The Anime Apocalypse of Mr. Jones

(Intro - Spoken Word over a cool, funky groove with a prominent bass line, wah-wah guitar, and cinematic strings) [The scene is Papa Midnight's club. He's watching a live feed from under the Emerald Bridge on a flickering monitor, a wide, amused grin on his face.] [Choir - soulful female vocals] Who's the cat that loves to watch a hero fall? [Papa Midnight - a deep, cool, spoken baritone] Midnight. [Choir] Who knows the story that explains it all? [Papa Midnight] Midnight. [Choir] Who sees the punchline written on the wall? [Papa Midnight] Can you dig it? (Verse 1) [Papa Midnight - his vocals are a smooth, half-sung, half-spoken monologue] So, our Golden Boy, our little "Recruit"... he ain't doin' so hot. He's finally broken, lost the whole damn plot. His mind couldn't take the pure, uncut nonsense of the bridge So he built himself a brand new, shiny, psychological ridge. The girl he loves, the one who claims she's from the stars, That's not Nino from Venus... that's a pilot from Mars. And the seven-foot Turtle in the cheap green suit... Is a cold-blooded commander tellin' him to boot... up his courage. He says... (Bridge 1) [The music shifts slightly, becoming more tense and synth-heavy. Papa Midnight imitates a commanding voice.] [Papa Midnight as "The Chief"] "Get in the damn robot, boy, and quit your whinin' now! You gotta fight the angels, and do it here somehow!" The "robot" is a fishing pole... the "angel" is a trout... But in his head, it's Neon Genesis Evangelion, no doubt. (Chorus) [The song explodes into a massive, over-the-top, 80s Glam Metal anthem with soaring vocals, powerful drums, and harmonized guitars. This is Recruit's internal monologue.] [Recruit's Inner Voice - a high-pitched, dramatic metal wail] I'M FIGHTING FOR MANKIND IN THE POURING ACID RAIN! A NEON GENESIS, DROWNING IN MY PAIN! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS, I DIDN'T WANT THE FIGHT! BUT I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DEFEND THE FADING LIGHT! (Verse 2) [The music returns to the cool, funky Zappa-esque groove.] [Papa Midnight] He sees the other freaks, the ones who live in trash As a renegade crew, always lookin' for some cash He thinks they're sailin' through the stars in a beat-up ship of soul A real Cowboy Bebop, with no one in control. And Hoshi, with the star-face, screamin' out of tune? He ain't a jealous rival underneath the moon... Recruit thinks Hoshi's power is about to blow... He puts his hands to his head and screams, "TETSUO!" (Chorus) [The Glam Metal anthem crashes back in.] [Recruit's Inner Voice] I'M FIGHTING FOR MANKIND IN THE POURING ACID RAIN! A NEON GENESIS, DROWNING IN MY PAIN! I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS, I DIDN'T WANT THE FIGHT! BUT I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN DEFEND THE FADING LIGHT! (Bridge 2 - Spoken Word, the music is smooth and cool) [Papa Midnight] See, that's the beauty of a broken mind... the comfort that it finds. He couldn't handle the truth of his new life... the absurdity, the strife. So he rewrote the story. He made himself the hero. He's not a broken man cleaning toilets for a turtle... he's Guts from Berserk, fightin' back from zero. He's not talkin' to a nun with a shotgun... he's searching for his Ghost in the Shell. Yeah... he's found a better story to live in... a beautiful, epic, animated hell. (Guitar Solo) [A blistering, over-the-top, virtuosic 80's "shred" guitar solo erupts, full of dive bombs, two-handed tapping, and pure glam metal energy.] (Outro) [The main funk groove returns, vamping as the song fades out.] [Papa Midnight] So let him have his little fantasy... his final, grand escape. He's a hero on a journey... stuck on rewind on a broken mixtape. He'll be fighting those demons forever, baby... lost in the neon glow... (He takes a slow sip of his rum) See you, Space Cowboy... you're the star of my favorite show. [The final wah-wah guitar lick echoes into silence.] [End]