The Locked Case

[Intro] [Verse 1] He found it by the river road Under mud and broken reeds A black case, cold to hold With a clasp of iron teeth He turned it in his hands so slow Marked with scratches, old and thin No name where the dead brass glowed Just a weight that pulled him in [Pre-Chorus] He pressed his thumb He pulled, then cursed The latch sat tight Like a buried word He shook it once Then twice again The case stayed shut And stared at him [Chorus] Open the case Open the case He said it like a prayer Open the case Open the case But the lock just held its breath [Instrumental interlude] [Verse 2] He tried the bench knife, the nail, the key A bent bit of wire from his sleeve He worked till the dark came down And the cold got into his knees The hinges moaned, the river sighed The moon lay pale on the lid He leaned in close, set jaw, set eye And fought that stubborn thing [Pre-Chorus] One last turn One last shove A crack of pain A click above His hands went still His mouth went dry The case gave way With a sharp snap wide [Chorus] Open the case Open the case He said it like a prayer Open the case Open the case But the lock just held its breath [Instrumental interlude] [Bridge] Inside, a nest of yellow cloth A smell like rain and rotten milk And there, curled tight in a corner Something small with shaking ribs It lifted up a starving face Too wide-eyed for the dark Tiny hands, too thin to hide All teeth and bone and sparks [Guitar solo] [Final Chorus] Open the case Open the case He said it like a prayer Open the case Open the case And heard a hungry stare Open the case Open the case Now it knows his name Open the case Open the case And nothing stays the same [Outro]