Creepers Gotta Creep by Mark Spurlock Lyrics Sheet 1. The Telling Eager and intrigued, anxious and confused, a thrill runs downhill through my spine like a fuse. Arrived to behold, now excitement is swelling five years old now and it's time for the Telling. The shaman is yelling, "You've gathered tonight to hear the Great Truth of the creeper's Great Fight, to see the Great Light and know the Great Plight, to learn the concern wherefore we ignite!" His voice fills the cavern, the firelight flickers, My stomach gets sicker as my pulse is growing quicker, our whole lives we've wondered what secrets lie under, five years old now the air's growing thicker. "In the beginning, there was peace 'cross the land, Great Notch made the creepers from dry leaves and sand, Great Notch made the world, unfurled for our play, made the boys and girls, made the night and day, the light of the rays from the sun and the moon, the lakes and lagoons, yea, deserts and dunes, caves creepers crawled in and called them their home, a world made for creepers and for creepers alone. Then came the darkness, black as could be, a storm disembarked west from 'cross the Great Sea too late we discovered their sinister plan, and uncovered the others that we now know as Man. With axes and swords, in packs and in hoards they poured from the shore and they swore to explore. They chopped and they mined, cropped and refined, nonstop grind, unkind and resigned to rob the land blind. Notch was enraged and the creepers were called, and from the remains of our caverns we crawled to receive the Great Mission, the promise we keep, the reason to this day creepers gotta creep. Creepers gotta creep. The words of the shaman through the air ring out, quelling all doubt he shouts to us about how Notch hated man for the havoc he'd wrought, the pain he'd brought, raped our land without second thought, invading and raiding, cascading, we were taught. Great Notch declared the evil could only be fought by his people, the creepers, and with sulphur and hate, he instilled in us the power, the power to detonate. "To use this great power, this thunder inside a creeper channels his hatred, all his anger and pride. Think of the pain, yea, and let yourself go, and the fury of Notch will consume you and it shall blow into oblivion whoever is near, will strike down his buildings and will frighten his peers. The humans will learn to regard us with fear and our hiss will be the last ssound that they hear. To strike down a man is the greatest of glories, The stuff of creeper legends, creeper songs and storie.s Avenge and destroy, use the great fire, the end to which all great creepers aspire. But your power is great, and you must take great care for Great Notch gave one more charge by which you must swear. To strike down a man brings glory to thy name, but to fell a fellow creeper brings the greatest of shame. All creepers are keepers of this promise much deeper to use not this sleeper, hidden power and reaper on our brothers and sisters, upon those who believe, whose blood runs with sulphur, whose skin cracks like leaves. Now go all ye children, now knowing the truth. Understand now our struggle, and what we must do. Knowing now how to channel the power buried deep. Harness thy anger, for creepers gotta creep." Creepers gotta creep. We walked from the Telling, wide-eyed and scared, prepared, we declared, for the burden we shared. Dreams of great glory crept over our minds, five years old and childish ways now left behind. Unkind and resigned, in the light we were blind, eager for glory and for the fall of mankind. From our caves to our graves we would follow like sheep, five years old, now told why creepers gotta creep. 2. If We Were Wrong Many years later I was creepin' out for crumbs, not looking for no trouble but always ready when it comes. Hunting for some fishes underground and far from home when I heard the sound of metal going clink against the stone. Gave a little listen closer, heard the echo of a tune, and instantly I knew my chance to detonate was soon. Creep a little closer to it knowing just what I would find, and saw a man with tool in hand a-whistling while he mined. "I mustn't let him see, I must creep up from behind, I've learned that men are dangerous if you don't catch 'em blind" I followed through the hollow as I swallowed all my fear, nervous but with purpose to the surface we appeared. Walking and I'm stalking through the forests as I waited for my chance. Hiding and I'm sliding through the shadows like a hunter I advanced. But then upon a wonder unimagined finally came, and I as looked I shook and knew I'd never be the same. So tell me, you ever doubt it? Could it be that we were wrong about it? Could you see and go without it? Could it be if we were wrong about it? Like the peaks of mighty mountains, spires stretching to the clouds with majestic flowing fountains, painted glass and golden shrouds. Lava tamed and set in stone, spirals spiraling on and on, through the windows, chandliers, altars set on wooden tiers, work of many many years, I stared in awe, stared in awe. Gazing at the new frontier, I was enthralled, was enthralled. Humans were the evil and we felt so strong about it, but I felt a great upheaval, what if we were wrong about it? For that which they destroy they turn to use as the creator, and the beauty that they forge is beauty ever greater. What if we were wrong about them? If the human way is right? If the truly greatest glory is creation come to light? Could we see ourselves as equals, could we learn from one another? A peace between our peoples, an alliance with our brothers? I pledged my life to not destroy and only to create. I swore to let my anger go and never detonate. So tell me, you ever doubt it? Could it be that we were wrong about it? Could you see and go without it? Could it be if we were wrong about it? They say we gotta creep now but I don't care, that's a real nice everything you got there. I've got a new purpose, gonna make it I swear, that's a real nice everything you got there. So tell me, you ever doubt it? Could it be that we were wrong about it? Could you see and go without it? Could it be if we were wrong about it? 3. Try It Again Today is a great day for being alive, I got a new purpose and my day has arrived. I gotta survive living as a man inside a creeper's skin, learn the ways of humans so I never have to creep again. Driven to be living in the humanoid condition, burning to be learning so I'm turning my ambition to the labor of my neighbor so my dreams will see fruition, but transition's competition, it's a battle of attrition. Made myself a boat, then it broke I nearly drowned. Made a beautiful house, fireplace burnt it down. Get so frustrated and I'm going beserk. Fucking redwire, how the fuck does it work? The cows look at me like I'm crazy, but I don't care about what they see. Don't know how but you can't give up now. Search for the courage within. Difficult to farm when you got no fucking arms. Gotta push through cause it's all up to you. Stand up and try it again. Found a bunch of diamond but I got no axe for minin'. Stone by stone, I become my own tennant. Everytime I make a corner gotta fight the urge to lurk in it. Tiny leather helmet's too small for my head block. Trying to find some diamond but I swear it's hard as bedrock. Tried to kill a chicken, but I still need to practice. Tried to ride a pig, it mistook me for a cactus. Legs were too short to get the little fucker straddled. Went and got my minecart, used it for a saddle. The cows are smirking through the leather. I just wanna blow them to the nether. Don't know how but you can't give up now. Search for the courage within. Creeping into slips with a torch between my lips. Gotta push through cause it's all up to you. Stand up and try it again. Headbutting a tree like a crazy amputee. Wanna show my work cause the feeling inside, I'm so full of pride I tried, but they all cried, just run and hide, they don't understand me, they brand me as a threat. Something 'bout my face, they just assume that I'm upset. And I'm not a physician but it what the fuck kind of omission is a pair of arms to leave a creeper given my volition? And I ain't no no dietician, but if I don't get some nutrition then I'm gonna fucking die and I'll begin decomposition. Frustration's ammunition for my natural born ignition and if I can't control my anger then I'll bring on demolition. But with iron disposition, persevere through repetition I can work through my condition, never throw in my submission. I see their black eyes when I'm dreaming. Each night I wake up screaming. Don't know how but you can't give up now. Search for the courage within. Feeling like a traitor, wanna make my house a crater. Gotta push through cause it's all up to you. Stand up and try it again. Pressure plated floors cause I cannot open doors. Don't know how but you can't give up now. Search for the courage within. Don't know how to battle, bit a pig and drowned some cattle. Gotta push through cause it's all up to you. Stand up and try it again. Cows are fucking evil, I hate cows. 4. Birds of a Feather Well it's been a tough climb, but I'm getting along, and after such a long time finally feel I belong. Yeah I'm getting off the ground, and I'm turning up my frown, and I'm getting the human thing down. Loading up my cart as I'm tilling my crops when I hear a voice behind me and my ten hearts stop. Eyes meet, he shouts, there's a moment of doubt now he's taking the pointy thing out. Now I'm running for my house, dunno what to do, and he's chasing me and racin' me, outpacing me too. But I make it to my hut, door shut without a cut, but I'm trapped and I'm wondering "Now what?" I run into the corner as the door is kicked down, he pounds in and bounds in, he's looking around. With surprise in his stare, he softly declares "That's a real nice everything there." Holy mother now. (Yes-sir-e) You're not like your brothers now. (Never be) Here's something other now. (Don't you see?) Two birds of a feather are we. Look at this place, could it be that it's yours? Just judging by the sulphur smell and plates on the floors it's like it's all done by you, too strange to be true, but I guess you like building things too. What they said before, don't make much sense now to me. "Creepers ain't men, or they forgot how to be." What kind of beast could forge a home so sturdy? A painting so purdy? A window or thirty? Get his hands dirty, and not just to destroy, your brothers blow us up cause they don't know the joy of just a pick in their hands, and the sweat from their glands, yet here this crazy thing stands. A creeper that's a builder I can hardly believe, but if we put our heads together, think what we could achieve. With some human technique plus a creeper unique we'll make everyone and everything freak. Holy mother now. (Yes-sir-e) You're not like your brothers now. (Never be) Here's something other now. (Don't you see?) Two birds of a feather are we. Now we're great friends in our beautiful homes. We've built tall castles and statues and domes, had mushroom stew, seen lush blooms too, we're together and breaking on through. Built a windmill where the wind can blow. He showed me how to till (bitch, use a hoe!) Got a monorail cart, pretty pixelated art, and nothing but warmth in our hearts. And I can't wait to tell the folks back home. There's more to life than creepers ever have known. Irrigation, roller coasters, to craft, to build, to dig, and greatest of all, the joy of riding a pig. So I'm off to my village, to bring them the news. I'll tell what I've done to heal this world's blues. When they see all we've made, how our friendship transcends. Then they'll see that our kind can be friends. 5. Oh Son Mother and father, the son has returned. I come with great news of the lessons I've learned, the things that I've seen, the works I have done. Gather round and listen you your son, your son. I've seen the men build, I've studied their ways, watched as gods were transformed out of water and clay, night turned to day, monsters hunted as prey. And here is the message that I've come back to convey. They seek not to conquer or to ruin or kill, but to find the potential what lies dormant and still. They bring about beauty from the depths they have stormed. nothing is lost, no but only transformed. They've warmed frigid biomes with wonders and wiles, with style scraped and reshaped many miles. Glorified Great Notch using all their facilities, dared to imagine and to explore the possibilities. No war should be fought, no lives need be given. We can live and work together, let the past be forgiven, forgotten and forsaken, I know that we can commune, for I have worked with a man these last many moons. Oh son oh son, no what've you done. Oh my head spins around me, now my heart weighs a ton. World undone, black tears are falling down my face. Our family could suffer no greater disgrace. The enemy race, who do pillage and burn, who slay your own brethren, who show no concern for the balance of life, or for the ways of the past, to abide them and side with them when Notch says to blast. Your faith should be strong, but it wobbles like gelatin. The spine of a squid when you should have been a skeleton. And sadly I know that only I am to blame, I should've shown you more love, could've saved us this shame, could've carried our name, made your grandmother proud. I'm a failure, a wretch, I knew I shouldn't have allowed you to set out alone, the suggestible one. Oh son, oh son, oh what have I done? What've you done? Now your mother's in tears. At long last our long gone son reappears. And where have you been? In bed with our nemesis. My own son, a back stabbing human supremacist. Since when is this treason, you I once called my child? Now with those so loathed and imposed and reviled? So reckless and wild, who your grandfather fought, gave his life in one glorious burst when he brought down all at once six men in a crowd. Gave his life for his people, made his tribesmen proud. He'd cry out loud, he'd denounce us as scum. To see the abomination that you have become. Still do they slay us, their damage increases. With shinier and shiner weapons hack our brothers to pieces. And it never ceases, but you, oh venomous kin, have taken their sinister practice within. Betrayed your own skin, the thought of it sickens. You stand there so proud as your mother lays stricken, sit there self righteoussly praising their name, protesst despite me, blasphemous claims, blasting such shames,such sordid disgrace, such audacity showing your sickening face, no son of mine, oh cursed womb, no son, oh no son... 6. Dust Settles Dust settles, the flakes fall like petals. The shock sinks in and it shatters my scattered mettle. Hear myself screaming from somewhere inside in a well, "Father, father" again to a crater I yell. Can't tell if the room is collapsing, don't care. My world falls around me, smell of sulphur fills the air, feel myself falling through a pitch black cavity. My heart turns to sand and falls with sudden gravity. "Get out, get out"! now mother is screaming. "I never want to ssee you again", please be dreaming. This couldn't have happened, no life could so vicious. She pushes me crying, I do as she wishes. Outside and already the villagers have started flocking. "Is everything alright?", "That sound was so shocking!" I push through the crowd, and on out into the night, running through streams of tears to escape their sight. Without thinking, I'm heading to the home that I've built, need to be alone with my thoughts, alone with my guilt. The blood I've spilt with the carelessness of actions, Couldn't see the consequences through my own satisfaction. I should have forseen, I could've cushioned the blow, maybe little by little I should have let the world know, but it's too late now, the whole village knows and they'll see only evil, won't begin to understand. Too scared to try, they won't even bother, and my dream for a peace between people dies with my father. I'll go down in history, infamous creep, shame of my people, the collective black sheep. My name will mean coward and traitor and heathen, a curse so low none will ever sink beneath and any hope there was I've preempted thereby as they steel themselves not to be tempted like I . My friend's fast asleep, I'm staring at the ceiling, thoughts race like mine carts, numb to all feeling. The words that I've spoken, I will never forgive. Now my spirit is broken, what reason left to live? I wish that I could tell you, let you know how it stung, but you'd hear only hisses, can't fathom our tongue. So I'll suffer alone where I can never belong, you'll guess by my movements that something is wrong. I'll sit in the corner, no reason to move, and never again be the creeper you once knew. You'll wonder what's happened, I can never explain. Cause how could a human ever understand this pain? How callous and quickly our plans can unfurl. I was foolish to think I could heal this cruel world The voices scream treason, I'm praying for sleep. Now I know the real reason that creepers gotta creep. 7. Tear Them Down Here, my brothers! At last we have caught the terrible works that the traitor has wrought! Who seeks to undo that for which we have fought! Fraught with self-loathing, lover of naught! Here are the buildings that treason begot! A testament of hatred, of devilish thought! Let him now pay! let the lesson be taught! Show him how angry, how hurt and distraught! What to do with these hideous mounds of evil? We'll tear them down! Totems to the betrayal of our people! We'll tear them down! What have we here? A redstone contrivance! A cannon and railway, what vile connivance! Against all our warnings, a netherworld portal, whence blackness will come and slay all us mortals! Go and destroy these misguided endeavours! Go and your names shall live on forever! This is the reason Notch gave you your powers, to use them here in our kind's darkest hour! Notch is outraged, he must be appeased! Watch their world blaze, Great Notch will be pleased! What to do with these blemishes on the landscape? We'll tear them down! Evil works of the creeper who brought this land rape! We'll tear them down! Blast down the towers, the statues and smelters, the castles and railways and unholy shelters! Blast down the pyramids, lodges and docks, the uprooted trees, the looted blue rocks! Polluted redstone, from deep in the planet! Blast brick and sand, blast cobble and granite! Strike down this disease, yea bring on the cure! We'll show you, Great Notch, that our love still endures! Notch is outraged, he must be appeased! Watch their world blaze, Great Notch will be pleased! We'll tear them down! 8. Have Mercy I run to the window as the sound of explosions awaken me, they're shakin' me around like the ocean. A sky of black and sea of green, sweeping through with haste. A gigantic grief has gathered laying all my world to waste. Cheering as they're searing all our town until it's barren, they show up and blow up like zerg infested Terrans. I'm swearing in terror as they're setting in upon me, closing in around us like a surging siege of zombies. My accomplice awakes to the blasts and the sizzles. If he's caught the mob will blow him to fine bloody drizzle. I'm on the job, bricks are lobbed, adrenaline throbs, I stifle my sobs, twist the knob and cry out to the mobs. "This is all madness, please stop now I implore you! I'm here at your mercy, and I am begging before you! Tonight I've lost my father, will you take as well my home? Leave me to grieving for my family alone!" There's the traitor! Creator! Creep hater, he'll bring on the flood! Killed his father! Ex-father! The son is drowning in his blood! So please have mercy. My house begins quaking to the rumbling of thunder as its very foundations start to tumble out from under. As creeper after creeper charges up and collides I pray in silence for survival of the friend I've left inside. As my home's being blown I am thrown to the ground, through rumbling of crumbling my screaming is drowned. My home becomes a flash, and some ash is it's replacement. I pray he made a dash for it, escaped out through the basement. The ceiling caves in, it's a terrible omen. The house is collapsing, but at the very last moment a form staggers out as the building blows up. All eyes lock on and a sizzle goes up. There's the traitor! Creator A crater waiting to be made! Stole our child! Defiled! Reviled and ready for a creeper grenade! So please have mercy. "We'll show no mercy!" No time to think, only for my action, I use the distraction, dig my feet in for traction, tear from my guards, and I run to his side. Then a wave of silence, the hissing subsides. All eyes are watching to discern if I bluff, there's a murmur of anger, of "enough is enough", but no onne steps forward, not one will advance. To kill one of ours? it's not worth the chance. Even bringing this most heinous being to the reaper couldn't make up the shame of murdering a creeper. The teachings that damned me are now our salvation, at least while I stand beside him in probation. I stare down the crowd in a terrifying standoff when out cries the shaman in a voice like Gandalf "Make way, make way, gather round and heed, I shall make this wayward child answer for his deeds!" 9. It's All Coming Down Stand aside, let justice be done, we must punish the cajoling and controlling one! For none shall run from the will of Great Notch, therefore we must be vigilant and keep close watch! Notch will forgive you your misguided urges, in time you'll repent and your darkness be purged with his holiest of wills your path shall converge, if you stand aside from this wretched scourge! Their darkness stretches out from equator to meridian, their hearts are cold as ice, yea and harder than obsidian. Stand aside now, just repent and be forgiven, let the evil that's infecting our beloved land be driven. It's up to us creepers, that's the word from above. Would you deny Great Notch when he's shown you such love? For if He thinks us too weak to heed his call he'll bring down a fire upon us all! Stand to the side, I demand, now abide. You will not be alone, Look to Notch and atone. And this one will be blown to the sun, he'll be thrown, for until we've begun and his will will be done, you must stand to the side, I demand, now abide. You will not be alone, Look to Notch and atone. And this one will be blown to the sun, he'll be thrown, for until we've begun and his will will be done, You must make him a foe, for he takes and he goes, and he'll break what you chose to forsake, but you know that your fate is with us. Do not hate or distrust. To be great it is thus, detonate as you must. If you make him a foe, for he takes and he goes, and he'll break what you chose to forsake, but you know that your fate is with us. Do not hate or distrust. To be great it is thus, detonate as you must and Now it's all coming down. Now I'm holding my ground. Stand back you liar, warmonger and herder. You wanna kill him, it's gonna be a double murder. It's time these people saw through your deceptions. Here's an idea and it's ready for inception: I've seen the light of Notch and you're about to get filled in. From caves to the buildings we're all Notch's children. We're both being killed when we could just be joined. Humans and creepers, two sides of the great coin. You fear and attack what you don't understand, hate what you can't command, creeper or man sheep in your hands, they heed your every word. Truth blurred to absurd, lies heard and fear stirred. The price we've incurred, our terrible score? Children killing children, surrenders ignored, piles of gore, families sore, as the bodies hit the floor, and I'm sick of the war machine pouring out more. Why do we explode? Well along my explorations I've pondered much and settled on a different explanation. A creeper can destroy, give his life in detonation for the things in life that go above our selfish preservation. A defiant proclamation, new civilization, an inspiration for the next generation of creations. And here's some information for your precious congregation, why you blow is up to you, it's not predestination. With rationalizations he coerces your cremation, uses cruel disintegration to deploy assassinations of the so-called infestation, but it's my interpretation that this great annihilation is a sick glorification of the shaman of our nation. The true abomination who seeks his preservation, Notch's true humiliation. Now it's time for liberation, for the people's education, the real narration, not your murderous misquotation! Now it's all coming down. Now I'm holding my ground. "Enough of this blasphemy, I say stand aside!" Your ways are the past for me, enough men have died! "I only serve Notch, I bring you his word!" Your translation's botched, or else you misheard. "The humans must pay, must leave us and fly home!" We were never alone, we must share the biomes. "How dare you question our great mission's honor?" You rip your soldiers from their mother's spawner! "Enough I say! Take him away! Or Notch will rain fire on all who disobey! Don't just stand there! sieze him you morons! Don't listen to the sermons he pours on! Still they're standing, stupid beasts! Listen to Notch's priest! You sickening sinful scum! Sniveling sss... 10. The World Of Your Dreams Sometimes it's hard to have a sense of perspective, always caught up in your daily objectives, selectively weighed down by whatever your strife is, never step out to check out just crazy life is. But a little crazy can be just what we need in these uncertain times to know how to proceed. To shake the world from wherever it's descended, even if it's not in the way that you intended. Much has happened since the night I was killed, and part of me wishes I could be part of it still. From the shaman's madness some creepers have awoken, when they watched him kill a creeper it's like the spell was finally broken. With unspoken horror, knew they'd been wrong. Been fighting for a phantom, been lied to along. They looked up and prayed for Notch to make them strong, we heard their words, stirred and answered with a song: It's in the way that you live each day. You're running off and running out of time. When sunlight beams make the world of your dreams. We're looking on and watching it shine! My knowledge was gone, they were angry at the theft of it, but learned from my example, or from what was left of it. They grabbed up their picks and began to build. Perfected my tricks and sharpened their skills. No longer would they pass their lives in caves sitting idle, or devote themselves to vengeance and revere the suicidal. They mingled with the humans and they built by their side, and every day the word spread far and wide. Each day travels further as the revolution grows, institutions of confusion are abandoned and opposed. And the first thing they built in this world that they'd begun? A statue of my friend and I that glitters in the sun. It's in the way that you live each day. You're running off and running out of time. When sunlight beams make the world of your dreams. We're looking on and watching it shine! So I say to my people, if you ever get upset, just remember Notch's words from the first time we met: "To stand up for what's right takes power of will, and to do it alone takes more courage still. But look deep inside you, past the display, I'll be there to guide you and show you the way. For a piece of my soul goes in every block, every human and creeper, each chicken and rock." I knew he was right, like I'd know all along It was Notch that had come when I had to be strong. His voice is inside us whenever we're doubting. Just harder to hear it if we never stop shouting. It's in the way that you live each day. You're running off and running out of time. When sunlight beams make the world of your dreams. We're looking on and watching it shine!