in the Middle Ages when England and Scottish clans were engaged in countless battles. But then after a little Googling and Wiki action, it was describing something fairly recent…
Hence, the final verse…
Well alas weve seen it all before
Knights in armour, days of yore
The same old fears and the same old crimes
We havent changed since ancient times
Great song…
Oh, that’s gorgeous! Thank you. The lyrics are almost identical to “O Death” from O Brother, Where Art Thou?
We have Songcatcher on DVD from Netflix, but haven’t watched it yet. I’ll put it on the top of our list for this weekend.
ETA: In the vein of the rest of this thread, Real World released a great album called *The Imagined Village * last year-- reworkings of traditional English ballads. It’s really, really good, especially their renditions of “John Barleycorn” and “Cold Hailey Rainy Night”.
“Kiss From a Rose” Seal
“Pretty Penny” Stone Temple Pilots
The Lady of Shallot
A poem, a song, and painted images. It’s a very popular subject.
“Dream of the Archer,” from Heart’s “Little Queen” album.
Don’t forget the band Manowar. Most of their songs are extremely metal and medieval.
On the European side there is E-type who has a technoish sound and a decent number of songs about the period.
You might want to check out Camper Van Beethoven’s recording of “O Death” too. Live 12/27/07, but they’ve been playing it for 20 years or so.
To the OP: Check out The Legendary Pink Dots. A good place to start is the cd “Crushed Velvet Apocalypse”.
Songs like “Just a Lifetime”:
“And dragons walked the earth again;
parrafin was free.
A fire-eater went insane
and torched the final tree.”
Or “Princess Coldheart”:
“Then, one October night
The humble village fool caught sight
of Coldheart and he fell
He smashed a rock against her throne
He snatched her hand and took her home”
By Loreena McKennit, setting Tennyson’s Arthurian tale to music. Just beautiful. I prefer the live version.
Or Buskin and Batteau’s take on the same tale, “Guinevere”. Lucy Kaplansky does a nice version.
One of Sandy Denny’s side projects, Fotheringay, a CD with a lot of medieval imagery.
And there’s a little known recording with the name “Songs from the Wood”. I forget the artist, however…
My lady D’Arbanville by Cat Stevens,a little bit disturbing as I’m SURE its about necrophilia.
Jethro Toe. 
Such imagery is evoked in the bridge of one of my favorite songs, “Glory of Love,” by Peter Cetera.
“Just like a knight in shining armor from a long time ago,
just in time I will save the day, take you to may castle far away.”
There are bands that do nothing but these songs in the power metal genre. They typically do NOT feature the “cookie monster” vocals that turn most people off to metal.
Check out:
Dragonforce
Avantasia - really cool concept album with a good fantasy story
Rhapsody - their albums are very derivative of Tolkein - elves, dwarves, etc, - and Christopher Lee (of Star Wars, LotR, and old horror movie fame) narrates them!
And if you’re into anything a little bit heavier, check out:
Ensiferum - They have some great melodies and mostly sing about vikings, but some of their vocals border on Cookie Monster.
I’m looking for a love song with medieval, knights, castles, etc. imagery for the first dance at my wedding. Can you guys give me some specific song suggestions?
Thanks!
The lyrics make no sense at all, but *Storybook Love * by Willy DeVille, from the Princess Bride soundtrack? It was even nominated for an Oscar, and it shouldn’t be hard to find.
The Lady of Shalott is a topic and title for poem, painting, and song. I first heard it by Loreena McKennitt.
The Baron of Brackley by Connie Dover is one song like you asked for. She has many like it, and has a beautiful voice. The song is on the album Somebody.
I don’t know what it is, but I just can’t get into that song Storybook Love. You’re right, the lyrics make no sense and the melody just doesn’t appeal to me. But thanks! I’m hoping to find something kind of dramatic – not sure if a group like Rhapsody or Manowar ever did a romantic ballad in their albums, but that would be cool. Or something along the lines of Glory of Love by Peter Cetera.