[Intro] [Atmosphere: heavy tape hiss, crackling vinyl, sparse minor piano, low detuned synth drone] (Deep exhausted breath) [Verse 1] [Hollow mezzo soprano vocal] Mud on my armor, iron in my chest A thousand miles of marching, no time for rest The sky is ash, the fields are torn away I’ve fought the shadows just to see today Behind my eyes, the faces of my own For them, I carried every heavy stone [Chorus] [Brittle drum machine pulse enters, low sub-bass] Survival was the only crown I wore Just staying breathing in this endless war No gold, no glory, no triumphal march Just walking through the fire and the parch To keep the home fire burning from afar Beneath a broken, lightless northern star [Bridge] [Piano stops, intense granular guitar noise swells] (Low cynical haunting laugh) My limbs are weary, and my shield is cracked There is no path to take us safely back But hear me now, the blood within our veins Is stronger than the iron of these chains We did not fall, we did not fade to dust We hold the line because we simply must [Chorus] [Beat grows sharper, sub-bass intensifies, powerful inspiring vocals] Survival is the crown we choose to wear We breathe the smoke, we breathe the heavy air Stand close, my kin, the winter will pass by Look up, the dawn is cutting through the sky We hold each other when the pillars shake We bend the steel, but we will never break [Outro] [Climax, wall of sound, powerful driving art-pop] Lean on my shoulder! Hold fast the line! Your breath is human, your heart is divine! We rise together! We rise! (Defiant triumphant chuckle) [Fade out tape hiss] [End]
