INTRO [Radio hiss • swamp insects • distant steel drums] “The sea didn’t drown that captain…” “It marinated him.” [Steel drums enter hard] ⸻ VERSE 1 Storm clouds bent around the ship like crows Ocean in his chest instead of a soul Gold in his pockets, gravewater on his skin Whole crew stepped back when he smiled again Deck still rocking though the tide went still Moon looked wrong hanging over the hill Ropes pulled tight with nobody near Even the gulls disappeared from the pier I told the crew: “Don’t break the circle…” Torchlight shaking all around the ritual Steel drums talking in a code of their own Captain kept twitching like the deep held on Black rum boiling in a rusted tin cup Dead station buzzing every time he stood up One crewman cried when the fire turned green Another one swore he heard bones scream Crew yell: “BLACK TIDE!” I drew strange marks on the side of his jaw Seafoam dripping from the cracks in his cough Whole swamp listening when I cut my hand That’s when the shoreline started breathing again ⸻ PRE-HOOK He came back wrong Whole tide sang along Ship bells rang alone Now the sea want him home ⸻ HOOK Black water baptized him Storm clouds idolized him Whole crew watched the tide rewrite him Now the dead walk beside him Steel drums calling violent Moonlight turned to sirens Whole island froze in silence When the black tide crowned him ⸻ VERSE 2 Captain’s eyes rolled white in the lantern flashing Then the waves outside quit their crashing Fire bent low like it heard his name Smoke climbed backward through the pouring rain I fed the flames old maps and salt Mixed shark teeth ash in a wooden bowl Whole jungle leaned when the bassline hit Even the trees started swaying with it Dead radio talking through broken wires Voice kept saying: “TAKE HIM HIGHER…” Crew stomp rhythm with their boots in mud Thunder cracked hard like a giant drum He rose slow where the black smoke curled Like death stepped back and made him room Sea went flat all the way offshore Then every torch on the beach burned blue Crew yell: “DON’T LOOK DOWN!” Captain laughed low with his head tilted back Sounded like the tide got trapped in his chest That’s when the ropes on the ship pulled tight And the bells started ringing by themselves ⸻ BRIDGE [Beat strips down to drums + bass pulse] “Death ain’t fail when it took that king…” “It sent something back wearing him.” [Steel drum build] Crew: “AY!” “BLACK TIDE!” “AY!” “BLACK TIDE!” ⸻ FINAL HOOK Black water baptized him Storm clouds idolized him Whole crew watched the tide rewrite him Now the dead walk beside him Firelight breathing violent Ghost waves moving silent Whole island still deny it But the black tide survived him ⸻ OUTRO [Static • steel drums fading into thunder] “Careful what answers your ritual…”
