Scarlet in the Harbor

[Opening Vamp - exposed slap bass, Rhodes enters softly] Gaslight on the pavement Salt wind at the door A saxophone is spilling From the café floor [Scene 1 - intimate falsetto] November in the harbor town The evening turns to brass Black cabs cut through the amber haze As parasols drift past Silk sleeves, foreign perfume Steam rising from the street A city dressed for dancing With a wound beneath its feet [Refrain - sung softly, bass answers the vocal] Scarlet in the harbor Scarlet in the air Something sweet is waiting Somewhere down the stair [Scene 2 - groove tightens] A gentleman is laughing Where the alley loses light His collar marked with crimson His eyes fixed out of sight Black cat, taste the changing wind The mist is drawing near It smells of spoiled apples And a song you shouldn’t hear [Instrumental Vamp - bass and drums, saxophone fragments] Down the stair Down the stair Red lanterns in the dark Down the stair Down the stair Follow that crooked spark [Scene 3 - full groove, uneasy and danceable] A cellar full of strangers A record running wild Bright faces turning red Like a fever-struck child The needle jumps and stutters The dancers never tire A scarlet tide beneath their feet A room consumed by fire [Refrain - stronger, backing harmonies] Scarlet in the harbor Scarlet on the floor Every turn’s a promise Every step asks for more [Scene 4 - seductive falsetto, Rhodes and bass] A man in velvet scarlet Lifts a glass above the crowd He says the world keeps breaking Then he says it clear and loud: Your sorrow is a record The same old groove, the same Drink, and miss the needle Step outside the frame You call it madness I call it mercy One little taste, and no more pain Forget the years that broke you Forget the world that shook you Dance until you lose your name [Instrumental Passage - featured slap bass, horns answer in short phrases] (Instrumental) [Scene 5 - drums drop out, rising tension] Black cat, close your eyes Black cat, hear my voice The crimson’s in your breathing But this is still your choice The seal is breaking The floorboards shake A red hand reaches through the haze I call your name You bare your teeth The record spins beyond its place [Climax - full band, urgent vocal] Round and round the needle flies Round and round the shadows grow My paper wards are burning And the red tide starts to flow Black cat, turn away from me Don’t let the fever take your sight The bottle in my coat stays cold The last move waits beneath the night [Final Refrain - broad harmonies, unresolved ending] Scarlet in the harbor Scarlet in the air One old bottle in my hand One lost soul beyond my reach Scarlet in the harbor The needle skips below I know the spell that ends this dance— But not the time to let it go [Outro Vamp - bass alone, then a distant saxophone] The lamps burn low The tide holds fast The red mist breathes The night won’t pass