[Intro] [Deep room hum, a slow tanpura drone, dripping water in a stone temple; reversed whispers; one low guitar chord stab with a long feedback tail; a tabla starts a slow, heavy pulse] [Whispers] [Several female voices, layered, hissed, panting, evil, circling, close to both ears, no melody] en… en… gi-a gub… gi-a gub… (panting) …lu… lu… ba-uš… za-e… za-e… nu-zu… nu-zu… [Verse 1] [High priest: hard, commanding, shouting into the dark, no fear, roaring baritone] EN-ME-EN! Sag-gal e-gal-la-me-en! Gi-a gub-ba — ni nu-tuku! Za-e-ne lil, za-e-ne nu! Gu-mu-de: GEN-NA! [Whispers] [Female voices, mocking, panting, laughing quietly, layered, rising in number] gen-na… gen-na… (laughing) ni-zu… ni-zu… igi-zu… (panting) en… nu… en… nu… [Chorus] [Priest roaring over the whispers, the guitar stabbing under every word, oud and ney wailing, the tabla pounding] NI NU-TUKU! NI NU-TUKU! Dingir-mu igi-mu-ta! NI NU-TUKU! NI NU-TUKU! Lil-e-ne — GEN-NA! GEN-NA! [Verse 2] [Priest, harder, a step forward into the dark, spitting the words] Izi-mu šu-mu-ta! Igi-mu an-ta! Lugal-e gu-mu ba-an-de! Za-e-ne sig, za-e-ne lil! Gi-a gub-ba — EN-ME-EN! [Whispers] [The women closer now, panting louder, hissing between his words, one of them whispers his name back at him] en-me-en… en-me-en… (mocking) sig… sig… lu… lu… (breathing on the microphone) …ba-uš… [Break] [Everything drops to the room hum and the water; one female whisper alone, directly in the ear, slow, terrible] igi-zu… ga-ba… sag-zu… ga-ba… zi-zu… ga-ba… [Then the priest, quiet first, then a roar] …nu. NU! [Chorus] [Priest at full force, the guitar feedback screaming, tabla doubled, the whispers swarming under him but not winning] NI NU-TUKU! NI NU-TUKU! Dingir-mu igi-mu-ta! NI NU-TUKU! NI NU-TUKU! Lil-e-ne — GEN-NA! GEN-NA! [Outro] [The whispers pull back into the walls, panting fades; the drone stays; one last guitar stab, feedback; dripping water; then one female whisper, very close] en… gi-a… gub…
