Teeth in the Choir

[Verse 1] I heard the chapel coughing blood Through the holes in its stained glass lungs The pews were full of paper dolls All mouthing words they’d never sung You left your shadow on the altar It laughed until the candles drowned I tried to light it with forgiveness But the fire bit me to the ground [Chorus] There are teeth in the choir tonight Singing hallelujah with a bite Every note drips red on white And the echoes crawl instead of fly [Verse 2] I carved your name into a record But it spun itself into a scream The organ swelled with broken organs Pumping nightmares into the hymn The priest was made of cardboard matches He struck himself and caught the walls The holy water turned to static Every blessing split and stalled [Chorus] There are teeth in the choir tonight Singing hallelujah with a bite Every note drips red on white And the echoes crawl instead of fly [Bridge] If God is listening, she’s afraid Her hands are shaking in the wires I saw her writing out an ending But the ink dissolved in the fire [Chorus – final] There are teeth in the choir tonight Gnawing at the silence, out of sight Every hymn is a war disguised And the angels choke on their replies [Outro – chaotic, unraveling] Teeth, teeth, teeth in the choir Teeth, teeth, teeth in the fire Teeth, teeth, teeth in the choir And I can’t tell if they’re mine