[Intro] Whined the brass, wake the room Copper lungs inhale the gloom [Verse 1] Under the boiler’s violet breath I keep a ledger of borrowed death A silver key in a velvet seam Turns every warning into a dream The foreman says, “Keep your hands clean” But soot writes maps on the machine I hear your footsteps inside the wall Counting the sparks before they fall [Pre-Chorus] You built a kingdom out of gears I learned to steer it through my fears [Chorus] Turn the wheel, darling, turn it hard Break the lock on the emperor’s yard If the brass sky cracks, let the daylight in We were born with a dangerous grin Raise the pressure, let the old world sway We’ll make tomorrow from the scraps today [Verse 2] A paper moon in the factory glass Shows all the ghosts that the engines pass Your pocket watch has a hungry face It steals one second from every place I found your name in a copper coil Beside the recipe, beside the oil The ink ran red when I read it aloud And every rivet began to bow [Pre-Chorus] You call it fate when the gauges climb I call it ours when we steal the time [Chorus] Turn the wheel, darling, turn it hard Break the lock on the emperor’s yard If the brass sky cracks, let the daylight in We were born with a dangerous grin Raise the pressure, let the old world sway We’ll make tomorrow from the scraps today [Instrumental Break] [Bridge] No more kneeling by the furnace door No more praying to the hands that keep the score Take my pulse, take the spark, take the whole design I’ll put the thunder where your silence used to shine [Half-Time Breakdown] One gear slips Two hearts race Three red lamps Burn through the haze [Final Chorus] Turn the wheel, darling, turn it hard Break the lock on the emperor’s yard If the brass sky cracks, let the daylight in We were born with a dangerous grin Raise the pressure, let the old world sway We’ll make tomorrow from the scraps today Turn the wheel, darling, turn it hard Leave your old name in the scrapyard When the last bell rings, we’ll still remain Bright as a match in the engine rain Raise the pressure, let the old world sway We’ll make tomorrow from the scraps today [Outro] Whined the brass, then let it run The machine bows down to everyone
