To the Hilt
To the Hilt
Rising up from the earth, tension begins to swell,
Under the reign of Eglon, the people’s life is a living hell.
This slob of a king oppresses in tyranny,
While God’s blessing Israel cannot see.
Meanwhile, someone sharpens a blade,
For this tyranny, a price will be paid.
(Chorus)
A left hand strikes from the right thigh.
A gluttonous king will surely die!
A surprise attack, blood’ll be spilt,
The knife blade goes in—TO THE HILT!
No one saw it coming, the Benjamite southpaw,
He’s stabbed down quickly, his face filled with awe.
The knife goes in, and in and in
Extracting the blade swallowed within
Ehud saw Eglon’ fat ooze out intact,
Calling on the strength of Samson to extract.
(Chorus)
A left hand strikes from the right thigh.
A gluttonous king will surely die!
A surprise attack, blood’ll be spilt,
The knife blade goes in—TO THE HILT!
The blade digs deeper, aborting his swagger,
It rolls over beyond the hilt of the dagger!
The handle burritoed, his flab on top,
The knife should’ve shouted, okay now stop!
Tell the story! Do not forget!
Fat and blood on my hands, red and wet!
HE LIES IN HIS OWN BLOOD!
(Chorus)
A left hand strikes from the right thigh.
A gluttonous king will surely die!
A surprise attack, blood’ll be spilt,
The knife blade goes in—TO THE HILT!
18 years of suffering, settled for good
Fat rolls over the handle of wood
Eglon dies! Death to the king!
Ehud the hero, they’ll sing!
TO THE HILT!
(Judges 3)
Original Lyrics: Doug Van Pelt
Original Proof of Concept: Doug Van Pelt
Music: Doug Van Pelt / Lee Haley
Original Lead Vocal: Doug Van Pelt
Original Proof-of-Concept Guitar: Lee Haley
Musical Direction: Lee Haley
Production & Arrangement: Lee Haley
Audio Development & Editing: Lee Haley
Video Direction, Development & Editing: Lee Haley
Creation Date: June 25, 2026
Composition Ownership:
Doug Van Pelt — 50% — ASCAP
Lee Haley — 50% — BMI
Publishing: Captive Thought (ASCAP)
Publishing: Hey! Lee-Hey! Lee (BMI)
© 2026 Doug Van Pelt and Lee Haley. All Rights Reserved.
Master Recording Ownership:
Doug Van Pelt — 50%
Lee Haley — 50%
℗ 2026 Doug Van Pelt and Lee Haley
AI-Assisted Production:
Additional instrumentation and production elements were created using AI-assisted and generative production tools under human creative direction. Original lyrics, lead vocal, and overall proof of concept were provided by Doug Van Pelt. Original proof-of-concept guitar, musical direction, arrangement, production development, audio editing, and video direction/editing were provided by Lee Haley.
ALBUM-WIDE AUTHORSHIP & AI DISCLOSURE
All lyrics on this project were written by Doug Van Pelt* (Except track one - “The Heads of Samaria”).
AI-assisted tools were also used for selected instrumentation and production under the human creative and musical direction of Lee Haley. Songwriting, performance, production, and ownership credits are listed separately.
