Midnight Holler in Cypers

Lyrics

[Sparse Banjo Intro] [Verse] [Rising, reach on "He" and "turned"] He met her where the river turned... [Falling] The morning pale, the shoreline burned. [Rising, reach on "carried"] She carried honeysuckle's trace, [Falling] A quiet warmth he longed to chase. [Banjo Fill] [Verse] [Rising, reach on "meet" and "leanin'"] They'd meet beneath the leanin' pines... [Falling] Where sunlight thinned in crooked lines, [Falling] Her heart would race when he drew near, [Falling] A love held fast against their fear. [Banjo Fill] [Verse] [Falling, drop on "days" and "carved"] Her days were carved by harsher hands, [Rising] While he walked through unchallenged lands. [Rising] Yet when she leaned against his chest, [Falling] The noise beyond them came to rest. [Banjo Fill] [Belted Chorus] [Reached long and rising, then falling, one breath, no pause at the comma] I'll love you past the dark and rain, I'll love you through the deepest pain [Rising] Here where the river curves in shade, [Falling] Our vow moves softly, unafraid. [Verse] [Falling, drop on "kept" and "names"] They kept their names in hushed retreat, [Falling] Two hearts concealed on borrowed street. [Rising, reach on "breathed" and "rare"] He breathed her warmth like something rare, [Falling] Honeysuckle woven in the air. [Banjo Fill] [Verse] [Rising, hard reach on "knew", grit on "hold them down"] They knew the world would hold them down, [Gritty, heavy emphasis on "cold decree" and "tightened crown"] Its cold decree, its tightened crown. [Rising] Still in the dark they shaped their way, [Falling] A quiet path they dared to stay. [Banjo Fill] [Verse] [Falling, drop on "storm" and "rolled"] A storm rolled in with iron sound, [Falling] The sky pressed low against the ground. [Falling, drop on "fled" and "shone"] They fled toward where the border shone, [Falling, drop on "claimed" and "home"] A narrow truth they claimed as home. [Banjo Fill] [Belted Chorus] [Reached long and rising, then falling, one breath, no pause at the comma] I'll love you past the dark and rain, I'll love you through the deepest pain [Rising] Across this wild and trembling land, [Falling] Our vow holds fast where we both stand. [Driving Fiddle Bridge] So close their eyes drew wide, Freedom now within their sight. A place where no laws lay bare, No one to say whose love goes where. Behind them rose dawn's first light, As judgement's hooves were taking flight. [Sparse Banjo Break] [Verse] [Falling, drop on "riders"] The riders closed the final span, [Falling] Rain on steel and earth on man. [Rising, reach on "fired" and "aim"] He fired each shot with tremblin' aim, [Falling] A single round still left to claim. [Banjo Fill] [Verse] [Rising, reach on "hit" and "thin"] He hit the dirt, his breath pulled thin, [Falling] As the bullets burned beneath his skin. [Falling, drop on "saw" and "eyes"] She saw the truth behind his eyes: [Falling] A breaking world, a severed tie. [Banjo Fill] [Verse] [Rising, reach on "knelt" and "hand"] She knelt beside him, took his hand. [Rising, reach on "storm" and "stand"] The storm around them couldn't stand. [Falling, drop on "chose" and "be"] She chose to follow where he'd be, [Falling] To hold him for eternity. [Belted Chorus] [Reached long and rising, then falling, one breath, no pause at the comma] I'll love you past the dark and rain, I'll love you through the deepest pain [Falling, lift on "names"] Though death now walks between our names, [Falling, drop on "still" and "flames"] Our vow still moves in summer flames. [Outro] [Longest note in the song: "trees" reaches high, drops a whole step, returns] With love still blowin' through cypress trees... [Same turn on "breeze", three notes, quick] On warm, sweet honeysuckle breeze.