The R’lyeh Rhythm Kings - 14. When the Stars Come Right

When the Stars Come Right [Intro — piano and upright bass] [Male — softly] Brother, have you watched the heavens? [Female] Sister, have you watched the sea? [Male] Something’s changing in the darkness. [Female] Something’s finally coming free. [Soft handclaps begin] [Verse 1 — Male] Old men told us there’d be morning, Preachers promised there’d be light, But I’ve seen strange stars above us Moving into place tonight. There’s a trembling in the mountains, There’s a ringing underground, And the Miskatonic River Started flowing the other way around. [Female] Oh, I believe it. [Male] Tell ’em, sister. [Verse 2 — Female] There are lanterns down in Innsmouth, There are fires on Sentinel Hill, There’s a yellow moon on Hali, And the dogs have all gone still. There’s a horn somewhere in Arkham Playing notes I heard before— [Male] And something underneath the ocean Ain’t dreaming anymore. [Choir] Mmmmmm… [Chorus — Both] When the stars come right, When the stars come right, Raise your hands and sing together When the stars come right. No more hiding from the darkness, No more running from the night. We’re gonna sing until the heavens shake When the stars come right. [Trumpet answers] [Verse 3 — Male] I knew a man who feared the corners. [Female] They found him yesterday. [Male] Knew a girl who wore a yellow sign. [Female] She smiled and walked away. [Male] Knew another heard the ocean— [Female] She went down to Devil Reef. [Both] Every road we walked upon Was bringing us beneath. [Choir] Down… Down… Down… [Female] You hear them? [Male] I hear them. [Band begins building] [Chorus — Full Band] When the stars come right, When the stars come right, Blow that trumpet, beat that drum When the stars come right! Let the river leave its banks, Let the dead sea touch the sky— We’ve been waiting since before we lived For this one blessed night! [Instrumental — trumpet / tenor sax / piano] [Breakdown — upright bass and handclaps] [Male] Who’s that knocking? [Choir] AIN’T NO MAN! [Female] Who’s that calling? [Choir] AIN’T NO MAN! [Male] Who’s that rising? [Choir] FROM BELOW! [Female] Where we going? [Choir] DOWN WE GO! [Male] What about tomorrow? [Choir] AIN’T NO MORE! [Female] What about the morning? [Choir] AIN’T NO MORE! [Both] Then open up that final door— [Choir] AND LET THE OLD ONES THROUGH! [Full band crashes in] [Verse 4 — Female] I can see the drowned towers rising! [Male] I can hear that black sea roar! [Female] I can see a thousand faces Coming smiling to the shore! [Male] Arkham bells are ringing! [Female] Innsmouth’s singing too! [Both] And something bigger than the world Is pushing its way through! [Choir] HALLELU— [Sudden silence] [Female] No. That ain’t the word. [Male] You’re right. [Single piano chord] [Male — quietly] Try the old one. [Choir — whispered] Ph’nglui… [Female] Again. [Choir] Ph’nglui mglw’nafh… [Male] Louder. [Choir] Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu… [Female] LOUDER! [Band erupts] [Final Chorus] [All] WHEN THE STARS COME RIGHT! WHEN THE STARS COME RIGHT! LET THE HEAVENS SPLIT WIDE OPEN, LET THE SEA SWALLOW THE NIGHT! BLOW THAT HORN UNTIL IT BREAKS! BEAT THAT DRUM UNTIL IT DIES! WE’LL KEEP DANCING WHILE THE OLD WORLD SINKS BENEATH THE RISING TIDE! [Female — soaring] No more dreaming! [Male] No more chains! [Choir] NO MORE WAITING! [Female] Call his name! [Choir] CTHULHU! [Male] CALL HIS NAME! [Choir] CTHULHU! [Both] THE STARS ARE RIGHT! [Huge brass break] [Music begins quoting the R’lyeh Stomp] [Male] Stomp! Stomp! [Choir] R’LYEH STOMP! [Female] Shake that floor— [Choir] TILL THE WHOLE THING DROPS! [Male] Who’s the band?! [Choir] THE R’LYEH RHYTHM KINGS! [Female] Then play it, boys! [Extended frantic instrumental — every instrument] [Gradually, the band falls away one instrument at a time] [Trumpet disappears] [Saxophone disappears] [Drums disappear] [Piano disappears] [Only upright bass remains] Dum… Dum-da-dum… Dum… [The same rhythm from “They Come Through the Corners”] [Female — distant] Do you see it? [Male] Yeah. [Female] Is it beautiful? [Long pause] [Male] No. [Female] Then why are you smiling? [Male] Because we got the gig. [Female laughs softly] [Deep sound rises from beneath the sea] [Male — addressing the audience] Ladies and gentlemen… The R’lyeh Rhythm Kings. [Female] We’ll be playing all night. [Male] How long is all night? [Female] Forever. [Final bass note] [Very distant reprise] Stomp… Stomp… R’lyeh… stomp… [Record needle reaches the locked groove]