Intro: Fast acoustic fingerpicking, light stomp-and-clap rhythm, warm, upbeat]
[Verse 1]
[Vocal: Crisp, rhythmic, conversational]
The floorboards are humming a beautiful lie
Oh we paint the windows to block out the sky
You’re counting the seconds, I’m clearing the floor
Oh light-headed from the fumes, but I need more
The garden is growing, the roses are red
Just like the ashes spread under the bed
[Chorus]
[Dynamic shift: Open anthemic strumming, driving kick drum, festival-folk bounce]
[Vocal: Joyful, soaring high register]
Oh, we’re dancing in the kitchen while the house burns down!
Ring around the Rosie in your burned gown
A pocket full of posies, some ash and some stone
That we're gonna cherish from our time in Rome
Yeah, and nobody has to know...
[Verse 2]
[Dynamic shift: Drop back to fast fingerpicking, steady light percussion]
[Vocal: Soften tone, keep driving pace]
Oh the clock on the mantelpiece strikes thirteen
That’s the most fear in your eyes I’ve ever seen
The smoke burns our lungs as it claims the air
Oh the familiar smell of your red charred hair
The embers are flying, they’re heading up north
As we dance in a circle just back and then forth
[Chorus]
[Dynamic shift: Open anthemic strumming, driving kick drum, festival-folk bounce]
[Vocal: Joyful, soaring high register]
Oh, we’re dancing in the kitchen while the house burns down!
Ring around the Rosie in your burned gown
A pocket full of posies, some ash and some stone
That we're gonna cherish from our time in Rome
Yeah, and nobody has to know...
[Bridge]
[Dynamic shift: Drop percussion, lone echoing acoustic guitar, building tension]
[Vocal: Intimate whisper, vulnerable, slow]
I never knew why you needed the flame with your lullaby
But now that the coals are warm...
[Beat drop: Explosive return of full percussion, fast strumming on "I"]
I see the beauty in its wake and I welcome the storm!
[Chorus]
[Dynamic shift: Peak energy, maximum brightness, driving folk rhythm]
[Vocal: Triumphant, celebratory, full-throated]
Oh, we’re dancing in the kitchen while the house burns down!
Ring around the Rosie in your burned gown
A pocket full of posies, some ash and some stone
That we're gonna cherish from our time in Rome
Yeah, and nobody has to know...
[Outro]
[Dynamic shift: Percussion fades, rapid acoustic guitar decrescendo]
[Vocal: Decelerating, calm tone]
Nobody has to know…
The garden is growing.
The house is burning.
Whoah ah whoah ah whoah whoah
And nobody has to know!
[End: Final crisp acoustic chord, clean cut]