[Intro] (Aggressive Go-Go percussion. Massive cowbell hits. Deep, growling Minimoog bass.) Lead Shouter: GOOD GOD! Band Response: GOOD GOD! Lead Shouter: D.C. SOIL! IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! Band Response: STILL SMOKIN'! [Verse 1] Lead Shouter: Rust and brick, the ancient skin of the town! Band Response: STILL SMOKIN'! Lead Shouter: Chrome spray cans, we wear the iron crown! Band Response: IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! [Verse 2] Lead Shouter: S! T! I! L! L! Band Response: STILL! Lead Shouter: S! T! I! L! L! Band Response: SMOKIN'! Lead Shouter: Write the truth before the night is gone! [Pre-Chorus 1] (Melodic male baritone harmonies rise.) Male Chorus: The shadows fade as the murals rise / A silent prayer in the city's eyes / We trace the lines of a hidden face / Still Smokin' in this hollow space... [Chorus 1] All (Melodic & Heavy): IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! (Rising like a titan!) Band Shout: HEY! HEY! HEY! All (Melodic & Heavy): STILL SMOKIN' ON THE STREET! (The story we enlighten!) [Verse 3] Lead Shouter: Alleyway legends, written in the dark of night! Band Response: GOOD GOD! Lead Shouter: Concrete visions, burning with a steady light! Band Response: STILL SMOKIN'! [Verse 4] Lead Shouter: Every tag is a heartbeat, every stroke a soul! Band Response: TAKE CONTROL! Lead Shouter: The rhythm is the weapon, funk is the goal! Band Response: LET IT ROLL! [Bridge 1: Long Melodic Instrumental Solo] (24-bar melodic Minimoog solo over heavy Go-Go pocket. Complex woodblock patterns and aggressive cowbell. Deep synth bass growls. Slap bass breakdown.) [Chorus 2] (Explosive vocal re-entry after instrumental.) All (Melodic & Heavy): IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! Band Shout: HEY! HEY! HEY! All (Melodic & Heavy): STILL SMOKIN' ON THE STREET! [Verse 5] Lead Shouter: Ghost trains screaming through the midnight haze! Band Response: STILL SMOKIN'! Lead Shouter: Leaving our mark in a funky blaze! Band Response: IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! [Verse 6] Lead Shouter: S! T! I! L! L! (Spaced out rhythmic hits) Band Response: STILL! Lead Shouter: S! T! I! L! L! (Double time energy) Band Response: SMOKIN'! Lead Shouter: GOOD GOD! We hold the wall! [Verse 7] Lead Shouter: Etched in the memory, burned in the wood! Band Response: UNDERSTOOD! Lead Shouter: Representing for the neighborhood! Band Response: DOIN' GOOD! [Verse 8: Rap Section] (Beat strips to raw percussion and walking bassline.) Rapper: 1983, we’re the kings of the yard / Keeping it raw, keeping it hard / Trouble Funk thunder, Skratch on the deck / Still Smokin' on the system, check, check, check! [Pre-Chorus 2] (Massive melodic build-up with male tenor harmonies.) Male Chorus: The jagged edges of a broken wall / We build a temple that will never fall / A symphony of the paint and spray / Washing the bitterness all away... [Chorus 3] All (Melodic & Heavy): IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! Band Shout: HEY! HEY! HEY! All (Melodic & Heavy): STILL SMOKIN' ON THE STREET! [Bridge 2: Call and Response Shout] Lead Shouter: WHO OWNS THE CORNER?! Band Response: WE OWN THE CORNER! Lead Shouter: WHO HOLDS THE RHYTHM?! Band Response: WE HOLD THE RHYTHM! Lead Shouter: GOOD GOD! [Verse 9] Lead Shouter: The pavement is screaming, the pillars are loud! Band Response: IN THE CLOUD! Lead Shouter: Walking through the city, standing so proud! Band Response: THROUGH THE CROWD! [Verse 10] Lead Shouter: S! T! I! L! L! (Aggressive shout) Band Response: STILL! Lead Shouter: S! T! I! L! L! (Heavy funk) Band Response: SMOKIN'! Lead Shouter: IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! [Pre-Chorus 3] (Rising vocal intensity.) Male Chorus: The jagged edges of a broken wall / We build a temple that will never fall... [Chorus 4] All (Melodic & Heavy): IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! Band Shout: HEY! HEY! HEY! All (Melodic & Heavy): STILL SMOKIN' ON THE STREET! [Outro] (Relentless 1983 Go-Go beat. No fade out.) Lead Shouter: GOOD GOD! Band Response: STILL SMOKIN'! Lead Shouter: IT’S GOOD TO BE THE KING! Band Response: WE NEVER STOP! Lead Shouter: (Final growl) S-T-I-L-L... SMOKIN'! (Heavy slap bass snap and a final aggressive record scratch.)
