Marie-Ann Sparklle. The Last Journey – The Undertaker

Intro – 10 seconds, instrumental] [Complete silence] [One enormous, deep funeral bell rings] [Long metallic echo through a dark cemetery] [A second distant bell tolls] [Low rumbling bass, mournful cathedral organ] [Ghostly choir rises slowly] [Heavy, slow funeral march begins] [Verse 1 – Marie-Ann Sparkle, dark and emotional] When wars are raging, people die, Another soul beneath a darkened sky. The gravedigger has so much to do, While the world keeps turning, never seeing through. When ravens cry above the graves, And families mourn the ones they couldn’t save, Every headstone tells a story of its own, Of love and happiness, of pain and hearts of stone. [Verse 2 – Marie-Ann Sparkle] In the end, we’re all returned to dust, But memories remain when all else turns to rust. Every meeting leaves a mark upon the heart, And every goodbye tears something deep apart. When separate roads no longer intertwine, When fading souls leave everything behind, The silence speaks of all we couldn’t say, As one more life slowly slips away. [Pre-Chorus – Marie-Ann, distant opera harmonies] The gravedigger has seen it all before, He knows what waits beyond the final door. He keeps his thoughts behind a silent stare, He’s seen the other side, he’s always there. [Chorus – Marie-Ann lead, male opera backing vocals] When the gravedigger calls you to your rest, When the coffin finds its place beneath the earth, The whole world falls silent for a moment in time, And nothing brings back what we’ve left behind. When your final hour comes into view, When no one knows what waits beyond the blue, The Undertaker walks the final road with you, Until the night turns silent, cold and true. [Male Opera Singer – deep, solemn, sustained vocals] Requiem aeternam… Through the endless night… Rest in peace forever… Beyond the fading light… [Verse 3 – Marie-Ann Sparkle, restrained and haunting] In these grey and troubled times, It happens more than we realize, Another life returns into the white light, Leaving empty rooms behind tonight. It’s a place of rest, so grey, so still, Not always beautiful, beyond the hill. Beneath the old church tower’s shadow, Many dramas have unfolded. But the gravedigger remains composed, While another chapter slowly closes. As others search for reasons why, He lays the earth beneath the sky. [Pre-Chorus – soft piano, distant bell] The gravedigger has seen it all before, He knows what waits beyond the final door. He watches every story rise and fall, A silent witness to the end of all. [Chorus – heavier guitars, emotional opera harmonies] When the gravedigger calls you to your rest, When the coffin finds its place beneath the earth, The whole world falls silent for a moment in time, And nothing brings back what we’ve left behind. When your final hour comes into view, When no one knows what waits beyond the blue, The Undertaker walks the final road with you, Until the night turns silent, cold and true. [Bridge – Marie-Ann, intimate and almost whispered] Every headstone holds a name, Every heart once burned a flame. So many stories, so many dreams, Now resting where the moonlight gleams. [Male Opera Singer – powerful, mournful solo] One final farewell… One last look behind… All that remains are memories, And the love we leave behind. [Marie-Ann Sparkle – rising emotionally] And when our roads must reach their end, Perhaps our names will live in someone else’s heart again. For even when our footsteps disappear, The love we leave can still remain here. [Final Chorus – powerful gothic rock duet] When the gravedigger calls you to your rest, When the coffin finds its place beneath the earth, The whole world falls silent for a moment in time, And nothing brings back what we’ve left behind. When your final hour comes into view, When no one knows what waits beyond the blue, The Undertaker walks the final road with you, Until the night turns silent, cold and true. [Male Opera Singer – soaring, sustained notes] Rest in peace… May your restless soul find peace… [Marie-Ann Sparkle – soft, heartfelt, fading] So rest in peace… May you finally find your peace… [Outro – one enormous funeral bell] [Deep cathedral organ fades into darkness] [Long, haunting metallic resonance] [Ghostly choir fades away] [Complete silence]