Monks and Ale

[Instrumental]

(Verse 1 – male voice) I have seen the night tear kingdoms down, I have held the weight of blood-soaked crowns. Built my walls so high, no light broke through, But still—somehow—you got through. (Verse 2 – female voice) I have traced the scars upon your hands, Felt the ghosts within your skin expand. You wear your sorrow like a blade, But love, I am not afraid. *(Pre-Chorus – Both female and male voices) If I burn, will you burn beside me? If I drown, will you pull me free? Tell me now—before the stars fall down— Do you still see only me? *(Chorus – Both female and male voices) Let the world collapse, let the heavens break, Let the gods forget the vows we made. I would face the fire, I would curse my name— If, through it all, only you remain. (Verse 3 – male voice) I have killed for less than love before, Turned my heart into an iron war. But you whisper my name like I’m still whole, Like there’s something left to hold. (Verse 4 – female voice) You have bled beneath a thousand moons, Left your mercy in forgotten ruins. But if your hands are stained, so are mine— I won’t leave you behind. *(Pre-Chorus – Both female and male voices) If I burn, will you burn beside me? If I drown, will you pull me free? Tell me now—before the stars fall down— Do you still see only me? *(Chorus – Both female and male voices) Let the world collapse, let the heavens break, Let the gods forget the vows we made. I would face the fire, I would curse my name— If, through it all, only you remain. *(Bridge – both female and male voices alternating lines) If you leave, I will follow. If you fall, I will catch you. If the darkness calls me under— I will chase it, I will find you. *(Final Chorus – Both female and male voices) Let the world collapse, let the heavens break, Let the gods forget the vows we made. I would face the fire, I would curse my name— If, through it all, only you remain. *(Outro – Both female and male voices, softly) If all else fades to dust and rain, Promise me—only you remain.

[Verse] Smoke rises high where the silence used to be A shattered skyline greets the morning's plea The echoes of fear haunt along the stone But steel hearts beat when the earth groans [Chorus] Shadows over Kyiv hearts unbowed A roaring stand against the deadly crowd Hope may flicker but it won't fade away In the streets of fire we find our way [Verse 2] Old trains whisper tales of lives on the brink Crumbling statues of a past that made us think The ground shakes with the song of worn boots A melody forged in resistance's roots [Chorus] Shadows over Kyiv hearts unbowed A roaring stand against the deadly crowd Hope may flicker but it won't fade away In the streets of fire we find our way [Bridge] Where the sun meets the horizon red and raw Through the ash and the ruin we still draw Breath as one against what we defy The walls may crack but our spirits never die [Verse 3] The river flows carrying history in its stream Reflected in its waters are the people’s dreams Winds howl but they carry our resolve instead For a free tomorrow we forge through ahead

[Verse] Shadows creep where sun once burned bright Fields of gold turned to armor's fight Hands once held now clutch the blade In this land where peace decayed [Verse 2] Echoes rise from the broken ground The whispers of cities no longer sound Step through rubble with weary feet Dreams collide where hope and war meet [Chorus] Sunflowers bow as the cannons roar A mother weeps behind her door In the silence that follows pain Will we see the light again [Bridge] From the ashes voices sing high Through the darkness piercing the sky With strength born from battered souls The wheel of fate endlessly rolls [Verse 3] Iron birds paint the skies in gray Fragile hearts still find their way Through the storm with heads held proud Each step defies the thundercloud [Chorus] Sunflowers bow as the cannons roar A mother weeps behind her door In the silence that follows pain Will we see the light again

I look up to the heavens, and I see your face A canvas of blue and white, a wondrous, sacred space The sun shines bright and bold, a fiery ball of light Illuminating all, in its radiant sight Oh, beautiful sky, you take my breath away With every sunrise, and every starry night's sway You remind me of the beauty, that's always there to see A reflection of the love, that's meant to be The clouds drift by, like whispers in my ear Their soft and gentle rustling, calms my every fear The breeze carries scents, of blooming flowers and trees Invigorating my senses, and bringing me to my knees Oh, beautiful sky, you take my breath away With every sunrise, and every starry night's sway You remind me of the beauty, that's always there to see A reflection of the love, that's meant to be In your vast expanse, I find my peace A sense of connection, to the world's release From the mountains high, to the oceans wide You remind me of the beauty, that's always by my side Oh, beautiful sky, you take my breath away With every sunrise, and every starry night's sway You remind me of the beauty, that's always there to see A reflection of the love, that's meant to be So I'll keep looking up, to your majestic sight And find my heart filled, with wonder and delight In the beauty of your sky, I am free to roam And find my way back home.

[Verse] In the age of kings long gone Where swords would clash and roar Lands were tamed from dusk till dawn Under banners knights once swore [Verse 2] Through the mist on cobbled streets Whispers carried far and near Legends told where shadows meet Echoed loud in hearts sincere [Chorus] Oh the hearth still burns tonight With the glow of battles past Songs of heroes take their flight Their legacy shall forever last [Bridge] From the mountains cold and steep To the meadows soft and wide Oaths were made and truths were deep With their honor as their guide [Verse 3] Lanterns lit the midnight sky As the minstrel strummed his chord Life of kings who do not die Still sung around the hallowed board [Chorus] Oh the hearth still burns tonight With the glow of battles past Songs of heroes take their flight Their legacy shall forever last

[Verse] The train rolled in at the break of dawn Three soldiers returned, but one was gone A flag-draped box was all that stayed In a mother’s arms, her tears were laid [Verse] The second one came on wheels of steel Lost his legs on a foreign field He smiled faintly, said “I’m still here” But his hollow laugh betrayed his fear [Chorus] Three seats taken, but hearts torn apart One’s in the ground, one’s got a broken start And one’s just wandering a battlefield plain Three soldiers home, but none the same [Verse] The last stepped off with a distant stare Breathing home’s air, but he wasn’t there His hands still shook from the fight he'd seen Lost in the smoke of where he’d been [Bridge] The town lined up, flags held high But couldn’t meet the soldier’s eye For one was gone, one battered and torn And one just wished he’d never been born [Chorus] Three seats taken, but hearts torn apart One’s in the ground, one’s got a broken start And one’s just wandering a battlefield plain Three soldiers home, but none the same

[Verse] The schoolyard flag at half-mast flies, For the soldier who gave his life under skies, They bring him home in a flag-draped chest, A small-town hero laid to rest. [Verse 2] The second man rolls through on steel wheels, His world’s gone quiet, but the pain feels real, A hometown boy in a battle-torn shell, Living proof of some kind of hell. [Chorus] Three boots on the ground, but life's not the same, War takes its toll; it plays a cruel game, One’s laid to rest, one can’t ever stand, And one’s lost in ghosts he can't understand. [Verse 3] The third one stares at the county line, His body's here, but not his mind, He drinks alone 'til the bottle's dry, With haunted whispers and a thousand-mile cry. [Bridge] Mama’s tears fall every Sunday pew, Their stories blend, it don’t feel new, Prayers rise up for sons torn apart, But a war leaves scars on every heart. [Verse 4] And in the yard, three stones now stand, For three brothers who once shared this land, Different paths, but the bitter truth's the same, That not all who return can escape the pain.

[Verse] जुन जस्ती निधारको कालो तिकी कानमा झुम्का बोकी अनि ओठमा लगाई लाली माया गरी सधैँभरी [Chorus] हाम्रो साथ रहोस जुनी भरी यो यात्रा कहिले नटुटोस कहिल्यै कही हृदयमा होस माया निरन्तर बगिरही साथ सधैँ पैलाभरी [Verse 2] आकाश जस्तो विशाल हाम्रो प्रेम पहाड जस्तो बलियो स्थिर छ त्यो नेम जुन जस्तै निलो मुहार सपना साझा होस् बारम्बार [Chorus] हाम्रो साथ रहोस जुनी भरी यो यात्रा कहिले नटुटोस कहिल्यै कही हृदयमा होस माया निरन्तर बगिरही साथ सधैँ पैलाभरी [Bridge] जुनले देखोस् हाम्रो उज्यालो बाटो सङ्गै लेखौँ हर दिनको नोट कलम होस् प्रेमले भिजेको हाम्रो कथा कहिले नबुझिएको [Chorus] हाम्रो साथ रहोस जुनी भरी यो यात्रा कहिले नटुटोस कहिल्यै कही हृदयमा होस माया निरन्तर बगिरही साथ सधैँ पैलाभरी

(Verse 1) Sunrise paints the ferry gold, a chill wind off the Sound, Another day on Whidbey's fold, where hidden homes are found. My tools are packed, my van is primed, a thermos steamin' hot, Another circuit intertwined, another tangled knot. From Langley's shores to Oak Harbor's bay, I'm chasin' every spark, A flicker here, a power sway, I'm leavin' my own mark. (Chorus) Whidbey wires, runnin' deep, through cedar, fir, and pine, From island homes where secrets sleep, to storefronts brightly shine. I'm the current's steady hand, the voltage's trusted guide, An electrician on this land, where nature's beauty hides. (Verse 2) A farmhouse old, with knob and tube, a relic of the past, A modern build, a sleek new cube, where solar panels cast. The salty air, the misty rain, the eagles overhead, I'm climbin' poles, again, again, where power lines are spread. The tide is low, the seagulls cry, a customer calls in need, A tripped breaker, blinkin' eye, a complicated deed. (Chorus) Whidbey wires, runnin' deep, through cedar, fir, and pine, From island homes where secrets sleep, to storefronts brightly shine. I'm the current's steady hand, the voltage's trusted guide, An electrician on this land, where nature's beauty hides. (Bridge) Sometimes the ferry's late at night, the fog hangs thick and low, But when I flip that switch to light, the satisfaction starts to grow. A warm glow in a cabin's pane, a porch lamp shinin' bright, I know I've eased another pain, and chased away the night. (Chorus) Whidbey wires, runnin' deep, through cedar, fir, and pine, From island homes where secrets sleep, to storefronts brightly shine. I'm the current's steady hand, the voltage's trusted guide, An electrician on this land, where nature's beauty hides. (Outro) The sun descends, a crimson hue, across the Puget's face, Another job, another view, a peaceful, quiet space. I park my van, my day is done, the tools are put away, Another spark, another one, to brighten Whidbey's day.