(Part I: The Blues of the Lost) [Intro] [The song begins with a slow, heavy, and deeply bluesy guitar riff, full of pain and grit. The drums are sparse and powerful. A Hammond organ holds a low, sorrowful chord in the background. The stage is a desolate, rocky landscape under a starless sky.] [Verse 1] [Lyra - her voice is a powerful, soulful, bluesy wail, full of the pain of being "mistreated"] I've been running on a road of stone A feeling I have always known This heavy heart, this weary soul Is paying a forgotten toll I dreamed a dream of golden grace But found no mercy in this place No, no... not for me... [Verse 2] [Lyra] I've been a shadow, I've been a prayer Lost in the cold and empty air I followed visions in the night Chasing a dark and lonely light And every twisting path I've taken Leaves me feeling more forsaken A stranger to the world I knew Under a sky that's never blue... yeah! (Part II: The Approach) [The tempo begins to increase. The drums become more powerful and rhythmic. A mystical, Eastern-sounding synth melody, reminiscent of the intro to "Gates of Babylon," begins to weave through the heavy riff.] [Bridge] [Lyra's voice shifts from a lament to a sense of awe and dread. She sees something on the horizon.] [Lyra] But see, a fire in the east The promise of a brand new feast A wicked city, sharp and tall Answering a silent call A tower built of sin and bone Where a fallen angel waits on his throne... He's calling out... he's calling my name... to the flame! (Part III: The Gates) [The song explodes into a powerful, driving, mid-tempo heavy metal anthem. The rhythm is hypnotic and powerful. The synth melody is now at the forefront, backed by heavy guitars.] [Chorus] [Azazel's voice joins Lyra's in a powerful, epic duet. A choir provides backing harmonies.] [Duet and Choir] You sleep with the Devil and ride on the flame! Where the shadows will whisper your secret name! You're on the road to the Gates of Babylon! Where the laws of Heaven are undone! So ride the black rainbow, straight through the wind! Where the holiest magic and madness begin! You're on the road to the Gates of Babylon! And the ride goes on... and on... and on! [Guitar and Keyboard Solo] [A virtuosic and epic duel between a screaming, melodic guitar and a fast, mystical synthesizer, playing off the Eastern-sounding scales. It is grand, powerful, and full of dark majesty.] [Final Chorus] [The chorus returns with maximum power, a final, triumphant, and terrifying declaration as Lyra arrives before the massive, ancient gates.] [Duet and Choir] YOU SLEEP WITH THE DEVIL AND RIDE ON THE FLAME! WHERE THE SHADOWS WILL WHISPER YOUR SECRET NAME! YOU'RE ON THE ROAD TO THE GATES OF BABYLON! WHERE THE LAWS OF HEAVEN ARE UNDONE! SO RIDE THE BLACK RAINBOW, STRAIGHT THROUGH THE WIND! WHERE THE HOLIEST MAGIC AND MADNESS BEGIN! YOU'RE ON THE ROAD TO THE GATES OF BABYLON! AND THE RIDE GOES ON... AND ON... AND ON! [Outro] [The music slows down, returning to the heavy, bluesy riff from the intro. The massive gates of the city begin to swing open, revealing a dark, fiery light within.] [Lyra - a final, determined whisper] The gates... are opening for me... I'm walking in... to be free... [The song ends with a final, massive, crashing chord that echoes into silence.] [End]
