The Sword of Damocles (Rocky Horror song)

The Sword of Damocles is the sixth song featured in the The Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack. It was written by Richard O'Brien for the stage play and is sung by the title character, Rocky. It plays after the birth of Rocky, who has just been given artificial life in a huge laboratory filled with Transylvanians and Brad and Janet.

Origin

The name refers to the Greek legend of Damocles and Dionysius II of Syracuse. Damocles declared to Dionysius II that he was truly fortunate to be a man of great power and authority. Dionysius, bemused by this, offered to switch places with Damocles for a day so he could have a sample of power and authority as well. At an evening banquet where Damocles was the guest of honour and was being waited on hand and foot, he looked up to see a sharpened swoard hanging only by a fine horse hair. Immediately he requested to leave the court of Dionysius II, having lost his appetite for all things grand & opulent. The stage version of the song differs from the movie version with the Narrator having a verse to himself, as well as additional lyrics from Rocky.

Progression

The song follows a simple D-G D-Gb-G-D chord progression in the verse and D-G progression in the chorus. In the movie version Rocky is accompanied by a chorus of Transylvanians and the screams of ecstacy from Frank'n'Furter. In the play only the Phantoms sing background.