Lyrics By Thomas Hardy They sing their dearest songs He, she, all of them— yea, Treble and tenor and bass, And one to play... With the candles mooning each face. . . . Ah, no; the years O! How the sick leaves reel down in throngs! They clear the creeping moss— Elders and juniors— aye, Making the pathways neat And the garden gray; And they build a shady seat. . . . Ah, no; the years, the years! See, the white storm-birds wing across! The white storm-birds wing across! They are blithely breakfasting all Men and maidens— yea, Under the summer tree, With a glimpse of the bay... And the rotten rose is ript from the wall! They change to a high new house, Clocks and carpets and chairs... Down their carved names the rain-drop ploughs. The rain-drop ploughs. ----------------- [Instrumental Intro - Atmospheric] (Tempo: 85 BPM) (Texture: Warm Arpeggiated Analog Synths) (The Descent) [Dadd9] [A/C#] [Cadd9] [G/B] (Acoustic Guitar enters - Strummed) [Verse 1] (Groove: Complex rimshots and ghost notes) (Vocals: Detached, Close-mic, soft tenor) [Dadd9] They sing their dearest [A/C#] songs [Cadd9] He, she, all of them— [G/B] yea, [Dadd9] Treble and tenor and [A/C#] bass, [Cadd9] And one to [G/B] play... [Gm/Bb] With the candles mooning [D/A] each face. . . . [Pre-Chorus] (Texture: Mellotron Strings swelling) [Em7] Ah, no; the [Asus4] years O! [Gmaj9] How the sick leaves reel [D] down in throngs! [Verse 2] (Texture: Bass guitar deep and melodic) [Dadd9] They clear the creeping [A/C#] moss— [Cadd9] Elders and juniors— [G/B] aye, [Dadd9] Making the pathways [A/C#] neat [Cadd9] And the garden [G/B] gray; [Gm/Bb] And they build a [D/A] shady seat. . . . [Chorus] (Texture: WALL OF SOUND - Heavy Distorted Guitars) (Vocals: Layered Harmonies - Anthemic) [F#m7] Ah, no; the [Dmaj9] years, the years! [Aadd9] See, the white storm-birds [E] wing across! [F#m7] The white storm-birds [Dmaj9] wing across! [Bridge - The "Ghost" Section] (Tempo Slows - Spooky Ambience) (Clean Electric Guitar with Delay) [Dm9] They are blithely breakfasting [Bbmaj7] all [Gm7] Men and maidens— [Asus4] yea, [Dm9] Under the summer [Bbmaj7] tree, [Gm7] With a glimpse of the [Asus4] bay... (Snare Roll Build-up) [Bbmaj7] And the rotten rose is [Cadd9] ript from the wall! [Guitar Solo] (Melodic, Soaring Slide Guitar) (Heavy Rhythm Section underneath) [F#m7] [Dmaj9] [Aadd9] [E] [F#m7] [Dmaj9] [Aadd9] [E] [Outro] (Return to Arpeggiated Analog Synths - Sudden Drop) (Vocals: Whisper) [Dadd9] They change to a high [A/C#] new house, [Cadd9] Clocks and carpets and [G/B] chairs... [Dadd9] Down their carved names the [A/C#] rain-drop ploughs. [Cadd9] The rain-drop [G/B] ploughs. [Dadd9] (Final Chord fades into Rain)