[Intro — rain ticking on armor, low turbine idle, loose track clank, calm narrow-band radio] [Infantry Net — level, controlled radio voices] “Cougar, Three-One.” “Send it.” “Contact, north face, second floor. Friendlies set west.” “Copy. Eyes on. Hold west.” “Three-One holding.” [Spoken Identification — low weathered preacher radio static] “Charlie Three-Eight. Call sign Cougar. War wagons forward.” [Verse 1 — low weathered male baritone, short deliberate lines] Steel hull Intercom hiss MRE breath Diesel sleep Boot on the turret ring Rail cut ahead Kevlar tan Optics awake One-twenty dreams in a metal rack Names on the barrel Sharpie-black [Radio Bridge 1 — radio comm traffic over moving tracks] “Cougar One, roller hung at the wall.” “Copy. Lane is marked. Follow our track.” “Three-One, armor crossing April.” “Copy. We clear behind you.” “Cougar turning south on Henry.” [Chorus — full-throated preacher lead; crew voices answer “UP!” and “ON!”] War wagon gospel Rolling like a sermon Send ’em smoothbore tickets to the other side Loader yells “UP!” and my world starts burning Gunner calls “ON!” and the doubts all hide In this tracked cathedral Thunder is the choir War wagon gospel Preaching in fire [Verse 2 — same baritone, tighter mechanical pulse] TC perched Half out the hatch One hand radio One hand latch Scanning the windows Hunting for a flash Gunner’s glass Green ghosts glide Ranges in meters Wind calls tight Finger on the trigger Breathing light [Radio Bridge 2 — radio static controlled infantry target handoff; turret servo slowly rises] “Cougar, Three-One. Strongpoint, north side.” “Talk me on.” “Balcony. Two windows right. Marking with tracer.” “Contact. Friendlies west confirmed.” “Confirmed. Cleared to engage.” “Roger.” [Crew radio Intercom — close, dry headset voices] “Gunner — HEAT — building.” “Identified.” “UP!” “FIRE!” “ON THE WAY!” [Main-Gun Break — full band drops to sub-bass drone; one enormous 120mm blast with shockwave thump, hard slapback crack, long reverb bloom, then hull-and-track rattle] [Infantry Net radio — radio voices through the decay] “Good effect.” “Three-One moving.” “Copy. Tank holds the crossing.” [Chorus — full-throated preacher lead; crew voices answer “UP!” and “ON!”] War wagon gospel Rolling like a sermon Send ’em smoothbore tickets to the other side Loader yells “UP!” and my world starts burning Gunner calls “ON!” and the doubts all hide In this tracked cathedral Thunder is the choir War wagon gospel Preaching in fire [Verse 3 — heavier tread rhythm, steady forward drive] Henry south Four corners deep Fifty watches rooftops Coax holds the alleys Abrams breaks the strongpoint Marines clear the rooms Mini thunder runs West and east Thermals find the sandbags Main guns answer Bradleys hold the crossings War wagons press [Radio Bridge 3 — comm radio combined-arms handoff] “Cougar, Bradley Two. Henry crossing set.” “Copy. Hold until the section passes.” “Three-One, next block is yours.” “Roger. Same drill.” “War wagon, move up.” “Moving.” [Bridge — low drone, exhausted preacher vocal] Night-vision glow on a tired face Tracks hum hymns down a shattered lane Prayers sound different over armored plate “Let us live” / “let them break” [Radio Bridge 4 — radio comm, turbine idles, ammunition racks clatter] “Cougar, racks running low.” “Copy. North through the S-curve. Bradleys hold Henry.” “Three-One, armor cycling for ammunition.” “Copy. We hold. Send them back south.” [Final Chorus — fullest band; preacher lead; louder crew answers] War wagon gospel Rolling like a sermon Send ’em smoothbore tickets to the other side Loader yells “UP!” and my world starts burning Gunner calls “ON!” and the fears slide by In this tracked cathedral Thunder is the choir War wagon gospel Preaching in fire [Outro — turbine returns, comm radio narrow-band radio, loose track rattle] “Three-One, Cougar. Back on Henry.” “Copy. Next strongpoint, south side.” “Send it.” “Tanks moving.”
