Ahithophel Instructs Absalom

[AHITHOPHEL – VERSE 1 (FAST RAP)] [(slick, conversational, never quite looking Absalom in the eye)] Look—nobody’s sayin’ crowns don’t fit right, Just sayin’ some heads wear ‘em too tight. Old lions nap in the afternoon sun, Young blood’s got a habit of gettin’ things done. I don’t push, I don’t pull, I just point at the map, Funny how the shortest road runs straight through the gap. When a door stays cracked, that’s a courtesy call, Means somebody inside don’t wanna lock it at all. Now respect’s a table—every seat got a price, Some bought with patience, some paid twice. You ain’t takin’ nothin’, you just lettin’ it fall Into hands that been ready since the day they could crawl. [HOOK (SEDUCTIVE, SUNG) (smooth, almost reassuring)] Let it happen slow… let it happen clean Nobody bleeds when they follow the stream You don’t make waves, you just widen the lane And wake up one day with the keys and the name [(repeat, with harmonies building)] [VERSE 2 – AHITHOPHEL (LEANING IN)] See, power don’t shout, it whispers “come here,” Sounds a lot like truth when you’re close enough to hear. Kings ain’t chosen, they’re confirmed in the room Where everybody nods ‘cause they all smell the bloom. You ever notice how loyalty bends? Like a reed in the wind when the forecast ends. I don’t break faith, I just test what it holds— Gold stays gold, but the cheap stuff folds. So take the meeting, take the night, take the chair, Take the silence when nobody dares. If the crown fits later, that’s heaven’s design— I’m just here to make sure the stars align. [HOOK (REPRISE – ABSALOM JOINS ON LAST LINE)] Let it happen slow… let it happen clean (let it happen clean) Nobody bleeds when they follow the stream (they follow the stream) You don’t make waves, you just widen the lane (I just widen the lane) And wake up one day with the keys and the name (the keys and the name)