[INTRO — BASS TALKS FIRST] Uh. Hold up. Don't start the drums yet. Lemme see if they got soul. [BASS POP] Oh. There it is. [DRUMS] Soul got weight, ain't paid your dues. Somebody got tased, it made the news. 2004, before the heat. Pigs fly— call the police. What's your pleasure? Wait— that's for me. Ha! That's the ploy. Game of Crowns— ENJOY. [VERSE 1] Either that or fight, or feel that heat in the night. Many beats, still one rhythm. We Paid in Blood— make your decision. Hades speaking from the Nile. Read your case. Know your file. Saturn rings. Neptune spinning. Elon Musk still winning. Saw Spider-Man, now see Venom. Wolverine grinning— better not pet him. Tin got brains. Lion got courage. Three little bears— eat your porridge. Hey diddle diddle, man in the moon. But we ain't come from no silver spoon. Reason that ball got a piggy's skin. Bad wolf knocking— DON'T LET HIM IN. [CHORUS] Soul got weight! HOW MUCH? Can't put that on your scale. Soul got rhythm! HOW LONG? Long enough to outlive Hell. Red stone! Green stone! Violet making noise! Athrveal opened up the door— GAME OF CROWNS! Enjoy! Ha! ENJOY! You asked for the show, now watch your choice. Many beats— ONE RHYTHM. Many mouths— ONE VOICE. [VERSE 2] Humpty fell, who pushed him? Jack got quick, but death still looking. Beanstalk high, Fee-Fi-Fo. Giant said, "Boy, where you think you go?" Alice fell down. Rabbit got time. Dorothy walking that yellow line. Crow got questions. Scarecrow thinking. Somewhere underneath— Briar Street blinking. John still standing. Hammer still hot. Somebody Coming— maybe they forgot. Wayna watching four corners bend. "No one falls while I stand." Then she smiled: "Try again." [BREAK — BASS + CLAPS] Funk ain't noise. Funk is memory. Beat ain't dumb. Beat got history. You can steal the drum— can't steal what made us hit it. You can rename the street— Earth still knows who lived in it. [CHORUS] Soul got weight! HOW MUCH? More than gold can buy. Soul got rhythm! WHERE FROM? Ask your feet why they reply. Daystone burning! Lifestone breathing! Moonstone making noise! Athrveal said: WELCOME, BABY— MAKE YOUR CHOICE. Enjoy! ENJOY! [VERSE 3 — THE NEW THING] Way past Athrveal, past the Crown, there's an old machine nobody shuts down. No plug. No wire. No hand on deck. One little light says: PLAY NEXT. They call it— THE JUKEBOX AT THE END. Every lost rhythm got a home in it. First heartbeat. Last drum. Songs from worlds that ain't even come. Put no money in. It don't take change. Walk close enough— it says your name. [JUKEBOX] Selection ready. [SINGER] I ain't pick nothing. [JUKEBOX] You already did. [SILENCE] Oh... That's funky. [FINAL CHORUS] SOUL GOT WEIGHT! Feet got proof! Hammer got fire! Chains got groove! Wolf got teeth! Lion got nerve! Everybody eventually get what they deserve! Red! Green! Violet! Crown! Build it up— break it down! Briar Street! REMEMBER! Athrveal! REMEMBER! Four corners! REMEMBER! Jukebox— [JUKEBOX] I remember everything. [BAND STOPS] ... [SINGER] Everything? [JUKEBOX] Even the songs you haven't written yet. [BASS POP] Ha! Then play that. [JUKEBOX] Not yet. [SINGER] Why? [JUKEBOX] You haven't earned that rhythm. [ONE MASSIVE FUNK HIT] SOUL. GOT. WEIGHT. [JUKEBOX] Not yet. [SINGER] Why? [JUKEBOX] You haven't earned that rhythm. [BASS POP] Then let's earn it. [BREAK — CINCINNATI BASS ONLY] WHO DEY! [BASS ANSWERS] WHO DEY! [FUNK GUITAR ANSWERS] WHO DEY THINK GON' BEAT THEM BENGALS? [CROWD] WHO DEY! WHO DEY! WHO DEY! [SECOND-LINE DRUMS ENTER FROM DISTANCE] Wait... What's that? [NEW ORLEANS BRASS APPROACHES] WHO DAT! [TRUMPET ANSWERS] WHO DAT! [TROMBONE ANSWERS] WHO DAT SAY DEY GON' BEAT THEM SAINTS? [CROWD] WHO DAT! WHO DAT! WHO DAT! [BASS VS BRASS] WHO DEY! WHO DAT! WHO DEY! WHO DAT! Cincinnati got the pocket! New Orleans got the street! Bring that bass against that brass— LET 'EM MEET! [SOUSAPHONE + FUNK BASS LOCK TOGETHER] Ohhhhh! There it is! [FINAL CHORUS] SOUL GOT WEIGHT! WHO DEY! SOUL GOT RHYTHM! WHO DAT! Orange and black! WHO DEY! Black and gold! WHO DAT! Queen City funk! WHO DEY! Second-line soul! WHO DAT! Different cities! ONE POCKET! Different drums! ONE BEAT! Different chants— BUT MOVE THEM FEET! [HORNS] WHO DEY! [BASS] WHO DAT! [HORNS] WHO DEY! [BASS] WHO DAT! [ALL] WHO GOT SOUL? WE GOT SOUL! WHO GOT FUNK? WE GOT FUNK! WHO GOT RHYTHM? WE GOT RHYTHM! WHO GON' MOVE? EVERYBODY! [BREAK — ONLY FEET + CLAPS] WHO DEY... WHO DAT... WHO DEY... WHO DAT... [FULL BAND EXPLODES] WHO DEY! WHO DAT! WHO DEY! WHO DAT! LET THAT RIVER CARRY THE RHYTHM WITH ME! CINCINNATI! NEW ORLEANS! TWO CITIES! ONE SOUL! [JUKEBOX VOICE] Selection accepted. [SINGER] What's it called? [JUKEBOX] Soul Got Weight. [SINGER] Nah. Tonight? [EVERYBODY] WHO GOT SOUL?! [FINAL HIT] WE DO!
