Track 05: Build With the Constraint

    bright mechanical swing, hand percussion, clicking gears, quick chorus

    Verse 1: Only two boards Only one nail Only half a hammer And a storm in the pail

    Only three notes Only one drum Only five minutes Till the thunder comes

    Pre-Chorus: The Lantern cried, “There is not enough!” The Builder laughed, “Then good. A limit is a little wall That teaches shape to wood.”

    Chorus: Build with the constraint Do not curse the frame A narrow road can teach the spark A sharper kind of flame

    Less can make it clearer Small can make it true Build with the constraint And let the form find you

    Verse 2: No golden staircase No endless sky No choir of perfect angels With a budget flying by

    Just a bent cup A wire thin A room that keeps on creaking And a light that wants in

    Pre-Chorus: The Wirebird tapped the broken glass And sang without complaint “The song is not less creative Because it learned restraint.”

    Chorus: Build with the constraint Do not curse the frame A narrow road can teach the spark A sharper kind of flame

    Less can make it clearer Small can make it true Build with the constraint And let the form find you

    Bridge: If there is no limit The answer may dissolve If there is no pressure The shape may not evolve

    The gate is not the enemy The frame is not the chain A rule can be a riverbank That helps the meaning remain

    Final Chorus: Build with the constraint Let the hard edge sing A cup with cracks can still become A very useful thing

    Less can make it clearer Small can make it true Build with the constraint And let the form find you