Prompt / Lyrics
[Verse 1] [He speaks/sings in short, jagged phrases] A rattle in the cage, a shadow in the lung, The bitter taste of copper on the middle of my tongue. I’ve survived the street, I’ve survived the blade, But I can’t outrun the debt that nature’s made. The room is spinning 'round, the lights are growing dim, I see the Pale Rider waiting at the rim. Not now! Not yet! I’ve got empires to defend! I wasn't built for breaking... I wasn't built to bend! [Pre-Chorus] [The ticking grows louder, more frantic] The clock on the wall is a hammer in my head, Counting every heartbeat, counting every thread! One for the daughter, one for the lie, One for the moment I’m forced to say goodbye! [Chorus] [The music turns into a driving, panicked rhythm] Tick-tock, the empire is tall, Tick-tock, how far is the fall? The sand is running out, the glass is getting thin, And I’m the only wall that’s keeping winter in! I don’t fear the devil, I don’t fear the grave, But I fear for the one I’m too dying to save! Tick-tock! Tick-tock! [Verse 2] If my heart stops beating, who will hold the gate? Who will stop the hungry from feeding on her fate? My captains are wolves, my rivals are ghosts, They’ll burn down the garden and slaughter the hosts! I need more time! Just a year! Just a day! To wash all the blood and the danger away! But the clock doesn't care for the Kings or the poor, It just keeps on knocking... knocking at the door! [Bridge] [The music slows down, becoming eerie and dissonant] [The Boss - whispering] Sixty years of power... Reduced to a breath. Negotiating life... In the shadow of death. [Suddenly shouting with a final burst of energy] I WON'T GO QUIET! I WON'T GO BLIND! I WON'T LEAVE HER MERCY TO THE WORLD I LEFT BEHIND! [Final Chorus] [The full orchestra joins in a frantic, massive sound] Tick-tock, the empire is tall! Tick-tock, I’m watching it fall! The sand is running out, the glass is getting thin, And I’m the only wall that’s keeping winter in! I don’t fear the devil, I don’t fear the grave, But I fear for the one I’m too dying to save! TICK-TOCK! [Outro] [The music stops. Only the ticking remains, slower now... click... click... click...] [The Boss - breathing heavily, clutching his chest] The clock... is always right. I have to finish it... Tonight.
Tags
male, Tense rhythmic Broadway, ticking percussion, breathless delivery, dark woodwinds, 130bpm, frantic
Duration
3:34
Instrumental
No
Created
3/22/2026