Mile Marker 2: Breath of the Wild

[distant wind through pines, solitary banjo, low fiddle drone] [Guttural scream] AHHHHHHHH!!!! [Deep Southern baritone] The leaves don't ask... Where the wind will take 'em... They just... Let go... [Verse 1] Caught... In the breath of the wild... Wind through the valley... Cold... undefiled... Pines bend low... Then rise again... Clouds drag shadows... Across the land... Something moves... Beyond the trees... Don't know its name... Don't need to see... I feel so small... Standing here... And somehow... That's what brought me peace... [Banjo and fiddle backed by quiet electric guitar] [Chorus] Breath of the wild... Beautiful... Cruel... And undefined... It gives no promise... Offers no sign... It takes what it takes... And leaves what survives... Ohhh... How it frightens me... Ohhh... What a wonderful thing... To be caught... In the breath... Of the wild... [Atmospheric tremolo guitar and fiddle] [Verse 2] Doe... Licks her newborn clean... Morning sun... Through evergreen... Not far away... A fox finds bone... Pulls what remains... And carries it home... Rain feeds roots... Floods the creek... Lightning burns... The oldest tree... Nothing here... Apologizes... Nothing asks... What ought to be... [Pre-Chorus] The river doesn't mourn... The stone beneath... The mountain doesn't care... Who climbs its peak... Still every living thing... From claw to wing... Draws its little breath... And sings... [Chorus] Breath of the wild... Beautiful... Cruel... And undefined... It gives no promise... Offers no sign... It takes what it takes... And leaves what survives... Ohhh... How it frightens me... Ohhh... What a wonderful thing... To be caught... In the breath... Of the wild... [Heavy tremolo riff — thunderous floor toms, mournful fiddle] [Verse 3 — deeper, increasingly intense] There are teeth... Beneath the beauty... Thorns beneath... The bloom... There are things... Born in daylight... That'll hunt beneath... The moon... Winter comes... No hatred in it... Spring returns... Without regret... The earth grows green... Above the fallen... And somehow... They're still part of it... [Music drops to low drone and heartbeat floor tom] [Bridge — guttural spoken word] IT DOES NOT LOVE... IT DOES NOT HATE... THE WOLF MUST EAT... THE FAWN MUST BLEED... THE OLD OAK FALLS... THE BEETLES FEED... AND FROM ITS BODY... RISE NEW TREES... [Silence] [Deep melodic Southern baritone] Beauty... Never meant... To be kind... [Massive atmospheric guitars enter] [Final Chorus — colossal guitars, fiddle, ceremonial drums, distant male choir] BREATH... OF THE WILD! Beautiful... Cruel... And undefined... No hand to guide me... No grand design... Just blood... And blossoms... Rain... And time... Ohhh... How it frightens me... Ohhh... What a wonderful thing... For one little moment... To open my eyes... And be caught... In the breath... Of the wild... [Instruments gradually disappear] [Outro — solitary clawhammer banjo] [Low melodic hum] Mmmmmmm... Mmmmmmm... [Whispered] Beautiful... Cruel... Alive... [Banjo continues alone as forest ambience slowly overtakes it] [End] Spring returns... Without regret... The earth grows green... Above the fallen... And somehow... They're still part of it... [Music drops to low drone and heartbeat floor tom] [Bridge — guttural spoken word] IT DOES NOT LOVE... IT DOES NOT HATE... THE WOLF MUST EAT... THE FAWN MUST BLEED... THE OLD OAK FALLS... THE BEETLES FEED... AND FROM ITS BODY... RISE NEW TREES... [Silence] [Deep melodic Southern baritone] Beauty... Never meant... To be kind... [Massive atmospheric guitars enter] [Final Chorus — colossal guitars, fiddle, ceremonial drums, distant male choir] BREATH... OF THE WILD! Beautiful... Cruel... And undefined... No hand to guide me... No grand design... Just blood... And blossoms... Rain... And time... Ohhh... How it frightens me... Ohhh... What a wonderful thing... For one little moment... To open my eyes... And be caught... In the breath... Of the wild... [Instruments gradually disappear] [Outro — solitary clawhammer banjo] [Low melodic hum] Mmmmmmm... Mmmmmmm... [Whispered] Beautiful... Cruel... Alive... [Banjo continues alone as forest ambience slowly overtakes it] [End]