TITLE:
Same Rain on Both Shields

STYLE:
Nordic Viking metal fused with hip-hop, drop-D down-tuned heavy guitars, pounding war drums, tagelharpa and bone flute, deep throat-singing drones, cinematic strings, male baritone half-rap lead, female contralto lead, massive mixed choir, gang shouts, anthemic, epic, modern heavy production, clear intelligible English vocals, 80 BPM, opens as a dark folk ballad then turns heavy, male and female duet, emotional

EXCLUDE STYLES:
autotune, EDM drop, lo-fi, comedy, spoken-word only, children's choir, country, reggae

LYRICS:
[Intro - nyckelharpa and rain, soft frame drum, instrumental]

[Verse 1 - female contralto, intimate, sparse folk accompaniment]
I stood on the eastern ridge in the grey before the dawn,
And the rain fell on my shield like it fell upon your own.
You were told I lit the fire, I was told the same of you,
But the rain did not believe it and the rain was falling true.

[Verse 2 - male baritone, soft half-rap over building drums]
My father taught me hate like it was handed down as land,
But I never saw your face, I never held your hand.
Your daughter's in the doorway, she has eyes just like my son,
And the merchant's in the harbor counting how the war was won.

[Pre-Chorus - both voices in harmony, strings rise, band enters]
Same cold sky,
Same black wing,
Same old liar
Pulling the string.

[Chorus - full band, heavy and emotional, choir, duet]
Same rain on both shields,
Same blood in the snow.
Same field, same grief,
Same lie told us so.
Lay your spear by my spear,
Let the rain wash them clean.
Same rain on both shields,
And no one in between.

[Bridge - female contralto alone, then male answers, then both together]
If I had fired first, I would tell you to your face.
If you had fired first, you would tell me in this place.
Neither of us did it, and we both have lost a friend.
So let the ones who did it be the ones we hunt instead.

[Chorus - full band, choir, biggest]
Same rain on both shields,
Same blood in the snow.
Same field, same grief,
Same lie told us so.
Lay your spear by my spear,
Let the rain wash them clean.
Same rain on both shields,
And no one in between.

[Outro - band drops out, rain and nyckelharpa, duet whisper]
No one in between.