Let Them Roll

[Intro] [vinyl crackle, low room tone] [slow footstep drum, deep wet bass] [low bass men chant in unison, solemn and eerie] nana korobi ya oki [deep response] ya oki... ya oki... [female voices high and ghostly] ahh... ooh... rise again... [koto pluck] [shakuhachi-like flute breathes once] [Verse 1] [cracked bass male lead, close mic] my feet don’t want the road my bones don’t want the morning my shoes have learned a language made of dust and little warnings [low men underneath] nana korobi ya oki [female highlights] walk on... walk on... [lead] I rise without a master no flag above my name just a cracked bowl full of thunder and a match that keeps its flame [low men] keeps its flame... hoh... [Pre-Chorus] [strip back to organ, bass, and footsteps] I do not ask to be painless [soft hum] mm-mm... I do not ask to be clean [female voices] ahh... be clean... only give me one more doorway and the nerve to pass between [low chant grows] nana korobi ya oki [Chorus] [low bass men chant, ritual march] the old ronin roll in their graves [deep response] roll... roll... the old ronin roll in their graves [female voices above] ahh... in their graves... [lead vocal, cracked but stubborn] but they don’t own the road they don’t own my name they don’t own the dust they don’t own my shame [low men] nana korobi ya oki [lead] when my feet say no more when my bones say behave I get up I get up while the old ronin roll in their graves [all low voices] roll... roll... in their graves... [Verse 2] [dusty drums shuffle, koto plucks lightly] I have served old kingdoms I have bowed to borrowed names I have carried other people’s weather like it was my shame [female choir, tender] ooh... not your shame... [lead] now the gate is burned behind me now the map is full of holes but a masterless man still has hands and a beggar still has soul [low male chant] still has soul... nana korobi ya oki [Pre-Chorus 2] [close mic, prayerful] I do not need a bright road I do not need applause [low hums] mm... mm-mm... only one more step through hunger one more breath without a cause [female response] without a cause... without a cause... [Chorus 2] [bigger gospel-lo-fi swell, still dark] the old ronin roll in their graves [deep response] roll... roll... the old ronin roll in their graves [female ghosts] ahh... in their graves... but they don’t own the road they don’t own my name they don’t own the dust they don’t own my shame [low men] nana korobi ya oki when my feet say no more when my bones say behave I get up I get up while the old ronin roll in their graves [Bridge] [drop to vinyl crackle, organ drone, flute breath] [lead almost whispered] not for victory not for pride not to prove I never cried [female hums] ahh... ahh... just to keep the ember breathing just to keep the door untied [low men very soft] door untied... ya oki... [lead] if pain walks beside me let it walk if fear wants a name let it talk [low chant rises] let it talk... ya oki... let it talk... ya oki... [Final Chorus] [fullest lift, low male chant plus female gospel highlights] the old ronin roll in their graves [deep response] roll... roll... the old ronin roll in their graves [female voices rising] ahh... in their graves... but they don’t own the road they don’t own my name they don’t own the dust they don’t own my shame [all voices] nana korobi ya oki [lead, stronger] when my feet say no more when my bones say behave I get up I get up while the old ronin roll in their graves [repeat softer, devotional] I get up I get up while the old ronin roll in their graves [Outro] [drums fade into footsteps] [low male voices only] nana korobi ya oki nana korobi ya oki [female ghosts above] ahh... ooh... rise again... [lead whisper] my feet don’t want the road but the road still knows my name [low final chant] knows my name... ya oki... [one koto note] [one low organ breath] [cut to silence]