Myth and Philosophy: Twelve Seats (The Zodiac Reimagined)

[INTRO] The Lord of Heaven stood at the gate and called: "The first twelve here will each be handed a year. Come greet the dawn on the new year's morn." The word went out. The woods woke up. And every beast alive wanted a seat. [VERSE 1] The word ran fence to fence and tree to tree — twelve years, twelve seats, and only twelve would be. Every hoof and every wing took off; the whole wide county wanted one. [VERSE 2] One cat slept through the call that day. He woke, and asked the rat which dawn. The rat named one a day too late — so the cat slept on, and slept too long. [PRE-CHORUS] The ox stood patient in the dark — "Nobody said we couldn't leave the night before." So off he went, the night before. [CHORUS 1] Twelve seats, twelve years, twelve at the door, And the gate swings shut when they're gone — no more. So keep your feet moving and keep your eyes wide: The night before is a good time to ride. [VERSE 3] The ox walked steady through the dark, the rat rode quiet on his back. At the gate the rat jumped down — first the smallest, second the shrewd one. [VERSE 4] The tiger and the rabbit ran as one, stride for stride, no whisker in between. Then the river took the small one away — third the tiger, fourth the rabbit, soaked. Same speed — different size. [VERSE 5] The dragon flew and stopped at every dry field, calling the rain down on the cracked ground. The snake rode along — then forgot he crawled slow, stepped off the road. Fifth dragon, sixth snake. [CHORUS 2] Six seats filled and six to go, And the gate swings shut when they're gone — no more. So keep your feet moving and keep your eyes wide: The night before is a good time to ride. [VERSE 6] The horse said, "Take my place — go on." The goat said, "No. You go in front. I've dragged you all this way for nothing." He shoved the horse through — seventh, eighth. [VERSE 7] The monkey and the dog argued all the way; the rooster stepped between to stop the row. They crossed it late, still sore at heart — monkey ninth, rooster tenth, dog eleventh. [VERSE 8] The boar ran faster than anyone there, shot right through and out the far side. He turned around and walked back in — twelfth seat, for the one who ran too well. [BRIDGE] Then the gate pulled shut and the seats were full. The wind went dim, the light went dull. Nothing left to run for, nothing left to win — just a world rolling over, twelve names in. [FINAL VERSE] Next morning the cat came trotting to the gate. "Room for me?" — "You're a morning late." "But I was told —" "Somebody told you wrong." And the cat went home with a grudge in his chest. [FINAL CHORUS] First the rat, then the ox, Tiger, rabbit, then the dragon, Snake and horse and goat and monkey, Rooster, dog — and the boar came last, still staggerin'. Twelve seats, twelve years, twelve at the door, And the gate swings shut when they're gone — no more. Twelve seats, twelve years, and the gate swings true — Now you know how the years got given to you. [OUTRO] And that's why the cat still chases the rat, And why the dog and the monkey won't sit where they sat. Twelve seats, twelve years, and the gate swings true — Now you know how the years got given to you.