So, the phone rings, it's 2 minutes to midnight on Sunday....
"You remember the teacher with the strange name at Gilshill who had us sing non-religious hymns?"
"Err, yes, Jonathan, why?"
"What was the name of the hymn?"
Well, dear sir, it was When a knight won his spurs, and went something like this:
When a knight won his spurs in the stories of old
He was gentle and brave he was gallant and bold
With a shield on his arm and a lance in his hand
For God and for valour he rode through the land
No charger have I and no sword by my side
Yet still to adventure and battle I ride
Though back into storyland giants have fled
And the knights are no more and the dragons are dead
So let faith be my shield and let hope be my steed
Against the dragons of anger the ogres of greed
And let me set free with the sword of my youth
From the castle of darkness the power of the truth
Strange what useful things are buried in your head, awaiting friends to trigger open!
Oh, pish! It wasn't that late. Maybe... quarter to midnight. And for the record, I couldn't actually hear a word you were saying, since the bar I was in was surprisingly loud.
Still, I'm hugely impressed you managed to dredge up the song. Knew I could count on you.
You guys are the best, thanks so much for the help.