Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Bert Jansch
Canonical path: /bert-jansch/fools-mate
Related lyric paths: 6
Video embedded: yes
Lyric guide
Fools Mate
Read Fools Mate lyrics by Bert Jansch on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
Fools Mate
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
The Black Knight surveys all before him
His charger is thumping the ground
High on a hill the high Bishop looks down
From his men to the horses
Not a whisper of sound
They're all dressed for the battle
And their colours fly high
And flutter in the wind
The White Queen her face red with anger
Turns to her left and her right
To the men of the King's Knight she screams and yells
''Let them know that you come from the fires of Hell.
And we'll give them a fight''
Like a black painted shadow
Unmoved and unhurried
One look from her eye and her kingsmen they roar
And into the battle Iike never before
The King's bishop he moves his men forward
To guard his knight's men up ahead
For fear of the Queen and Iove for their King
They'll fight till they win or they'll fight till they're dead
Like a black hare that's chased by the Devil
O'er the battlefield she flies like the wind
She turns and looks down the path to her prey
This time she swears that you can't get away
Nobody can save you
And there's nothing can stop me
l will have my way
... five, six, seven, eight...
We're counting the dying the dead and bereaved
And some of the living you'd never believe
For they ain't got no arms and they ain't got no heads
And the cost of this war here is written in red.
l am the joker, my friend is the Fool
He's been playing the fool since he started at school
When the battle is over and the reckoning's done
We'II sing you a song and we'll tell you who's won.
We sing for the King and we dance for the Queen
We fall and tumble never question our fate
For he's never early and I'm never late
When he's playing the tool then l am the fool's mate.
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "Fools Mate"?
Bert Jansch performs "Fools Mate", and this lyric page sits inside the Bert Jansch catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "Fools Mate"?
Yes. The related section below points to I Have No Time and A Man I'd Rather Be with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Bert Jansch?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Bert Jansch's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on Fools Mate yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.