"The Preface" lyrics - RICK WAKEMAN

JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH

The story begins on the 24th of May 1863 in Hamburg,
When Professor Lidenbrock and his nephew Axel discover an
Old parchment in a 12th century book called 'Heims Kringla',
A chronicle of the Norwegian princes who ruled over Iceland.
This parchment, when decoded into Latin and translated by Axel,
Proved to be written by an alchemist of the 16th century and read as follows:

'Descend into the crater of Sneffels Yokul, over which the shadow of Scataris falls,
Before the calends of July bold traveller, and you will reach the centre of the Earth.
I have done this. - ARNE SAKNUSEMM'

Sneffels is a five-thousand foot-high mountain in Iceland,
An extinct volcano, its last eruption having been in 1229.

AND SO THE JOURNEY FROM
HAMBURG TO ICELAND BEGINS...