The R’lyeh Rhythm Kings - 13. They Come Through the Corners

They Come Through the Corners [Intro — upright bass alone] Dum… Dum-da-dum… Dum… [Finger snap] [Female — low] Round off the table. [Male] Why? [Female] Round off the doorway. [Male] Why? [Female] Because they don’t come through doors. [Pause] They come through the corners. [Upright bass resumes] [Verse 1 — Male] I met a man in Arkham Who knew a trick with time, Said, “Drink this down and close your eyes, Leave yesterday behind.” I saw the first men crawling, Saw the Earth before the rain— Then something in the darkness Turned around… and saw me just the same. [Female] Mmm. That was careless. [Male] I know that now. [Chorus — Female & Male] [Female] They come through the corners. [Male] Keep ’em round. [Female] They come through the angles. [Male] Smooth ’em down. [Female] They can smell you through tomorrow. [Male] They can follow yesterday. [Both] Once the Hounds of Tindalos know you… There ain’t no time far enough away. [Upright bass break] [Finger snaps] [Verse 2 — Male] I tore apart the bookcase, Pulled the pictures from the wall, Took a hammer to the mantel, Made the square room round and small. Plaster on the ceiling, Plaster on the floor— [Female] What about the window? [Male] Rounded. [Female] What about the mirror? [Male] Rounded. [Female] What about the door? [Male] Rounded! [Female] Darling… Look behind you. [Music stops] [Male] That corner wasn’t there before. [Bass resumes] [Chorus] [Female] They come through the corners. [Male] Keep ’em round. [Female] Sliding through the angles. [Male] Smooth ’em down. [Female] You can lock a hundred windows. [Male] You can nail a hundred doors. [Both] But you cannot lock a creature out That doesn’t use the floor. [Short piano stab] [Verse 3 — Female] There’s blue smoke by the ceiling. [Male] I see it. [Female] There’s something getting through. [Male] I see it. [Female] There’s a tongue inside the shadow. [Male] Don’t say that. [Female] And I think it smells— [Male] Don’t say that. [Female] —like you. [Upright bass solo] [Bridge — bass and finger snaps only] [Male — whispered] Make it round. [Female] Too late. [Male] Make it round. [Female] Too late. [Male] Make it round! [Female] Baby… Time has corners too. [Silence] [Single bass note] [Male] What was that? [Female] Yesterday. [Male] What? [Female] They just came through yesterday. [Final Chorus — restrained, not shouted] [Female] They come through the corners… [Male] Keep ’em round. [Female] They come through the angles… [Male] Smooth ’em down. [Female] They followed you from ages No human eyes should see. [Male] Tell me there’s a place to hide. [Female] There is. [Male] Where? [Female] Before they noticed you. [Male] How do I get there? [Female] You don’t. [Bass stops] [Pause] [Male — distant] I can see them. [Female] Don’t move. [Male] They’re coming through. [Female] Where? [Male] Everywhere. [Three slow finger snaps] [Low inhuman breath] [Female — whisper] No corners left. [Final upright bass note]