Forward Into Dawn

gothic gangster rock, barbershop, industrial

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V6-MINI

[Intro | one slow drumbeat from the last track, a single chair scrapes back, quiet kitchen, refrigerator hum, clock ticking]

[Verse 1 | whispered, half-spoken, very soft organ, one slow heartbeat kick, intimate]
I wake you at four with the kitchen light low
I say go back to sleep, but you already know
You ask me, "Are you a hero?" I laugh in the dark
"No, baby. I'm just early. Somebody has to start."
I pocket your granddad's wrench from the drawer
"We don't throw it out, kid. We fix it. That's what it's for."
I say I'll be back by breakfast
I don't say which one

[Pre-Chorus | footsteps gathering, organ rising, rolling toms]
One door opens. Then the house next door.
Then the whole street's walking where nobody walked before.
Three in a hundred, that's what the old books say.
Three in a hundred, and the whole thing gives way.

[Chorus | full band, distorted power chords, organ swell, huge gang vocal shouts, singalong]
(Put it down!)
You know my name
(Put it down!)
We bleed the same
You're the last of them who can say
Not today
(Put it down!)

[Verse 2 | stripped back, heavy bass groove, direct, pleading, raw vocal]
You grew up three streets over, your mother knows mine
Same layoffs, same landlord, same bills down the line
They call it the law, but the law is made of men
And men can lay it down, and it's gone again
They pay you well to stand where you stand
Till the day they build a cheaper hand

[Pre-Chorus | building, rapid kick, feedback guitar]
One hand shakes. Then the hand beside it.
Then the whole line's wondering what they signed up for.
Three in a hundred, that's what the old books say.
Three in a hundred, and the whole thing gives way.

[Verse 3 | half-time, brooding bass, stomps building, a crowd gathering, voice rising]
The driver parks the bus across the road and pockets the keys
The nurse steps off the ward in her scrubs: "I'll go with these"
The guard steps off the line, the clerk locks up the till
The farmer leaves his tractor: it said no, so he will
A wrench, a union card, a child's drawing folded small
Everybody's carrying a kitchen, and a light left on in the hall
Their rope held us forty years and more, a rope we couldn't see
Now a million hands twist our own, stronger than theirs will ever be

[Bridge | plain, near-spoken, drums drop out, only breath and one slow organ line, a silent crowd of thousands]
I told you somebody has to start.
I was wrong.
Nobody has to be first.
Everybody just has to know.
Look left. Look right.
Find an eye. Hold it.
You see me.
I see you.
Now we both know.

Nod.
Go.

[Final Chorus | explosive, full heavy band, wide organ swell, massive doubled gang vocals, thousands of stomping feet in time]
(All of us!)
You know our name
(All of us!)
We bleed the same
You can stop a man, you can stop a street
You can't stop a country once it gets on its feet
(All of us!)
(Not today!)

[Outro | everything drops away except the crowd's stomps, which lock into one unison step, low unison voice]
They counted us up.
Now we count.
Item five.
[End | one unison step, then the first tick of a timer, steady, left running]

3320/7500

[Intro | one slow drumbeat from the last track, a single chair scrapes back, quiet kitchen, refrigerator hum, clock ticking] [Verse 1 | whispered, half-spoken, very soft organ, one slow heartbeat kick, intimate] I wake you at four with the kitchen light low I say go back to sleep, but you already know You ask me, "Are you a hero?" I laugh in the dark "No, baby. I'm just early. Somebody has to start." I pocket your granddad's wrench from the drawer "We don't throw it out, kid. We fix it. That's what it's for." I say I'll be back by breakfast I don't say which one [Pre-Chorus | footsteps gathering, organ rising, rolling toms] One door opens. Then the house next door. Then the whole street's walking where nobody walked before. Three in a hundred, that's what the old books say. Three in a hundred, and the whole thing gives way. [Chorus | full band, distorted power chords, organ swell, huge gang vocal shouts, singalong] (Put it down!) You know my name (Put it down!) We bleed the same You're the last of them who can say Not today (Put it down!) [Verse 2 | stripped back, heavy bass groove, direct, pleading, raw vocal] You grew up three streets over, your mother knows mine Same layoffs, same landlord, same bills down the line They call it the law, but the law is made of men And men can lay it down, and it's gone again They pay you well to stand where you stand Till the day they build a cheaper hand [Pre-Chorus | building, rapid kick, feedback guitar] One hand shakes. Then the hand beside it. Then the whole line's wondering what they signed up for. Three in a hundred, that's what the old books say. Three in a hundred, and the whole thing gives way. [Chorus | full band, distorted power chords, organ swell, huge gang vocal shouts, singalong] (Put it down!) You know my name (Put it down!) We bleed the same You're the last of them who can say Not today (Put it down!) [Verse 3 | half-time, brooding bass, stomps building, a crowd gathering, voice rising] The driver parks the bus across the road and pockets the keys The nurse steps off the ward in her scrubs: "I'll go with these" The guard steps off the line, the clerk locks up the till The farmer leaves his tractor: it said no, so he will A wrench, a union card, a child's drawing folded small Everybody's carrying a kitchen, and a light left on in the hall Their rope held us forty years and more, a rope we couldn't see Now a million hands twist our own, stronger than theirs will ever be [Bridge | plain, near-spoken, drums drop out, only breath and one slow organ line, a silent crowd of thousands] I told you somebody has to start. I was wrong. Nobody has to be first. Everybody just has to know. Look left. Look right. Find an eye. Hold it. You see me. I see you. Now we both know. Nod. Go. [Final Chorus | explosive, full heavy band, wide organ swell, massive doubled gang vocals, thousands of stomping feet in time] (All of us!) You know our name (All of us!) We bleed the same You can stop a man, you can stop a street You can't stop a country once it gets on its feet (All of us!) (Not today!) [Outro | everything drops away except the crowd's stomps, which lock into one unison step, low unison voice] They counted us up. Now we count. Item five. [End | one unison step, then the first tick of a timer, steady, left running]

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