[INTRO – Instrumental, Clean, echoing arpeggios A faint, second harmony enters late No one can see who’s playing it] [VERSE 1 – Cliff Singer 1] I learned my songs from open roads From nights that never stayed Every tune a promise kept Or one I almost made [PRE-CHORUS – Cliff Singer 1] If I play soft, the world leans in If I play loud, it bends The trick is knowing which you need To call someone a friend [CHORUS – Duet, But It’s Subtle] So play it through, don’t stop midway A song unfinished frays Every note deserves an end Even the ones that beg to stay (On the last line, Levistus adds a lower harmony the second time.) [VERSE 2 – Cliff With Alteration] They say a blade is just a tool A voice is just a sound But I’ve seen steel remember hands And echoes track you down (On “remember hands,” the instrument briefly rings longer than it should.) [PRE-CHORUS – LEVISTUS Softly Woven In] You learned that wanting makes you strong That hunger sharpens skill You asked for more than coin or cheer You asked to shape your will (Cliff believes these are his own words.) [CHORUS – LEVISTUS LEADS] So play it through, don’t hesitate The silence only waits Every choice becomes a chord And every chord becomes your fate [INSTRUMENTAL SOLO – The Takeover, The Ebony Grail plays itself, Perfect timing, impossible precision Cliff’s hands move, but the music leads] [BRIDGE – LEVISTUS CLEAR IF YOU LISTEN] You wanted ears that couldn’t turn A name that wouldn’t fade I froze the moment you said yes And kept the price delayed [FINAL CHORUS – DUAL MEANING] So play it through, don’t ask me why You knew the rules that day A song is just a promise made In the key you chose to play [OUTRO – Instrumental Single sustained note Cold, endless, Fades only when Cliff stops breathing]
