When the in Roosters Call the

Gothic vaudeville horror, weathered Southern baritone shifting into quivering falsetto with abrupt giggles, laid-back dragging 6/8 swing, warped 78 RPM crackle and eerie music-box cadence, out-of-tune parlor ukulele as the sole lead instrument over a slow upright-bass drone

[Genre: Gothic Vaudeville Horror, Creepy Toy Ukulele Swing]
[Tempo: 104 BPM, dragging 6/8 swing, erratic music box cadence]
[Instrumentation: Out-of-tune parlor ukulele, tremolo banjo, bowed musical saw, warped 78 RPM vinyl crackle, ominous cello, heavy stomping drums]
[Vocals: Weathered Southern baritone shifting abruptly into a high, quivering vaudeville falsetto and manic giggles]
[Sound Design: Rhythmic chicken clucks, scratching percussion, frantic fluttering feathers, pitch-bent rooster crows]
[No audience, no crowd vocals, no spoken introduction]
[Intro — scratchy 78 RPM vinyl crackle, winding music box mechanism]
[A single, jaunty out-of-tune ukulele strums a cheerful ragtime tune over a slow, dragging 6/8 upright bass drone]
[One distant, single crow]
[Verse 1 — quiet, conversational baritone, uneasy groove]
Quarter past twelve and the dogs won’t bark
Something’s scratching at the old corn barn
Granddad’s buried by the sycamore tree
But something down there just answered me
There’s fresh-turned dirt by the chicken wire
Red eyes glowing where there ain’t no fire
I grabbed my boots and I grabbed my gun
Then every rooster crowed as one
[Instrumental cue — banjo pattern accelerates into a frantic waltz]
[Three heavy knocks from beneath the floorboards]
[Pre-Chorus — restrained, growing dread, cello swells]
Mama said, “Boy, when the dead stay down
You don’t go digging in hallowed ground”
But somebody’s pecking at the cellar door
And that ain’t happened here before
[Sudden musical dropouts — tape collapse]
[One wet, ragged rooster crow]
[Chorus — bouncing swing rhythm, full band, high quivering vaudeville falsetto]
Tee-hee, look and see!
Who is sitting in the big oak tree?
When the roosters call the dead
Better keep your windows nailed and your children in their beds!
There’s a thousand little shadows moving underneath the shed
Clap your hands and stamp your feet,
There’s a demon rooster strutting down the street!
You can pray until your throat turns red
When the roosters call the dead!
[Verse 2 — fast, eccentric falsetto, jaunty ukulele picking mixed with heavy drums]
Old man Miller came stumbling through the gate
Still wearing the suit they buried him in eight days
His left boot missing and his jaw hung loose
With a chicken on his shoulder wearing Miller’s Sunday shoes
The preacher’s gone and the bell won’t ring
There’s feathers in the pulpit and blood on the spring
The hens are lined up on the courthouse wall
And every dead thing answers when the big red rooster calls
[Brief instrumental stop]
[One slow, enormous wingbeat]
[Pre-Chorus 2 — rougher baritone vocal, brass and cello building]
I locked the doors, I killed the lights
I heard those claws climbing up the sides
Then something tapped on the bedroom pane
And my dead old rooster knew my name
[Bridge — sudden tempo slowdown, musical saw groans, squeaking music box]
[Vocal drops to a quivering, intimate whisper right on the microphone]
(Whispered)
The henhouse door is opening slow...
Where did all the little baby chicks go?
(Spoken with a wide smile)
They’re right behind your neck...
(High falsetto shriek)
...AND THEY’RE READY TO PECK!
[Final Chorus — full-throttle vaudeville horror climax, heavy dragging 6/8 drums, manic vibrato falsetto mixed with ragged baritone shouts]
WHEN THE ROOSTERS CALL THE DEAD!
Hear the pounding underneath your bed!
Tee-hee, look and see, every bone is fed!
They’re in the kitchen, they’re on the stairs
Black feathers falling through the air
I shot the rooster—now there’s ten instead!
THE LIVING ARE NEXT AND THE DEAD ARE FED!
[Outro — music box mechanism slows down and drags painfully]
[Single plucked ukulele chord, faint vinyl crackle]
(Spoken softly with a tiny vaudeville giggle)
Well, the sun came up...
[Long silence]
...but the roosters didn’t stop.
[One final, high-pitched, pitch-bent rooster crow]
[An answering crow from impossibly close]
[Hard cut to absolute silence]

3931/7500

[Genre: Gothic Vaudeville Horror, Creepy Toy Ukulele Swing] [Tempo: 104 BPM, dragging 6/8 swing, erratic music box cadence] [Instrumentation: Out-of-tune parlor ukulele, tremolo banjo, bowed musical saw, warped 78 RPM vinyl crackle, ominous cello, heavy stomping drums] [Vocals: Weathered Southern baritone shifting abruptly into a high, quivering vaudeville falsetto and manic giggles] [Sound Design: Rhythmic chicken clucks, scratching percussion, frantic fluttering feathers, pitch-bent rooster crows] [No audience, no crowd vocals, no spoken introduction] [Intro — scratchy 78 RPM vinyl crackle, winding music box mechanism] [A single, jaunty out-of-tune ukulele strums a cheerful ragtime tune over a slow, dragging 6/8 upright bass drone] [One distant, single crow] [Verse 1 — quiet, conversational baritone, uneasy groove] Quarter past twelve and the dogs won’t bark Something’s scratching at the old corn barn Granddad’s buried by the sycamore tree But something down there just answered me There’s fresh-turned dirt by the chicken wire Red eyes glowing where there ain’t no fire I grabbed my boots and I grabbed my gun Then every rooster crowed as one [Instrumental cue — banjo pattern accelerates into a frantic waltz] [Three heavy knocks from beneath the floorboards] [Pre-Chorus — restrained, growing dread, cello swells] Mama said, “Boy, when the dead stay down You don’t go digging in hallowed ground” But somebody’s pecking at the cellar door And that ain’t happened here before [Sudden musical dropouts — tape collapse] [One wet, ragged rooster crow] [Chorus — bouncing swing rhythm, full band, high quivering vaudeville falsetto] Tee-hee, look and see! Who is sitting in the big oak tree? When the roosters call the dead Better keep your windows nailed and your children in their beds! There’s a thousand little shadows moving underneath the shed Clap your hands and stamp your feet, There’s a demon rooster strutting down the street! You can pray until your throat turns red When the roosters call the dead! [Verse 2 — fast, eccentric falsetto, jaunty ukulele picking mixed with heavy drums] Old man Miller came stumbling through the gate Still wearing the suit they buried him in eight days His left boot missing and his jaw hung loose With a chicken on his shoulder wearing Miller’s Sunday shoes The preacher’s gone and the bell won’t ring There’s feathers in the pulpit and blood on the spring The hens are lined up on the courthouse wall And every dead thing answers when the big red rooster calls [Brief instrumental stop] [One slow, enormous wingbeat] [Pre-Chorus 2 — rougher baritone vocal, brass and cello building] I locked the doors, I killed the lights I heard those claws climbing up the sides Then something tapped on the bedroom pane And my dead old rooster knew my name [Bridge — sudden tempo slowdown, musical saw groans, squeaking music box] [Vocal drops to a quivering, intimate whisper right on the microphone] (Whispered) The henhouse door is opening slow... Where did all the little baby chicks go? (Spoken with a wide smile) They’re right behind your neck... (High falsetto shriek) ...AND THEY’RE READY TO PECK! [Final Chorus — full-throttle vaudeville horror climax, heavy dragging 6/8 drums, manic vibrato falsetto mixed with ragged baritone shouts] WHEN THE ROOSTERS CALL THE DEAD! Hear the pounding underneath your bed! Tee-hee, look and see, every bone is fed! They’re in the kitchen, they’re on the stairs Black feathers falling through the air I shot the rooster—now there’s ten instead! THE LIVING ARE NEXT AND THE DEAD ARE FED! [Outro — music box mechanism slows down and drags painfully] [Single plucked ukulele chord, faint vinyl crackle] (Spoken softly with a tiny vaudeville giggle) Well, the sun came up... [Long silence] ...but the roosters didn’t stop. [One final, high-pitched, pitch-bent rooster crow] [An answering crow from impossibly close] [Hard cut to absolute silence]

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