Boots on the Rafter

Lyrics

[Intro] [Heavy boots stomping a rapid 128 BPM pulse on dry barn floorboards, rhythmic handclaps] [Lively sawing rustic fiddle kicks into a fast, bouncing dance tune] [Plucked cittern and chugging hurdy-gurdy join, crowd whoops and whistles] [Call to Floor] [Male Lead Vocal: Booming, gravelly weathered baritone, charismatic rhythmic spoken-singing] (shouting rhythmically over the tune) Form your lines from wall to wall! Hearthside, doorside, stout and tall! Knechte links und Mägde rechts, zeigen wir die Kraft des Geschlechts! Bow to your partner, bow to the floor, kick your boots and call for more! [Verse 1 / Dance Figure 1] [Fiddle accelerates with sharp accents, crowd shouts in rhythm] Take her hand and swing her round, plant your leather in the ground! Face the plow and face the mill, work the valley, climb the hill! Through the middle, down the line, yours is water, ours is wine! Step to the left, step to the right, we don’t sleep in our beds tonight! [Chorus / The Collective Roar] [Full Barn Climax: Booming drum stomps, screaming fiddle, entire crowd chanting along] Dust on the timber, sweat on the grain! Dance till the rafters groan in pain! The lord counts coin in his marble hall, we rule the barn and we shake the wall! Swing to the left, swing to the right, free men feast by the tallow light! (Crowd roar: HEY! HEY! HEY!) [Verse 2 / Dance Figure 2] [Rhythm tightens, fast plucked cittern rolls, heavy boot stomps carry the beat] [Caller: Fast, rhythmic staccato delivery] Pass your maiden, take the next, no fine priest to read the text! Turn the miller, spin the smith, nobody cares who you started with! Cross your hands and form the ring, round the fire like a king! Hands up high, head held proud, shout it to the summer cloud! [Chorus / The Collective Roar] [Full Ensemble Explosion: Massive stomping feet, clashing ale mugs, roaring choir] Dust on the timber, sweat on the grain! Dance till the rafters groan in pain! The lord counts coin in his marble hall, we rule the barn and we shake the wall! Swing to the left, swing to the right, free men feast by the tallow light! (Crowd roar: HEY! HEY! HEY!) [Bridge / The Breakdown] [Drums drop out, only solitary rapid fiddle sawing and heavy solo boot stomps] [Caller speaks close-mic with a raspy grin, tempo accelerating] (half-whispering, fast and rhythmic) Listen to the wood... Listen to the shoe... Hear that, boys? The harvest is done. The cellar is full. Now run! Run! RUN! [Pounding drum explosion, cittern rips a furious country-style run!] [Outro / Final Grand Swing] [Maximum barn-dance frenzy: Wild fiddles, thundering stomps, laughing shouting dancers] [Caller shouting at the top of his lungs] Swing your lady off the floor! Kick that iron through the door! Promenade home, grab your ale, the crop is safe and the soil won't fail! [Final massive collective shout: HEY!] [Heavy unified boot stomp on the one, mugs clattering, loud laughter fading] [End]