Ionko - Rowan (Happy Halloween 2026)

Second year in a row I write a song specially for Halloween, probably one of my favorite made up holidays! Lyrics: There are two of me. One is at the window. One is at the door. Neither - lets - the other - out. Midnight. Midnight. Midnight. Bells - iron tongues in a copper throat. I count the cracks in the ceiling’s shell, and the cracks count back. They wrote my name in a hand that I know, I sign it. I sign it. I understand. I understand nothing at all. Rowan, rowan, bitter red - who hung you burning in my head? Split me! - down the seam of the soul - one half kneels and one half crawls! Dawn - I swear the world is mine - Dusk - he wears my face somehow! Not mad - no! - but more than sane, I see the worm inside the vein - Ring - the - bells - inside - the - brain! And I am losing. Losing. Lost again. Mother, your icon has turned its face. Christ in the corner has learned to leer. Something is wearing my skin like lace stitching its mouth to my inner ear. I make the sign of the cross - and he raises his hand from inside of me. Psyche, Psyche, flutter free the moth is eating the flame inside. Rowan, rowan, ripe and wet the bird that eats you (pause) dies in debt. Split me! - down the seam of the soul one half kneels and one half crawls! Dawn - I swear the world is mine Dusk - he wears my face somehow! Not mad - no! - but less than sane, I see the worm inside the vein Ring - the - bells - inside - the - brain! And I am losing. Losing. Lost again Who speaks? I Who listens? I Who drowns? Both Who wins? Not you. Not you. Not you. Hush - hush - the walls are breathing Hush - hush - the floor is teeth I hold the hand of the one who’s leaving and the one who’s staying underneath. Split me! down the seam of the soul let the wolf have what the wolf has won! Not mad - no! - not mad - not sane I see the worm, I see the vein Ring - the - bells - inside - the - brain and the one who wakes up will not wear my name You may have the body. You may have the name. But tell me one thing before I forget when you speak to the darkness does it answer you or me?