The R’lyeh Rhythm Kings - 11. The Colour Outta Space

The Colour Outta Space [Intro — sparse piano, bowed bass, distant guitar] [Female — softly] Something fell behind the farmhouse Tuesday night. Wasn’t fire. Wasn’t lightning. And whatever colour it was… God never gave it a name. [Verse 1 — Female] There was thunder without rain, There was fire without heat, Something struck the old north pasture And the ground shook underneath. Papa found a stone there, Black and shining in the day, But when the university men came— Half of it had melted away. [Male backing] Melted away… [Verse 2 — Female] Then the apples grew enormous, But they tasted like the grave, Flowers bloomed in colours No living garden ever gave. At night the trees were moving Though the evening air was still, And a glow came from the well water At the bottom of the hill. [Chorus — Female] There’s a colour in the valley That I’ve never seen before, It shines behind my eyelids, It comes crawling through the floor. There’s a colour in the water, There’s a colour in my dreams— [Male] Lord, tell me what you’re seeing. [Female] There ain’t words for what I’ve seen. [Tenor sax — slow, dissonant solo] [Verse 3 — Male] The cattle stopped their feeding, Then the dog refused to stay, Every bird around the farmhouse Up and flew itself away. Her father quit his talking. Her mother stayed upstairs. And something in that bedroom Started whispering prayers. [Female] Those weren’t prayers. [Male] What were they? [Female] I don’t know. [Verse 4 — Female] Mama’s face is getting thinner, Papa stares into the well, Little Benny says the fireflies Have been talking to themselves. And every night that colour Gets a little more inside— First it took the field and garden. Now there’s nowhere left to hide. [Chorus — Both] There’s a colour in the valley And it’s drinking everything, Taking green out of the grasses, Taking music from the spring. There’s a colour in our bodies, There’s a colour in our bones— [Female] And when it’s finished with us… [Male] Where does it go? [Female] Home. [Instrumental break — organ, saxophone, strange piano chords] [Bridge — Female] The well lit up at midnight. [Male] Don’t go near. [Female] The whole orchard started shining. [Male] Get away from here. [Female] The trees reached toward the heavens. [Male] Baby, run! [Female] Then every living colour Rose screaming toward the sun. [Band surges, then suddenly drops] [Female — almost whispered] Almost every colour. [Male] …Almost? [Final Chorus — Female with backing vocals] There’s still a colour in the valley, Just a little, just a stain, Waiting underneath the ashes, Waiting underneath the rain. There’s still a colour in the water. [Backing vocals] In the water… [Female] There’s still something in that well. [Backing vocals] In the well… [Female] And if you ask me what it looked like— I still… cannot… tell. [Outro — sparse piano] [Male] Why are your hands glowing? [Silence] [Female] Don’t look at me. [Single distorted saxophone note]