Dark Alley Anthem (Version 2)

Intro

(Breathe)

Yellow vapor on the brick (brick)

Two a.m., watch it click (click)

(Let it spin)

Verse

Rain on the asphalt, steam from the grate

Two thirty-seven, I am rattling the gate (gate)

Sodium vapor humming sick overhead

Neon green smudge on a canvas of lead (lead)

Bruised on the knuckles, grease on the palm

City in a fever, never wanted the calm (calm)

Left turn, dead end, brick against bone

Echo off the dumpster makes a duplicate clone (clone)

Puddle full of diesel, rainbow in the grit

Looking at the skyline, never fitting it (never)

Sirens in the distance taking corners in the dark

Scraping on the rebar just to trigger a spark (spark)

Cobblestone broken like a row of bad teeth

Standing on the sewer with the venom underneath (underneath)

Clock hands spin till the numbers go flat

Stumbling the alley, yeah, I'm staying like that (like that)

Chorus

Down in the corridor, chewing on the rust (the rust)

Footprints fading in the yellow street dust (dust)

I don't know the exit and I don't wanna find it (find it)

Blind in the gutter, leave the daylight behind it (behind it)

Verse

Shattered green bottle like emeralds on stone

Walking through a tunnel where the circuit is blown (blown)

High-voltage rattle vibrating in my jaw

Chewing on the static and the scrape and the raw (raw)

Three forty-four, got the sweat on my shirt

Splatter on the denim, baptised in the dirt (dirt)

Stray dog growling at a crack in the wall

Catch me on the descent, proud of the fall (fall)

Which way is north when the compass is bent?

Crumpled little bills with a chemical scent (scent)

Steel fire escape where the iron pigeons roost

Running off the panic that I use for a boost (boost)

Blind corner snap, another slab in my face

Never felt at home in an orderly place (never)

Heavy wool collar smelling thick of the smoke

Laughing at the sirens like a private little joke (joke)

Chorus

Down in the corridor, chewing on the rust (the rust)

Footprints fading in the yellow street dust (dust)

I don't know the exit and I don't wanna find it (find it)

Blind in the gutter, leave the daylight behind it (behind it)

Bridge

Skyline is choking, the ceiling is tight (so tight)

Nothing looks familiar in the sodium light (the light)

No north, no south, no rescue brigade (none)

Silhouette twitching in an empty arcade (arcade)

Let the compass spin out, let the avenues break (break)

I am wide awake for the madness' sake (wake up)

Outro

Lost in the turn, proud of the stain (stain)

Down in the ditch, running the lane (lane)

Zero navigation (none)

Pure dislocation (pure)

Dark alley anthem (anthem)

Leave the gate shut.