Father May I

[Intro] [whispered children’s choir Unison] Father May I Say the quiet part Out loud [low organ Distant male choir] Candles drip Stain the stone Secrets carved in marrow and bone [Verse 1] Vestments sway Like a curtain call Rosaries click Down the chapel wall You said hush You said this is prayer Incense thick I can taste your stare [Chorus] Father May I Be forgiven For the things You made me hide Father May I Leave this altar Take my body Take my life Back from you tonight [Verse 2] Gold-framed saints Watch with painted eyes Halo rings Round a practiced lie You said trust As you locked that door Every "amen" Drove it in once more [Chorus] Father May I [Bridge] [children’s choir Cold and clear] Bless me Father For your sin We were lambs You dragged within [call-and-response Children vs distant male choir] You said "holy" / [Latin murmur] We said "help" / [Latin murmur] You said "offering" / [drone grows] We said "ourselves" / [bells toll] [children’s choir fortissimo] We break the bread We break the chain Let your kingdom Choke on shame [Chorus] Father May I [Outro] [soft children’s choir Almost a lullaby] Father Hear us From the dark Every name you buried Becomes a burning mark [low strings and organ swell] Father May I Speak and not obey Your house of broken angels Tears its veils away