[Intro] Black cloth over golden stone Iron boots on roads of bone Hear the drums and hide the flame The false king marches in our name [Verse] I saw them ride at morning’s edge With ravens on their shields They took the grain from hungry hands And burned the autumn fields The children learned to lower eyes The bells forgot to ring And every road was painted black For the man they called the king [Pre-Chorus] But banners made of fear and thread Can tear beneath the sky A lie may wear a crown of lead But truth will learn to fly [Chorus] Tear down the false king’s banner Let it fall into the dust Raise up the songs they buried Raise up the names they crushed Tear down the false king’s banner Let the tyrant hear us sing A crown of lies will splinter When the people crown the spring [Verse] His heralds spoke of peace and law With daggers in their teeth They praised the throne in polished halls While widows starved beneath I played no song beside their gates I gave them not one chord For music kneels to no command And truth serves no false lord [Pre-Chorus] The soldiers heard my silent scorn The captain drew his blade But in the crowd a voice was born And no one was afraid [Chorus] Tear down the false king’s banner Let it fall into the dust Raise up the songs they buried Raise up the names they crushed Tear down the false king’s banner Let the tyrant hear us sing A crown of lies will splinter When the people crown the spring [Interlude] Black banner, black banner Burn before the dawn Black banner, black banner Your borrowed day is gone [Solo] Steel strings race like arrows Drums ignite the plain Choirs climb like thunder Over chains and rain [Bridge] I was no knight in armor bright No breaker of the line But when I sang the oldest fight Their fear no longer shined A thousand mouths had held one breath A thousand hearts beat slow Then one by one they found the song The tyrant feared to know [Breakdown] No more silence No more shame No more kneeling To his name [Build-up] Sing it higher Strike it harder Let the black cloth burn Sing it higher Strike it harder Let the kingdom turn [Chorus] Tear down the false king’s banner Let it fall into the dust Raise up the songs they buried Raise up the names they crushed Tear down the false king’s banner Let the tyrant hear us sing A crown of lies will splinter When the people crown the spring [Chorus] Tear down the false king’s banner Let the hidden fires rise Raise up the oath of Arvandor Across the bleeding skies Tear down the false king’s banner Let the bells begin to ring A crown of lies will splinter When the people crown the spring [Outro] Black cloth over golden stone Burns where rebel winds are blown Hear the drums and feed the flame The false king trembles at our name