Vinland

Lyrics

[ MICHAEL, spoken ] Are you on a clean page? [ LUKE, spoken ] Yup [ MICHAEL, spoken ] Perfect You'll love this one. It's my favorite Lesson twenty-two: the Viking discovery of Vinland, the--... not Finland, Vinland. The New World [ LUKE, spoken ] Oh, right [ MICHAEL, spoken ] Iceland, 985 [ MICHAEL ] Stones and sheep And kings and cattle [ LUKE, spoken ] Uh-huh! [ MICHAEL ] Longboats coat the sea for battle For willing Pull your oar And make a killing Viking, if your wife and frozen life aren't to your liking Take more [ LUKE, spoken ] More of what? [ MICHAEL, spoken ] Of what you deserve! Keep writing [ MICHAEL ] A young man, strong By the name of Bjarni An explorer, just like you [ LUKE, spoken ] Oh, I'm not-- [ MICHAEL ] Has a farm and a wagon His tattoo is a dragon Down his arm And he's so-damn-tired Of these lazy-fucking-people all around him! [ LUKE, spoken ] What?! [ MICHAEL ] They astound him With their ignorance Convince him that there's gotta be more to explore [ ENSEMBLE ] More! [ MICHAEL ] To embrace! [ ENSEMBLE ] More! [ MICHAEL ] There's a dream! Please, Thor! Where's this place? [ MICHAEL & ENSEMBLE ] Where's this place? [ MICHAEL ] White sand Sloping down from the green trees Standing guard at the clear stream [ WOMEN ] Vines, vines Sweetest wines [ MICHAEL ] Vinland [ ENSEMBLE ] Vinland { LUKE, spoken ] So this is like... their Garden of Eden? [ MICHAEL, spoken ] No, Eden's a myth. They're dreaming of North America, probably around Newfoundland. Five-hundred and seven years before Columbus discovered it [ LUKE, spoken ] Seriously?! The Vikings came here?! [ MICHAEL, spoken ] You bet. But we're not there yet [ MICHAEL ] So he wrangles up twenty-five strong young men Like you And then he sails, as Vikings do And they drank and they danced and they sang And they're off with a bang Through the ice Set your sights on paradise! [ MICHAEL & ENSEMBLE ] Pull and pull! Pull and pull! [ MICHAEL ] And the very next day, as the sagas say There was a fog And everything slowed And they rowed And they rowed And they said [ ENSEMBLE ] "Bjarni, we can't go on We gotta turn back!" [ BOY ] Someone will always want to drop the anchor Drop the anchor And make you stop! [ MICHAEL, spoken ] But Bjarni said no, and they rode [ LUKE, spoken ] What do you mean--? [ MICHAEL, spoken ] He was tired and hungry, too But he knew [ MICHAEL ] To the west of pain is a paradise We will sail straight in Let them star our skin There is always pain before paradise So only the strong belong! [ MICHAEL, spoken ] You're one of the strong ones, welcome [ LUKE, spoken ] Can we do this later? Please, Michael, I'm getting dizzy [ MICHAEL, spoken ] You have to learn to focus, kid! [ LUKE, spoken ] I'm totally lost! [ MICHAEL, spoken ] You can handle it. Another sip! [ LUKE, spoken ] No! [ MICHAEL, spoken ] You don't say no to me! Ever! To the west of pain is a paradise Paradise! If you're in our way There'll be blood to pay! There is always pain before paradise Because only the strong... Only the strong... Only the strong belong... [ MICHAEL, spoken ] Good. Where were we?