Tango of the Torn Ligament

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Prompt / Lyrics
[Slow, dramatic bandoneón. A tango begins:]

"The tango. The dance of desire. The dance of those who look into each other's eyes and see either a lover or a target. Sometimes both. Sometimes that's the same thing."

[The bandoneón bends. The tango continues.]

[VERSE 1 — FEMALE]

You step. I step. You slide. I slide.
You pull a knife. I pull a knife.
Our bodies press. Our blades connect.
This is the tango. This is respect.

You hold me close. I hold you closer.
You feel my heart. I feel your pulse.
The blade is cold. The blade is warm.
This is the tango before the storm.

[VERSE 2 — MALE VOICE, LOW, DANGEROUS]

You lean. I lean. You turn. I turn.
You let me close. I let you learn
The shape of pain. The shape of trust.
The tango's hunger. The tango's lust.

Your leg around my waist. My blade
Against your throat. The choice is made.
We dance. We spin. We cut. We bleed.
This is the tango. This is the need.

[HOOK — BOTH VOICES, INTERWOVEN]

TANGO OF THE TORN LIGAMENT! TANGO OF THE CUT!
DANCE UNTIL THE BODY GIVES. DANCE UNTIL THE BODY SHUTS.
ONE TWO THREE! ONE TWO THREE!
THIS IS THE TANGO. THIS IS ME.

TANGO OF THE TORN LIGAMENT! TANGO OF THE KNIFE!
DANCE UNTIL YOU LOSE YOURSELF. DANCE UNTIL YOU FIND YOUR LIFE.
ONE TWO THREE! ONE TWO THREE!
THIS IS THE TANGO. DANCE FOR ME.

[VERSE 3 — FEMALE]

You dip. I dip. You fall. I fall.
You hit the floor. I watch it all.
The blood is warm. The blood is red.
This is the tango in my head.

You reach for me. I reach for you.
The blade is gone. The blade is through.
Your eyes go wide. Your eyes go soft.
This is the tango. This is the cost.

[VERSE 4 — MALE]

You think you've won. You think I'm dead.
You didn't see the blade I kept
Behind my back. Beneath my skin.
The tango isn't done. The tango's just begin.

I rise. I rise. I take your hand.
You think you understand.
You don't. You won't. You'll never know.
The tango's where the blades both go.

[BRIDGE — BOTH, SPOKEN OVER SLOW TANGO]

[Female:]

"You ever love someone you knew you'd have to kill? Ever hold them close and feel the moment when the dance becomes a choice?"

[Male:]

"Every night. Every dance. Every time I close my eyes and open them to find you still standing."

[Female:]

"That's the tango. That's the trap. That's the thing that keeps us coming back."

[The bandoneón swells. The beat returns.]

[VERSE 5 — BOTH, TOGETHER]

We step. We slide. We cut. We bleed.
We give each other what we need.
The blade. The blood. The broken bone.
The tango's hunger. The tango's home.

One last spin. One last dip.
One last moment before the rip.
Your hand in mine. My blade in you.
The tango's over. The tango's true.

[FINAL HOOK — BOTH]

TANGO OF THE TORN LIGAMENT! TANGO OF THE FLOOR!
DANCE UNTIL THERE'S NOTHING LEFT. DANCE UNTIL THERE'S NO MORE.
ONE TWO THREE! ONE TWO THREE!
THIS IS THE TANGO. NOW BLEED FOR ME.

TANGO OF THE TORN LIGAMENT! TANGO OF THE NIGHT!
DANCE UNTIL YOU GET IT RIGHT.
ONE TWO THREE! ONE TWO THREE!
THIS IS THE TANGO. NOW DANCE FOR ME.