The Queen Still Dances

[58 BPM, 6/8 — GOTHIC COUNTRY VOODOO BLUES] [KEY A — HEXATONIC: A–C–D–Eb–E–G (1–b3–4–b5–5–b7)] [CHILDREN SING A MINOR PENTATONIC: A–C–D–E–G; NO Eb] [RESONATOR: METALLIC BOTTLENECK SLIDE, Eb→E] [HYDROCRYSTALOPHONE: HIGH GLASS FRICTION C–Eb–G] [PREPARED PIANO: CLACK–DRAG–CLACK FOOTSTEPS] [VIOLIN: THIN SUL PONTICELLO GLISSANDI] [NO BASS UNTIL VERSE 5; NO POP BUILD] [INTRO — RESONATOR A–C–D–Eb→E; GLASS HOLDS Eb; PIANO FOOTSTEPS] [VERSE 1 — LOW MALE STORYTELLER, DRY HUMOUR] The school bus left at eight o'clock, With thirty kids aboard. Two teachers and a driver, All expecting their reward: A pleasant little fairy tale, A harmless matinee— But nobody had read the script Before they drove away. [VERSE 2 — DARKENING] They got their dwarves and poisoned fruit, A princess dressed in white. But then the Queen called in her huntsman And gave him orders outright: "Bring back her lungs and liver, Or I'll have the same from you!" He spared the girl, killed a wild boar, And brought its organs through. [VERSE 3 — DRY, DELIBERATE] The Queen had both cooked up for supper, Ate them with a smile. The children watched, delighted; The teachers stared awhile. Then came her red-hot iron shoes, Her dance until she died. The children learned the closing song Before the final curtain sighed. [CHORUS 1 — CHILDREN SWEET, CHEERFUL UNISON; A–C–D–E–G ONLY] Dance, Your Majesty, dance, dance, dance! Iron shoes and a second chance! Round and round till the night is through, The Queen is coming home with you! [GLASS HOLDS Eb AGAINST RESONATOR E — UNRESOLVED] [VERSE 4 — NO BASS] At nine the town was sleeping; The janitor swept the floor. He heard a clicking down the hall, A scraping at the door. Two blackened marks upon the boards, The smell of iron and smoke— And in the schoolhouse looking glass A silver crown awoke. [VERSE 5 — BOWED BASS ENTERS, LOW A DRONE] At ten the baker smelled hot iron. At eleven, someone screamed. The barber saw a crowned old woman In his mirror's silver gleam. She never spoke or raised a hand, Just turned and walked away, Leaving smoking little footprints Down the centre of Main Street's gray. [CHORUS 2 — CHILDREN DISTANT, STILL CHEERFUL] Dance, Your Majesty, dance, dance, dance! Iron shoes and a second chance! Round and round till the night is through, The Queen is coming home with you! [INSTRUMENTAL — 8 BARS] [RESONATOR HEXATONIC A–C–D–Eb→E–G] [HYDROCRYSTALOPHONE C–Eb–G; VIOLIN GLISSANDI] [PIANO CLACK–DRAG–CLACK; BASS LOW A] [VERSE 6 — HALF-SPOKEN] At midnight every mirror In the town began to steam. The children heard a tapping In the middle of a dream. One by one their bedroom lights Came glowing through the gloom, While someone wearing iron shoes Went walking room to room. [BRIDGE — SPOKEN; LONG GAPS] She'd danced until she died. [PIANO — CLACK] But dying hadn't stopped her. [PIANO — DRAG] And every time the children sang... [GLASS — HIGH Eb] Her feet remembered. [CHILDREN — DISTANT] Dance, Your Majesty... [FINAL CHORUS — CHILDREN SWEET; FOOTSTEPS MATCH RHYTHM] Dance, Your Majesty, dance, dance, dance! Iron shoes and a second chance! Round and round till the night is through, The Queen is coming home with you! [OUTRO — LOW MALE, NEAR-WHISPER] By morning all the streets were clean, The mirrors all were clear. The principal assured the town, "No more field trips this year." But every night at twelve o'clock, When all the lights go down, You can hear those little iron shoes Still dancing through the town. [ALL INSTRUMENTS CUT] [THREE FOOTSTEPS: CLACK — DRAG — CLACK] [LONG SILENCE] [ONE CHILD — SWEET, SPOKEN] You're supposed to keep dancing. [FOURTH FOOTSTEP — METALLIC CLACK] [GLASS Eb AGAINST RESONATOR E — NO RESOLUTION] [ABRUPT END]