THE EIGHTH RISES

Lyrics

[Intro] Seven crowns beneath the lightning, Ten horns cutting through the storm, Something ancient crossed the ocean, Changed its language, changed its form. Rome was buried—not forgotten, Every road became a vein, Every law became a ledger, Every conquest learned to trade. [Verse 1] First came the eagle with the standard, Tax rolls underneath its wings, Property, census, courts and armies, Coins impressed with Caesar’s kings. Stone by stone the throne was broken, Kingdoms gathered what remained, Built their towers on the ruins, Kept the structure, changed the names. London counted ships and currency, Zurich guarded private gold, Frankfurt moved the weight of nations, Luxembourg made wealth untold. Geneva traded peace and profit, Paris armed the world in style, Amsterdam kept commerce moving— Seven lights across the miles. [Pre-Chorus] Seven rivers crossed the water, Seven cables bound as one, Carrying the bones of empire Toward a new and brighter sun. [Chorus] Then the eighth rose from the seven, Scarlet underneath the gold, With a leopard’s speed for markets And a lion’s mouth for control. Bear claws planted in the harbor, Seven heads above the tide, And Babylon climbed upon him With the nations in her eyes. Purple robes and scarlet splendor, Pearls and precious stones displayed, Holding high her golden chalice Filled with everything we paid. She looked backward toward her mother, But the beast moved out to sea— Rome supplied the ancient framework; New York gave it global reach. [Verse 2] From the towers came the contracts, From the banks, the chains of debt, From the screens, a thousand stories Teaching people what to want next. Land became a speculation, Homes became a revenue stream, Every illness found a market, Every hunger fed a scheme. Men in penthouses were feasting, Signing futures over wine, While the tenants faced eviction And the workers fell behind. Weapons traveled under invoices, Sanctions traveled under law, Satellites surveyed the borders, Data mapped what armies saw. Every tragedy found investors, Every shortage raised the price, Every distant fire warmed the banquet, Every ruin paid them twice. [Pre-Chorus] Seven currents reached Manhattan, Then a thousand left the shore, What was gathered from the old world Now encircled something more. [Chorus] Then the eighth rose from the seven, Scarlet underneath the gold, With a leopard’s speed for markets And a lion’s mouth for control. Bear claws planted in the harbor, Seven heads above the tide, And Babylon climbed upon him With the nations in her eyes. Purple robes and scarlet splendor, Pearls and precious stones displayed, Holding high her golden chalice Filled with everything we paid. She looked backward toward her mother, But the beast moved out to sea— Rome supplied the ancient framework; New York gave it global reach. [Verse 3] Wall Street opened veins of capital, Media carried dreams and fear, Luxury towers climbed like temples While the poor disappeared. Washington supplied the armor, Diplomats prepared the road, Private hands received the harvest, Public shoulders bore the load. Finance entered every nation, Real estate consumed the land, Technology watched the people, Weapons strengthened favored hands. Local rulers joined the banquet, Built their guarded homes above, Sold the mines and moved the villages, Called extraction progress, love. Different faces, same arrangement, Different flags above the gate, Those who profit call it freedom; Those beneath it carry weight. [Bridge] Above— Banquets, towers, Contracts, access, Private profits, Public losses. Below— Debt and hunger, Smoke and rubble, Broken workers, Distant trouble. One network. Shared extraction. Private rewards. Collective damage. The dragon gave the beast his power, Gave his throne and great command; The woman thought she rode the system— But no rider owns its plans. For the horns that lift her splendor Will one day despise her name; Strip the purple from her body, Leave her empire to the flame. [Final Chorus] The eighth arose out of the seven, Old dominion, modern skin, Rome beneath the infrastructure, Babylon enthroned within. Seven heads above the markets, Ten horns reaching through the world, Every cable drew the nations Where the scarlet streams unfurled. Purple robes and scarlet splendor, Gold could never hide the cost; Every pearl around her shoulders Marked a neighborhood she lost. She looked backward toward her origin As the beast advanced ahead— Longing for the world that formed her, Building kingdoms from its dead. One hand lifted up the chalice, One hand pointed toward the sea— Rome supplied the ancient framework; New York crowned it globally. [Outro] Seven crowns beneath the lightning, Ten horns fading in the smoke, Cities glittered, nations suffered, And the golden circuit closed. The dragon waited in the heavens, The beast moved underneath, And Babylon kept calling bondage By the gentler