Things to Live In Top Ten: The Palace of Versailles (#6)
By Four Walls
@FourWalls (86939)
United States
June 23, 2017 10:33am CST
I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon before I take off for Indianapolis -- hopefully. The "hopefully" is for taking off for Indy, not the doctor's appointment. There are flash flood watches between here and there, thanks to what was once Cindy coming through the area. In the event I do get to go I want to make sure you have another thing to live in to check on the real estate market. 
Here's today's song on my list of ten favorite songs featuring something to live in.
#6: The Palace of Versailles - Al Stewart
Now, when I was 18 and got this album, I didn't understand why Al Stewart was pronouncing Versailles incorrectly. We have a Versailles, Kentucky -- and we pronounced it "ver-SALES." Turns out, we're the ones mispronouncing it.
Enough of that. Al Stewart is a master at writing history books disguised as songs, and this is one of his best. (Another great one is "A Man for All Seasons," also on this album, about Sir Thomas More's trial and execution.) This song is about the French Revolution, complete with details you don't normally hear in a song ("we've burned out all their mansions in the name of Robespierre;" "Bonaparte is coming with his army from the south, Marat, your days are numbered, and we live hand to mouth").
And you don't normally expect a "soft rock" song to pack such a punch. Stewart's trademark deceptively quiet vocals tell a grisly story...then there's a killer guitar solo at the end.
Love me some Al Stewart.
The Palace of Versailles
Written by Al Stewart
Recorded by Al Stewart
From Time Passages, 1978
Still we wait to see the day begin:
Here's today's song on my list of ten favorite songs featuring something to live in.
#6: The Palace of Versailles - Al Stewart
Now, when I was 18 and got this album, I didn't understand why Al Stewart was pronouncing Versailles incorrectly. We have a Versailles, Kentucky -- and we pronounced it "ver-SALES." Turns out, we're the ones mispronouncing it.
Enough of that. Al Stewart is a master at writing history books disguised as songs, and this is one of his best. (Another great one is "A Man for All Seasons," also on this album, about Sir Thomas More's trial and execution.) This song is about the French Revolution, complete with details you don't normally hear in a song ("we've burned out all their mansions in the name of Robespierre;" "Bonaparte is coming with his army from the south, Marat, your days are numbered, and we live hand to mouth").
And you don't normally expect a "soft rock" song to pack such a punch. Stewart's trademark deceptively quiet vocals tell a grisly story...then there's a killer guitar solo at the end.
Love me some Al Stewart.
The Palace of Versailles
Written by Al Stewart
Recorded by Al Stewart
From Time Passages, 1978
Still we wait to see the day begin:
2 people like this
2 responses
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
23 Jun 17
A song about Thomas More? Al is quite the historian.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86939)
• United States
23 Jun 17
And there's that nearly 10-minute song about Nostradamus on Past, Present, and Future from 1973.....
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43685)
• Denver, Colorado
23 Jun 17
Brilliant! (I really don't need to say anything else in this case.)
1 person likes this
