[Intro - Space-ambient Textures, Slap Bass, Ad-libs] (Mmm. . . Mmm. . . Mmm) [Verse 1 - Minimalist Funk Groove] The alley smells of ozone and cheap grease, a holy mix. Did a gig for the Moon, now the ledger's got kinks. She’s a silver splinter stuck right beneath the paw, A celestial loan shark thumbing her nose at the law. I felt the whoosh of her skirt when the promise was made, Saw her wink through the smog in a blue-velvet shade. She’s a big, fat dinner plate held at arm’s-length height, Serving only frostbite to the dogs in the night. [Pre-Chorus - Swirling Synths] But the tide is my witness, her watery, slow hand, Knows exactly what was promised to the mongrel on the land. I got the invoice etched deep in my memory’s gut, And the interest is rising from the cracked sewer rut. [Chorus - High Energy, Anthemic Funk, Belting, Soulful Vocal] I'm three bucks shy of the Moon, and the stars are all snitches. She floats up there laughing in her cosmic-silk britches. I’ll file my grievance on a hound-dog howl, sharp and sleek, I’ll drag her crescent carcass to the court of the weak. Three bucks shy, I’ll bark it till her halo gets dim, I’m three bucks shy of the Moon, and she’s testing my whim. [Verse 2 - Cynical, Smooth Vocal, Hammond Organ] Her shine is borrowed—that much is the truth, Stolen sunlight dressed up like the fountain of youth. She claims "jurisdiction," says I missed the fine print, But the clatter of coins was the deal’s final hint. She's got a lawyer made of fog, a brief filled with space, But my testimony's concrete, vibrating in this place. I tried to settle out of court, whispered my plea, But she just rolled her pale eye and sneered back at me. [Pre-Chorus - Echoed Vocal Effect] Yeah, the tide is my witness, she’s pulling the ocean’s strings, Knows a debt unpaid is the cruelest song a planet sings. The urge is a snarl rising, tight in the throat’s lock, And the payment clock is ticking on her silver bedrock. [Chorus - Explosive Energy, Heavy Brass Accents] I'm three bucks shy of the Moon, and the stars are all snitches. She floats up there laughing in her cosmic-silk britches. I’ll file my grievance on a hound-dog howl, sharp and sleek, I’ll drag her crescent carcass to the court of the meek. Three bucks shy, I’ll bark it till her halo gets dim, I’m three bucks shy of the Moon, and she’s testing my whim. [Bridge - Half-Time Tempo, Dark, Introspective Mood, Low-pitched Vocal] We’ll drag her low, we who've been promised and stiffed, We are the collective shadows, the gift that got lifted. She thinks her orbit's a shield? We'll cite Chapter Nine: Lunar Deceit. This isn’t vengeance, it’s a narrative pivot—a cosmic receipt. From the gutter to the nebula, the contract stands tall, She’ll pay up the principle, or watch her light fall. [Instrumental Break - Soaring Electric Guitar Solo, Wailing Blues Harmonica, 808 Sub-bass] [Verse 3 - Building Intensity, Aggressive Vocal] My coat is damp with the dew that her cold light has spun, But my nose is still twitching—the battle’s not done. The dinner plate high up is starting to tremble and warp, Her cool, curdled light sounds just like a lonely, dying harp. We bay for justice, not charity, or a pat on the head, We need those three bucks to buy back the truth we were fed. [Chorus - Climax, Final, Harmony] I'm three bucks shy of the Moon, and the stars are all snitches. She floats up there laughing in her cosmic-silk britches. I’ll file my grievance on a hound-dog howl, sharp and sleek, I’ll drag her crescent carcass to the court of the free. Three bucks shy, I’ll bark it till her halo gets dim, I’m three bucks shy of the Moon, and I'll settle for him! [Outro - Spoken Word Vocal] (She thinks she can hide behind an eclipse? Fat chance. I know a debt collector who eats vacuum for breakfast. Tell her Frayed Snout sent the bill—plus late fees. And tell the Sun he owes me a ride.) Rrrrrrr. Three. Bucks. Shy. [End on a minor 7 #9 chord] [End]
