Curtain Call at the Opera

Verse 1

The lights go down, the strings begin to sing,

His knight on b8 sleeps behind the wing,

Only his pawns and his queen have moved,

My bishop on c4 hangs, the d-file wide,

Hush falls on the house, what would you play?

Chorus

Knight takes on b5, I give the piece, 10.Nxb5 cxb5

Bishop takes on b5 check, no release, 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7

Open the lines before his men awake,

Strike while they sleep, the game I take.

Verse 2

Castles long, the rook hits d7 with tempo, 12.O-O-O Rd8

Rook takes on d7, let the hammer go, 13.Rxd7 Rxd7

Rook to d1, the second rook takes the stage, 14.Rd1 Qe6

The pin on d7 is fatal, turn the page.

Chorus

Knight takes on b5, I give the piece, 10.Nxb5 cxb5

Bishop takes on b5 check, no release, 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7

Open the lines before his men awake,

Strike while they sleep, the game I take.

Bridge

Back where my rook on d1 holds the pin,

Bishop takes on d7 check, the knight falls in, 15.Bxd7+ Nxd7

Queen to b8 check, my queen is thrown away, 16.Qb8+ Nxb8

Rook to d8 checkmate, the final play. 17.Rd8#

Chorus

Knight takes on b5, I give the piece, 10.Nxb5 cxb5

Bishop takes on b5 check, no release, 11.Bxb5+ Nbd7

Open the lines before his men awake,

Strike while they sleep, the game I take.

Outro

The open d-file, the pin, the men in play,

Bravo, Morphy, Paris remembers the day.