[LIVE FROM COBO ARENA, DETROIT — 1987. Packed house, wide crowd mics, amp hum, feedback.] [BLACKOUT. Crowd erupts—screams, whistles, boots pounding concrete.] [LEAD GUITAR: Tease the main pentatonic riff through feedback. Stop.] [DRUMMER: Four hard stick clicks at 142 BPM.] ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! [BAND: Main riff explodes in. Sleazy rhythm guitar, locked bass and kick, huge snare.] [GUITAR SIGNATURE: Half-cocked wah through a cranked British tube stack, octave-doubled bends, rising pick-scrape siren, four-note scream before each chorus.] [LEAD VOCAL] Detroit—count me in! [CROWD: COUNT! ME! IN!] [VERSE 1 — tight riff, gritty high vocal; guitar answers every second line] Nine to five Timecard line The Man bought my daylight One hour at a time Clipboard in his hand “Boy, fall in” I dropped my card on his desk And walked out with a grin He yelled, “You’ll come crawling” From behind that factory din Then I heard four sticks cracking— Drummer, count me in [PRE-CHORUS — guitars open; bass climbs; toms build; crowd claps on two and four] Punch your ticket on that clock Keep your place in line Or sling that six-string low And make the whole place rise Turn the stack to eleven Let the red lamps burn Strike one chord And never return [BAND CUTS. Crowd noise.] [LEAD VOCAL — long rising scream] Light this whole place up with the guitaaaa-a-a-ar! [LEAD GUITAR: Signature four-note bent scream into the downbeat.] [CHORUS — huge chords, stadium drums, stacked harmonies; crowd owns the last words] The Man counts the hours The drummer counts the beats You can punch that clock Or bring the house to its feet Quit the shift! [CROWD: HIT THE RIFF!] Let the trouble begin The Man counted me out— [CROWD AND BAND: COUNT ME IN!] [POST-CHORUS — main riff; gang vocals between guitar hits] QUIT THE SHIFT! HIT THE RIFF! QUIT THE SHIFT! HIT THE RIFF! [CROWD: COUNT! ME! IN!] [VERSE 2 — harder snare, moving bass; guitar and singer trade replies] Midnight in Detroit Cobo on its feet Same old work boots Kicking out the beat Name on the marquee Amp stacks in a line The Man can keep his time clock This crowd keeps better time He said, “You threw it all away” Hear that back row sing Ten thousand voices answer— Drummer, count me in [PRE-CHORUS 2 — twin guitars climb; hats open; singer works both sides] No more standing silent While the long hand turns Run that pick across the wire Make the whole stack burn Raise that axe above your head Let the rafters ring When the Man says you are finished— Tell the drummer, “Count me in!” [LEAD GUITAR: Signature four-note bent scream.] [CHORUS 2 — crowd enters first; raw gang vocals strike every hook] The Man counts the hours The drummer counts the beats You can punch that clock Or bring the house to its feet Quit the shift! [CROWD: HIT THE RIFF!] Let the trouble begin The Man counted me out— [CROWD AND BAND: COUNT ME IN!] [GUITAR SOLO — rhythm holds the riff; bass chases the kick; drums push with double-kick and toms. Lead guitar: cocked-wah bite, wide pentatonic bends, pull-offs, tapping, octave-doubled squeals, whammy dive, four-note signature.] [CROWD: Sings the four-note phrase back.] [LEAD GUITAR: Plays it higher.] [CROWD: Answers louder.] [BREAKDOWN — band cuts. Bass riff alone. Kick and floor tom become a stadium heartbeat.] [LEAD VOCAL] What does the Man count? [CROWD] THE HOURS! [LEAD VOCAL] What does the drummer count? [CROWD] THE BEATS! [LEAD VOCAL] What do you say when he counts you out? [CROWD] COUNT! ME! IN! [BUILD — muted guitar pulses join. Snare enters. Lead guitar climbs one note each bar. Crowd chants.] [CROWD] COUNT ME IN! COUNT ME IN! COUNT ME IN! COUNT ME IN! [DRUMMER: Four stick clicks over the chant.] ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR! [LEAD GUITAR: Signature four-note bent scream.] [FINAL CHORUS — maximum arena impact; highest lead vocal, stacked glam harmonies, screaming guitar counterline, rolling toms, full crashes] The Man counts the hours The drummer counts the beats You can punch that clock Or bring the house to its feet Quit the shift! [CROWD: HIT THE RIFF!] Let the trouble begin The Man counted me out— [CROWD AND BAND: COUNT ME IN!] [REPRISE — singer and crowd trade lines; band hits harder each answer] [LEAD VOCAL] The Man counts the hours! [CROWD] THE DRUMMER COUNTS THE BEATS! [LEAD VOCAL] Quit the shift! [CROWD] HIT THE RIFF! [LEAD VOCAL] He counted us out! [CROWD] COUNT US IN! [OUTRO — main riff repeats. Singer conducts the chant. Lead guitar, rhythm guitar, then bass cut until only drums and crowd remain.] [CROWD] COUNT! ME! IN! COUNT! ME! IN! COUNT! ME! IN! [DRUMS: Final rolling fill.] [BAND: Three synchronized ending hits. Final chord rings into feedback.] [LEAD VOCAL] Detroit—when the Man counts you out? [CROWD: Deafening roar, whistles, stomping, one last chant.] COUNT! ME! IN!
