[Cold Open — exaggerated ceremony, barely concealed amusement] All rise… For the final authority. The voice of reason. The king of the— [music stops] Oh. Carry on. [Verse 1] You used to enter like a verdict Black boots shaking through the hall Every sigh became a warning Every silence built a wall You wore certainty like armour Spoke as if your word was fate Had my heartbeat standing sentry Had my body lying awake [Pre-Chorus] But the throne has started creaking And the crown won’t sit quite straight Even giants have intestines Even tyrants have to wait [Chorus] Laughter breaks the spell Ha-ha, there goes hell You were ten feet tall inside me Till the painted kingdom fell Less reach, less access Less poison, less control One wire at a time I take you out of every role Laughter breaks the spell [Post-Chorus — quick and cheeky] Laughter breaks the spell The giant’s shrinking fast I thought you were thunder— Turns out you were gas. [Verse 2] There are judges dressed in daylight There are kings in Sunday white There are men who call it order When the cage is locked up tight They mistake their own permission For the laws that move the stars Build a throne from polished language Then get tangled in their arse [Pre-Chorus] Every empire needs a curtain Every god requires a stage But the body keeps its own time And the flesh ignores your rage [Chorus] Laughter breaks the spell Ha-ha, there goes hell You were ten feet tall inside me Till the painted kingdom fell Less reach, less access Less residue, less fear You may still be making noise But you are no longer living here Laughter breaks the spell Laughter breaks the spell [Bridge — stripped back, concise] I can meet my own eyes I can lie down at night I know what I carried I know I chose light You can oil your machinery Dress the lie up in prose Whatever waits in your silence Is not mine to hold [Build] I know who I am I know where I stand No allegiance in my bloodstream No leash in your hand You don’t get my pulse now You don’t get my mind I take back my kingdom One wire at a time [Final Chorus — bigger, rhythmic, repeatable] Laughter breaks the spell Ha-ha, there goes hell We’ve seen the little man behind The grand machinery as well Less reach, less access Less residue, less fear You may still be making noise But you are no longer living here Laughter breaks the spell Laughter breaks the spell Less reach Less access One wire at a time Less reach Less access You don’t get my mind [Outro] Long live the king. [soft laughter]
