[FEMALE LEAD ONLY - CANDY STARLING] [Cold Open - cimbalom taps, coffin knocks, one bell] [Whisper] Hey, Drac... Scratch my back, darlin'. Not with the fangs. [Chicago kick strikes] With the rhythm. [Opening Hook] Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', Wake when the black bells start callin'. Drac in a coffin, knives in the door, No one's who they've been anymore. Ghosts float high while the chandeliers swing, I step in once and the dead bells ring. Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', The night just started callin'. [Verse 1 - smoky, behind the beat] The coffin rolled in on a velvet-red floor, Twelve silver knives in the old oak door. Every blade points back to the girl I was before, But no one's who they've been anymore. [Pre-Chorus] Bell in the tower, whistle in the wall, One heel on the marble makes the whole house crawl. Don't promise forever, tonight is enough. Open that coffin and turn the bass up. [Chorus] Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', Wake when the black bells start callin'. Drac in a coffin, knives in the door, No one's who they've been anymore. Ghosts float high while the chandeliers swing, I step in once and the dead bells ring. Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', Make the whole house sing. [Interlude 1 - 8 bars] [No drums; accelerating 7/8 cimbalom, violin harmonics, heel clicks] [Whisper] Cut... The... Air... [Coffin knock, half-beat silence, full beat returns] [Verse 2 - faster] Ghosts float down in their wedding white, No feet, no fear, just a hunger for night. Bats make a spiral, flames fan my shoes, Every old curse has a rhythm to choose. [Pre-Chorus 2] Knife in the doorway, kiss on the glass, Nobody leaves here the way that they passed. Whoever you were, leave it on the floor. No one's who they've been anymore. [Chorus 2 - bigger] Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', Lift that lid, hear the whole house callin'. Drac in a coffin, knives in the door, No one's who they've been anymore. Ghosts float high while the chandeliers swing, Every bell in hell begins to sing. Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', Make the whole house ring. [Interlude 2 - 8 bars] [Davul hoof-triplets, zurna, kaval, finger claps, rising fiddle duel] [Shout] Move the knights! [Chessboard Turn - each line faster and higher] Hey, Drac, darlin', The dark knight's callin'. Hurry, the white knights Are rollin', rollin'. Rooks slide straight, Bishops cut corners. Pawns at the gate Like a line of mourners. The king's in check, The white side's stallin'. Hey, Drac, darlin', The dark knight's callin'. [Rapid Run - sung, not rapped] Black square, white square, Red moon rising. Queen takes center With perfect timing. Knight leaps over, Bishop cuts clean. Rook takes the hallway, But I am the queen. Rank by rank, File by file. Every dead man Learns to smile. Pawn crosses fire, Comes back crowned. Every little nobody Now owns the ground. [Pre-Lift - call and response] Check on the left! [Choir] Check! Check on the right! [Choir] Check! Check in the mirror... Who's holding the night? One move, two moves, Heartbeat attack. Hey, Drac, darlin', Scratch my back. [Continuous Rising Run - no pauses or reset] Black to white, side to side, Every square is catching fire. Breath to breath, step to step, Take the whole board higher, higher! Higher - knights in motion! Higher - rooks in line! Higher - bishops cut the shadow! Higher - till your black heart's mine! Higher - let the dead bells ring! Higher - let the ghost choir sing! Higher - queen at center, crown in flame! Every piece now knows my name! [Interlude 3 - 6 bars] [No drums or bass; glass harmonica, bowed vibraphone, kaval, floating female choir] [Whisper] No floor... No grave... No way back... [One bell, one second of silence] [Final Chorus - maximum lift] Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin', Lift that lid, the whole world's callin'. Drac out the coffin, knives off the door, Nobody's who they were anymore. Ghosts fly high while the chandeliers swing, Every bell in hell begins to sing. Hey, Drac, scratch my back, darlin'... The dead don't dance. They fly! [Final Run - all instruments climbing] Check the door! Check the floor! Check the heart You thought was yours! Check the black! Check the white! Check the queen Who owns the night! Check the fire! Check the flame! Every ghost Screams my name! [One massive bell; music cuts] [Whisper] Checkmate... Darlin'. [Spoken Outro] At dawn, the coffin was empty. On the lid... One crimson scratch. [Playful whisper] Darlin'... You missed a spot. [Final cimbalom strike - hard stop]
