Temples of Dust

Instrumental

Intro

vinyl crackle, filtered drum loop enters

staccato piano chords, walking tribal bass

Verse 1

Its hard to think we’re what remains

Of whispered prayers and sacred names

We’ve long since slipped from memory

(Do you remember what we were?)

Once they knelt and sang our praise

Fed us blood for brighter days

Now we rot in quiet obscurity

(Obscurity… just you and me)

Main Section

flute lead enters with melodic trills

swing-time tribal drums, crisp snare

record scratch effect

Chorus

Oh, my friend…

It’s tough to be forgot

When no one fears the ground on which you trod

When all your temples turn to dust and sand

Once an object of devotion

Now a relic, left to fade

All our power set in motion…

Now it bleeds and slips away

And who are we to matter

When belief itself has shattered?

If no soul recalls our names… what are we then?

Verse 2

We used to drink the offered vein

Now we sip this sugared strain

(Mockery in every drop we taste)

(They traded blood for something sweet…)

Gold once lined these sacred halls

Now just echoes in these walls

Of a glory time erased

(Erased… and left to waste)

Chorus

Chorus

Oh, my friend…

It’s tough to be forgot

When no one walks the path you wrought

When all your myths are stories left unmanned

Be a symbol of perfection?

Be a legend? Be a lie?

When the faithful lose direction

Even gods are left to die

So what is left to cling to

When the world has passed you by?

If no soul believes in you… What are you then?

Breakdown

drums drop out, solo piano and flute

filtered tribal riser

Bridge

We were fire, we were flame

Now just shadows of a name

Fading slow into the night

(Into night… out of sight)

Outro

Final Chorus

Final Chorus

Oh, my friend…

It’s tough to be forgot

When deeds result in naught

When that usurping heaven turns its eyes away

Once we ruled with wind and flames

Now we beg to hear our names

Held together… barely tethered…

To a long-forgotten past

So if they will not heed us

If no prayer remains to plead us—

Then we’ll take what we are owed… come what may

full ensemble, flute flourishes

final piano chord, vinyl stop effect