When Johnny and his rockabilly band blow a tire on a lonely Yukon highway, they're forced into the fog-shrouded ghost town of Cinder Creek, mostly abandoned from an underground coal mine fire that never went out, where a mysterious hotel manager hands them room keys without asking their names and insists the ballroom needs one last orchestra. As eerie creatures stalk the streets and restless spirits gather beneath glittering Art Deco chandeliers, only one thing can keep the darkness at bay...rock and roll! Featuring a giant Skunk Ape on his new found Rickenbacker five-string bass, ghostly ballroom dancing, haunted miners, monstrous horrors, and enough swinging rhythm to shake the mountain itself, Rock Till Morning is the unforgettable musical thriller where the only way to survive... is to keep playing until dawn! [INTRO] [cold wind][tire blows][hubcap rolls] (:Johnny:) Tell me we kept the spare. (:Drummer:) We kept the bass player. (:Skunk Ape:) Bass player can walk. (:Johnny:) Not in my coat, you can’t. [drum pickup][slapback guitar] [VERSE 1] Well, we were bound for Fairbanks on a cold December night, When an old railroad spike put the rear wheel right. We threw out the spare tire for our five-string friend, Now the snow kept falling and the road had no end. Then a sign started swinging where the black pines meet: “Cinder Creek—twelve hundred souls.” Someone scratched: “Still.” Underneath. (:quartet:) Still underneath! [VERSE 2] Twenty years burning underneath the ground, Pale folks walking, but they don’t make a sound. Steam through the pavement, black smoke in the snow, Every clock said midnight everywhere we’d go. At the Aurora Grand stood a clerk funeral-tall. He gave us seven room keys— we gave no names at all. I said, “Call a mechanic.” He stared through me instead: “The ballroom needs an orchestra. Please entertain the dead.” (:Johnny:) Well, boys— a gig’s a gig! [CHORUS] Rock till morning, keep that rhythm alive! Rock till morning if you wanna survive! When the guitar stops ringing, they crawl through the floor, So rock till morning— then rock a little more! The night keeps falling, but the sun won’t rise, Coal smoke dancing in their pale white eyes. Keep your hands on the strings, keep your feet off the door— Rock till morning, then rock a little more! (:quartet:) More, more, more! Rock a little more! [SAX BREAK:{8 bars}] [honking tenor sax][handclaps][piano triplets] [VERSE 3] We plugged into the ballroom, gave the old folks a tune, While burned-out miners gathered underneath the moon. Lanterns in their helmets, no faces underneath, Every time the drummer stopped, we heard another breathe. The piano played a melody that nobody had touched. The Hollow Men came closer— I said, “Boys, don’t rush.” Then Skunk Ape raised one finger and turned his big amp down: “Johnny, quit your talking. There’s music underground.” [BREAKDOWN:{FULL SILENCE}] [mine rumble in B][five-string bass alone] [OPEN LOW B:{30.9Hz}|{sustain 2 bars}|{INSTRUMENTAL ONLY}|{audible harmonics}] (:Johnny:) Hold it there, big fella. (:Skunk Ape:) Mountain humming. (:Johnny:) Mountains don’t hum. (:Skunk Ape:) This one does. [SECOND OPEN LOW-B NOTE:{sustain 4 bars}|{louder}|{INSTRUMENTAL ONLY}] [hotel glass shakes][mine bell answers in B] [ghost piano enters] [FORGOTTEN WALTZ:{3/4}|{E minor}] [cracked 1930s piano][lonely violin][accordion][shellac hiss] [Johnny sings softly][Hollow Men stop] Turn once for the mountain, Turn twice for the flame, Turn home to your darling, And remember your name. (:ghostly miners:) Remember your name... Turn once for the sorrow, Turn twice through the snow, Take the hand that you came for, And never let it go. [WALTZ INSTRUMENTAL:{4 bars}] [old couples recognize each other] [miners begin dancing] [TRANSFORM:{3/4→4/4}] [Skunk Ape plays waltz melody on five-string bass] [drums turn it into driving rockabilly] [piano pounds][saxophone answers][full band erupts] [FINAL CHORUS] Rock into morning, let the old souls go! Rock into morning through the fire and snow! Every dead heart dancing as the daylight crossed the floor— We rocked them into morning, they won’t need us anymore! Rock into morning, hear that five-string roar! Rock into morning, shake the mountain’s core! When the Hollow Men remembered who they used to be before, We rocked them into morning— then rocked a little more! (:quartet:) More, more, more! That big bass shook the floor! More, more, more! Rock a little more! [FINAL DANCE BREAK:{8 bars}] [joyful sax solo][slapback guitar][walking five-string bass] [ghostly cheers][Johnny yelps] [OUTRO] [cold wind][van engine][soft guitar] We woke beside the Yukon in the early morning gray. A brand-new whitewall tire— and the town had gone away. Six boys, one Sasquatch, one ballroom until dawn. The bill said nineteen-thirty-nine— and Cinder Creek was gone. [Skunk Ape plucks one soft low B] (:Johnny:) Fairbanks, boys? (:Skunk Ape:) Need a spare. [band laughter] (:Johnny:) Uh-huh— I knew I liked this fella. [final E-major rock-and-roll chord] --Japanese-------------------------------------- ロック・ティル・モーニング（朝までロック） [INTRO] [cold wind][tire blows][hubcap rolls] (:Johnny:) スペアタイヤは積んであるよな？ (:Drummer:) 積んだのはベース弾きだけさ。 (:Skunk Ape:) ベース弾きは歩けるぜ。 (:Johnny:) 俺のコート着てちゃ無理だな。 [drum pickup][slapback guitar] [VERSE 1] 凍える十二月の夜 フェアバンクスを目指してた 古いレールの犬釘が 後ろのタイヤを「直して」くれた 五弦の相棒を乗せるため スペアは置いてきたのさ 雪は降り止まず 道には果てがなかった 黒松の森の入り口で 看板がひとつ揺れてた 「シンダー・クリーク——千二百の魂」 誰かが下に刻んでた 「今も」……と。 (:quartet:) 今も、地の下に！ [VERSE 2] 二十年も燃え続ける 地面の下の火 青白い人々が歩く 足音ひとつ立てずに 舗道から噴き出す湯気 雪に混じる黒い煙 どこへ行っても時計はみんな 真夜中を指してた オーロラ・グランドのフロントには 葬式みたいに背の高い男 七つの鍵を渡された 名前も聞かれずに 「修理屋を呼んでくれ」と言うと 男は俺を透かして見た 「舞踏室に楽団が要るのです どうか死者をおもてなしを」 (:Johnny:) よし野郎ども……仕事は仕事だ！ [CHORUS] 朝までロックだ リズムを止めるな！ 朝までロックだ 生き延びたけりゃな！ ギターが鳴り止めば 奴らが床から這い出てくる だから朝までロック—— そしてもうちょっとロック！ 夜は深まるばかり 太陽は昇らない 石炭の煙が踊る 白く濁った瞳の中 手は弦から離すな ドアに足を向けるな—— 朝までロック そしてもうちょっとロック！ (:quartet:) モア・モア・モア！ もうちょっとロック！ [SAX BREAK:{8 bars}] [honking tenor sax][handclaps][piano triplets] [VERSE 3] 舞踏室でアンプをつないで 年寄りたちに一曲 焼け焦げた炭鉱夫たちが 月の下に集まってくる ヘルメットにはランタン その下に顔はない ドラムが止まるたび 誰かの息づかいが聞こえた 誰も触れてないピアノが メロディを奏でだす うつろな男たちが近づく—— 「慌てるな」と俺は言った するとスカンクエイプが指を立て でかいアンプの音を絞った 「ジョニー、黙りな。 地の底で音楽が鳴ってる」 [BREAKDOWN:{FULL SILENCE}] [mine rumble in B][five-string bass alone] [OPEN LOW B:{30.9Hz}|{sustain 2 bars}|{INSTRUMENTAL ONLY}|{audible harmonics}] (:Johnny:) 待て待て、でかいの。 (:Skunk Ape:) 山が唸ってる。 (:Johnny:) 山は唸らねえよ。 (:Skunk Ape:) この山は唸る。 [SECOND OPEN LOW-B NOTE:{sustain 4 bars}|{louder}|{INSTRUMENTAL ONLY}] [hotel glass shakes][mine bell answers in B] [ghost piano enters] [FORGOTTEN WALTZ:{3/4}|{E minor}] [cracked 1930s piano][lonely violin][accordion][shellac hiss] [Johnny sings softly][Hollow Men stop] 山のためにひと回り 炎のためにふた回り 愛しい人のもとへ帰り おまえの名前を思い出せ (:ghostly miners:) 名前を思い出せ…… 悲しみのためにひと回り 雪の中をふた回り 迎えに来たその手を取って 二度と離すな [WALTZ INSTRUMENTAL:{4 bars}] [old couples recognize each other] [miners begin dancing] [TRANSFORM:{3/4→4/4}] [Skunk Ape plays waltz melody on five-string bass] [drums turn it into driving rockabilly] [piano pounds][saxophone answers][full band erupts] [FINAL CHORUS] 朝へとロックだ 古い魂を解き放て！ 朝へとロックだ 炎と雪を突き抜けて！ 死者の心が踊り出す 床に朝日が差すころ—— 朝まで揺らし続けた もう俺たちは要らない！
