[Intro | heavy sub bass, rain on corrugated iron, dark atmospheric pads, chopped MC intro] [Verse 1 | half-time roll, dark reese bassline, gritty conversational flow] Out by the arches where the rain don't dry, Used to sit high up in the clear blue sky. Had the whole ends locked, every block, every floor, 'Til pride made me kick in the Governor's door. Coup d'état on the throne, tried to take the crown, Now we're banished down south, underground, locked down. Sulfur in the air by the Stockwell blocks, Chasing shadows on the platform, counting the clocks. Bill by my side with a scarred-up face, Exiled out the light to a dark, damp space. You think I'm broken cause the empire fell? Man, I built a new kingdom right here in this hell. [Pre-Chorus | snare roll tightening, white noise riser, vocal rising] They locked the gates, they cut the power, We plot and wait for the witching hour. [Chorus | relentless amen break, rolling sub bass, anthemic dark hook] From the high towers down to the damp floor, We ain't begging for the light no more! Kings in the shadows, rulers of the dread, Crowns made of rust on a fallen head! (Fall down! Reign in hell!) From the high towers down to the damp floor! [Verse 2 | double-time delivery, tight staccato chop, driving rhythm] Now the young g's innocent, walking the square, Aj and Eva breathing estate-block air. Living in the green where the rules are sweet, No serpent needed, just a voice on the street. Stepped through the lobby in a sharp black coat, Words like honey stuck fast in their throat. "Why stay blind in the garden of the tame? Taste the real power, put your life in the game." Told 'em knowledge is the key, let the blinders drop, Once you take a bite, man, you never can stop. [Pre-Chorus | snare roll tightening, white noise riser, vocal rising] They locked the gates, they cut the power, We plot and wait for the witching hour. [Chorus | relentless amen break, rolling sub bass, anthemic dark hook] From the high towers down to the damp floor, We ain't begging for the light no more! Kings in the shadows, rulers of the dread, Crowns made of rust on a fallen head! (Fall down! Reign in hell!) From the high towers down to the damp floor! [Bridge | stripped back sub, half-time feel, spacious dub delay throws] [Break | drums drop out, vocal echo throw, filter sweep back in] The garden’s burning, smoke in the stair, No going back once you’ve tasted the air. [Final Chorus | full amen roller, max energy, intensified ad-libs] From the high towers down to the damp floor, We ain't begging for the light no more! Kings in the shadows, rulers of the dread, Crowns made of rust on a fallen head! (Big tune! Reign in hell! Fall down!) From the high towers down to the damp floor! [Outro | sub bass pulse fading, vinyl crackle, tape delay echo into silence]
