The Ninth Bell

The gates are split The moat is red We drag the wounded Past the dead The smoke is low The streets are bent A prayer, a curse A roof gives way No grand last stand Just grit and blood And old men swearing At the mud The tunnel holds For one more run The children first Then wounded men If they ask Who paid the cost Tell them we did And count the lost Ring the ninth bell! Ring it loud! Ring the ninth bell! Bring them out! Ring the ninth bell! Hold that sound! Not for the walls For the ones underground Down in the nave The keeper falls One leg shot through Still at the rope His hands are slick His mouth is ash He laughs and says “Well, that’s a choice.” The captain roars “Keep ringing, lad!” He spits out teeth Then says, “Good night.” The enemy’s in The western square We burn our names Into the air The last shield line Is breaking fast But every minute Buys one more life Ring the ninth bell! Ring it loud! Ring the ninth bell! Bring them out! Ring the ninth bell! Hold that sound! Not for the walls For the ones underground One The baker’s girl Two The old brass key Three The priest with blood Four The twins and me Five The door is stuck Six Kick it hard Seven Keep moving Eight Go, go, go He pulls the rope The tower shakes He smiles through it For heaven’s sake If this is death Then it’s on time If this is war Then let it chime Ring the ninth bell! Ring it loud! Ring the ninth bell! Bring them out! Ring the ninth bell! Hold that sound! Not for the walls For the ones underground Ring the ninth bell! Hear it now! The city fell But the people got out Ring the ninth bell! Stand and know We lost the walls We saved them all The last note dies The ash comes down No crown on stone No cheers in sight But in the dark They move to dawn The ninth bell rang And they lived on