The Bells

Lyrics

[INTRO — Low bowed strings. Distant bell. Sub-bass pulse.] They haven’t changed the watch. He recognizes me. I let him. [HEAVY BASS IMPACT] [VERSE 1 — Low, restrained female vocal. Grinding guitar.] The north gate opens half a span. A lantern shakes inside his hand. He asks how long I mean to stay. Behind me, red flags fill the rain. I know which hinge will fail the first. Which stair gives way. Which cellar works. I marked those shelters years ago. Tonight, I know where they will go. Rai waits beyond the arrow line. No raised voice. No grand design. Two fingers lift against the cold. I put my shoulder to the door. [PRE-CHORUS — War drums enter. Guitar tension rises.] Eri sees me through the breach. Forgets the warning on his lips. Then turns before I meet his eyes— There’s someone trapped beneath the bricks. [CHORUS — Deep half-time bass. Fierce melodic belt.] The bells know me. They’ve rung for me before. Now every hand that pulls the rope Is begging for one minute more. Eri, keep them moving. Xiami, hold the stair. I know how long your strength will last. I learned to fight beside you there. The bells know me. Let them ring. I heard the order. I’m going in. [VERSE 2 — Tight rhythmic vocal. Sparse trap hats.] My sister braces in the square, White hair blackening in the air. She turns my fire above the roofs; The glass comes down around her boots. Eri carries someone’s son, Goes back again when that is done. He leaves his sword beside the well. Both hands are needed somewhere else. I draw the bow he helped repair. His thumbprint wore the lacquer bare. The string rests lightly on my cheek. Xiami sees. She doesn’t speak. [PRE-CHORUS — Instruments fall to heartbeat bass.] 姉さん、そこをどいて。 Sister, move. She shakes her head. [One beat of silence] The arrow leaves. She turns its course. It takes the bell tower instead. [CHORUS — Huge guitars. Nordic horns beneath the vocal.] The bells know me. They’ve rung for me before. Now every hand that pulls the rope Is begging for one minute more. Eri, keep them moving. Xiami, hold the stair. I know how long your strength will last. I learned to fight beside you there. The bells know me. Let them ring. I heard the order. I’m going in. [GUITAR SOLO — 20 seconds] [Low mournful bends over pounding war drums; rising tremolo runs, aggressive shredding, then one sustained screaming note. Heavy bass strikes beneath the final phrase.] [BREAKDOWN — Slow guitar chugs. Dry, enormous drum hits.] West road. Cut off. River. Too high. My sister drops To one knee. Eri looks back. At me. [Whisper] その名前で呼ばないで。 Don’t call me that. [Shouted] NOT HERE. [BASS SLAM] [BRIDGE — Bare strings. Close, almost spoken vocal.] He says it anyway. Cecilia. For a moment, there’s a kitchen. Rain against a wooden sill. His coat left drying by the doorway. My sister laughing down the hill. I could lower my hand. There is time. They’re close enough to see me try. Behind me, Rai says, “Clear the crossing.” I turn before he asks me twice. [BUILD — Rolling toms. Low horns. Rising guitar feedback.] Xiami gets back to her feet. Eri takes the last child through. She leaves a space beside her. Still. As if I might come, too. [FINAL CHORUS — Full band. Heavy, controlled female belt.] The bells know me. There’s one still ringing west. My sister holds the crossing With the little she has left. Eri gets them uphill. I watch him count again. He reaches for a hand behind him— Then remembers where I am. The bells go quiet. The red flags rise. I stand where I was told to stand. Across the smoke, My sister watches. I cannot make her Drop her hand. [OUTRO — Wind. One low bass impact.] [Quietly] By dawn, they’ve barred the southern gate. They know me there as well.