Over time it was lost Price increased the cost Now the fortune of the kingdom Is locked up in its dungeon vaults The castle floor lies in traps With coiled wired set back Decoyed by old cheese Now the drawbridge has been lifted As the millions
They drop to their knees They pay homage to a king Whose dreams are buried In their minds
His tears are frozen stiff Icicles drip from his eyes The cold wind blows as it snows On those who fight to get in On heads that are small Disillusioned as they enter
They′re unaware what′s Behind castle walls But now it′s written in stone The king has been overthrowned By jesterly fools And the power of the people Shall come to believe they do rule They pay homage to a king Whose dreams are buried In their minds His tears are frozen stiff
Icicles drip from his eyes Welcome to the tragic kingdom Cornfields of popcorn Have yet to spring open Have they lost their heads Or are they just all blind mice We′ve heard all their stories One too many times Hypnotized by fireflies That glow in the dark Midgets that disquise themselves As tiny little dwarfs
The parade that′s electrical It serves no real purpose Just takes up a lot of juice Just to impress us They pay homage to a king Whose dreams are buried In their minds His tears are frozen stiff
Icicles drip from his eyes Welcome to the tragic kingdom Cornfields of popcorn Have yet to spring open
[Intro (Sample courtesy of "Superfreak" by Rick James)] I don′t know what life will be in H.I.P. H.O.P. Without the boy H.O.V. (I will be, I will be) Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Yeah) When kingdom come, you ready? (I will be) When kingdom come, I′m ready (I will be) When kingdom come (Yeah, yeah) I′m ready (Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey!!!)
[Verse 1: Jay-Z] Now everywhere I go they like HOV you back Up out the corner office out the coldasack Where′s Iceberg Slim he was the coldest cat Get your swag back daddy where your focus at Got to admit a little bit I was sick of rap But despite that the boy is back And I′m so evolved I′m so involved I′m showing growth, I′m so in charge I′m C.E.O. and yeah going god I′m so indebted, I should have been deaded Sellin blow in the park, this I know in my heart Now I′m so enlightened I might glow in the dark I been up in the office you might know him as Clark But, just when you thought the whole world fell apart I - take off the blazer losen up the tie Step inside the booth Superman is alive
[Chorus: Jay-Z (Sample courtesy of "Superfreak" by Rick James)] (I will be) The King Of New York (I will be) New York Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Yeah) When kingdom come, you ready? (I will be) When kingdom come, uh huh (I will be) Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah, yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey!!!)
[Verse 2: Jay-Z] I hear "hurry up Hov" when I′m out in the public Cause niggas like it, you love it; We be it, you′re of it You breathe it, we need it; bring it back to the hustlas Had to dust off the Hammer, dance - can′t touch this C′mon playboys, bring the cars back out Cause ya boy Hov is back, you know them broads comin out Got ′em dancing on the bankhead, like they from Bankhead Fuck Cristal, so they ask me what we drinking I thought dudes remark was rude okay So I moved on to Dom Cuvee Rose And it′s much bigger issues in the world, I know But I first had to take care of the world I know I′m from the bottom, so I still feel em from the bottom Underdog before my cape, still couldn′t stop him Flash Gordon when recording, spark the light in the dark Peter Park, Spiderman, all I do is climb the charts
[Chorus: Jay-Z (Sample courtesy of "Superfreak" by Rick James)] (I will be) The King Of New York (I will be) New York Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Yeah) When kingdom come, you ready? (I will be) When kingdom come, uh huh (I will be) Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah, yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey!!!)
[Verse 3: Jay-Z] Just when they thought it was all over I put the whole world on my back and broad shoulders The War-Hova, but who you know took over tracks like that Guess what New York, New York - we back And I ain′t never been afraid of a drought Since I was six, seventeen been gettin money down south Bout it, bout it, Master P Ask the nigga Pimp C, ask my homey Bun B I run the streets the streets don′t run we Y′all run, we chill still waters run deep I repeat, sing a long with me I run the streets the streets don′t run we Ladies sayin where you been Superman? When niggas spendin ten million in media on my hands The Bruce Wayne of the game have no fear When you need me just throw your ROC signs in the air, yeah!
[Chorus: Jay-Z (Sample courtesy of "Superfreak" by Rick James)] (I will be) The King Of New York (I will be) New York Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Yeah) When kingdom come, you ready? (I will be) When kingdom come, uh huh (I will be) Not only N.Y.C. I′m hip hop′s savior (Yeah, yeah) So after this flow you might owe me a favor (Hey! Hey! Hey Hey Hey!!!)
Steal my heart and hold my tongue. I feel my time, my time has come. Let me in, unlock the door. I′ve never felt this way before.
The wheels just keep on turning, The drummer begins to drum, I don′t know which way I′m going, I don′t know which way I′ve come.
Hold my hand inside your hands, I need someone who understands. I need someone, someone who hears, For you, I′ve waited all these years.
For you, I′d wait ′til kingdom come. Until my day, my day is done. And say you′ll come, and set me free, Just say you′ll wait, you′ll wait for me.
In your tears and in your blood, In your fire and in your flood, I hear you laugh, I heard you sing, "I wouldn′t change a single thing."
The wheels just keep on turning, The drummers begin to drum, I don′t know which way I′m going, I don′t know what I′ve become.
For you, I′d wait ′til kingdom come, Until my days, my days are done. Say you′ll come and set me free, Just say you′ll wait, you′ll wait for me. Just say you′ll wait, you′ll wait for me. Just say you′ll wait, you′ll wait for me.
in the black of the night she appears I can see that she′s trying to relocate the source of my fears I′ve been searching her high and low
in this dream she will show me the door to a new revelation and I know that I′ve seen her before that she′ll bring me salvation
I remember when she was still alive always there by my side every day is a fight to survive every minute a shattered memory
like the sun shining down on me like the breeze on the ocean you′re the path of my destiny I know you will follow me until Kingdom Come
when I watch from the tower at night into fading horizons I can see her shade in the twilight dressed in silver she′s dancing
I remember as if it was today always there by my side you are reason, and relief to my pain and one day we will reunite
like the sun shining down on me like the breeze on the ocean you′re the path of my destiny I know you will follow me until Kingdom Come like the sun shining down on me like the breeze on the ocean you′re the path of my destiny I′ll follow my heart until Kingdom Come
Sleeping beauty Where have you been You should know Iґm counting on you here
Feels like clouds beneath your wings It is night, you see it as it is It is dark, have mercy on us all You should know Iґm counting on you here
His kiss His kiss His kiss His kiss of spring His kiss of spring His kiss of spring His kiss of spring His kiss...
Letґs talk about the weather And the snow Falling from the heavens like crystal feather The power of the powder The silence screams louder I feel cold This is a nation on hold Itґs the chill Without the thrill
Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom Come to my kingdom Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom Come to my kingdom
I manage to get down to the coffee shop Itґs the big freeze, I feel like a pork chop Jesus itґs cold, must be a million below Nowhere to go, and the snow still falling Everythingґs gone white Still nothing looks bright Thereґs no signs of daylight Every day is like an eternal night Iґm out of here soon I might be back in June Itґs the chill Without the thrill Itґs the chill
Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom Come to my kingdom
His kiss His kiss His kiss His kiss of spring His kiss of spring His kiss of spring Spring His kiss of spring His kiss
Itґs the chill Without the thrill Itґs the chill
Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom You should know Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom Iґm counting on you here His kiss of spring His kiss Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom His kiss of spring Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom His kiss of spring Itґs the chill Without the thrill Iґm waiting for spring to come to my kingdom To my kingdom
here sat babylon fattened by the purses of the worst and wrong where the decadent tastes of hell grew strong like a curse upon this tragic kingdom
Dusk descended like a final curtain On this stage only death was certain Singing through the turrets Like a velvet serenade
Played near a grave
Sentries and gentry, afforded the bloom Of a red setting sun and a bloodletting moon Applauded, then accorded them Portents of doom
Almost too soon...
They pissed upon the winds That rocked the cradles Laughing over the hovels grovelling to wolves
They kissed and sinned Under overstocked tables As the world outside grew sodden and mauled
here sat babylon fattened by the purses of the worst and wrong where the decadent tastes of hell grew strong like a curse upon this tragic kingdom
Gilles sat sipping damson absinthe From a goblet made of bone As lightning ripped and danced upon The flagstones Wayward fantasies marched on home
Now the treetops bowed to whisper In a thin Disney veneer They knew the howls so exquisitely honed Were those of children disappeared
They′d listened to the winds Heard the murdererd Abel Re-christened in the stone jaws of Tiffauges
Where the list of sins Grew beyond fable They now roared abroad, restless with debauch
Restless with debauch This tragic kingdom Would see Gods angels walk Away
Satanic, enigmatic His black magic was ecstatic Megalomanic in titanic displays Dressed in the best Wicked britches of the West He cut a mourning figure in a glorious swathe
But all his nightmares would come true Drowning in a stream of unbounded pleasure
Here sat Babylon Fattened by the purses of the worst and wrong Where the decadent tastes of Hell grew strong Like a curse upon This tragic kingdom
A curse upon This tragic kingdom
The moon bleared through the skeletal trees Averting her face from congenital deeds
Thus eves grew murky, haunted, grieved About this place laced with demon seed
Blanchet, a priest, his book of lies Exonerated him from Giles crimes Announced his fears, one night of sighs A night for cursing nursery rhymes In the light of fire wrestling feckless shadows
(the tracks get blacker for this tragic kingdom)
Gilles frightening wealth, his tightening grip On the weak and the rubies that his coffers let slip Steered to near runin in succesive years Of the most of excess and the best of it here In the light of the fire wrestling reckless shadows
With you I don′t hear the minutes ticking by I don′t feel the hours as they fly I don′t see the summer as it wanes Just a subtle change of light upon your face
Walk away, walk away, walk away, walk away This is our kingdom of days
I watched the sun as it rises and sets I watched the moon trace its arc with no regret My jacket ′round your shoulders, the falling leaves The wet grass on our backs as the autumn breeze drifts through the trees
Walk away, walk away, walk away, walk away This is our kingdom of days This is our kingdom of days
I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I do You whispered "then prove it, then prove it, then prove it, to me baby blue"
When I count my blessings and you′re mine for always We laughed beneath the covers and count the wrinkles and the grays
Sing away, sing away, sing away, sing away Sing away, sing away, my darling, we′ll sing away This is our kingdom of days This is our kingdom of days This is our kingdom of days This is our kingdom of days This is our kingdom of days