[Female – soft gothic] They said he rose at the break of day Covered in gold from the sacred lake Dust on his skin like a second sun A living prayer when the day was done The mountains whispered of a shining place Where the rivers ran with a golden face Every stone a mirror to the sky A city that never learned how to die [Male – hard modern rock/metal] I followed the stories through the endless green Past the rivers that no one has ever seen The jungle swallowed every map I made And still I chased the promise that never stayed [Both] The Gilded One Walked where the light was born We came with hunger in our bones Looking for a throne made of gold alone [Female – switches to cheery pop] Night after night by the fire’s glow I dreamed of streets that the sun would know Temples rising higher than the trees A kingdom that answered every plea [Male – hard modern rock/metal] But the forest keeps what it wants to keep It takes your name while you try to sleep Every step forward is a step too far And the gold is always just under the stars [Both] The Gilded One Walked where the light was born We came with hunger in our bones Looking for a throne made of gold alone [Male – hard modern rock/metal bridge] Feel the heat of a thousand years Feel the weight of a thousand fears Every explorer left the same With nothing but a forgotten name [Female – soft gothic] If the lake still holds his reflection true Does he wait for someone who never knew That the greatest treasure was never the gold But the story that never grows old [Both – full power] The Gilded One Still walks where the light is born We left our footprints in the clay And the jungle washed them all away The Gilded One Keeps the secret in the dawn We came looking for a crown of flame And left with only the sound of his name [Outro – Female into Both] Somewhere the dust still shines… Somewhere the lake still calls…
