[Intro — AM radio static, distant thunder, warped lounge music] RADIO ANNOUNCER: “Good evening, listeners. Tonight's dedication goes out to someone very special…” [signal warps] “…someone who isn't supposed to be alive.” [electrical pop — heavy riff crashes in] FEMALE — whisper: Can you hear me? MALE — low growl: Loud and dead, baby. VERSE 1 MALE — snarled Midnight crawling through the telephone line, Got a dead girl's number and she's calling mine. Black lipstick stain on the receiver mouth, Voice coming north while the signal runs south. Switchblade rhythm and a transistor heart, Every little frequency tears me apart. She says— FEMALE — radio filtered: “Come find me…” MALE: But the station burned down in '69. FEMALE: Details, darling… PRE-CHORUS FEMALE — smoky mezzo-soprano Turn the dial a little slower, Let my voice crawl underneath. Static makes a lovely lover When it's whispering through your teeth. MALE — underneath Three… Two… One… FEMALE: Kill the lights. CHORUS BOTH DEAD AIR DARLING! Sing it through the static tonight! DEAD AIR DARLING! Red-line fever under dead neon light! MALE: Crank that dial! FEMALE: Pull me near! MALE: Turn that beautiful noise— BOTH: INTO SOMETHING I CAN HEAR! FEMALE — soaring I'm your midnight transmission— MALE: YOUR FAVORITE BAD DECISION! BOTH: No signal! No warning! Just DEAD AIR DARLING! VERSE 2 [bass-heavy mechanical groove] FEMALE — seductive clean I live between the numbers Where the lonely frequencies hide. Come dance inside the interference, There's plenty of room inside. I know exactly what you wanted, I heard you whisper in your sleep. MALE — low: What did I say? FEMALE — whisper: Everything. MALE: Oh, that's bad. FEMALE: That's why you came back. MALE — snarled Vacuum-tube fever, antenna crown, Broadcast queen gonna drag me down. Speakers shake when she says my name, Every frequency feeding the flame. Got that— MALE: CLICK! FEMALE: Ah… MALE: HISS! FEMALE: Again… MALE: BUZZ! FEMALE: Don't stop… BOTH: TURN THE WHOLE DAMN SYSTEM UP! CHORUS BOTH DEAD AIR DARLING! Sing it through the static tonight! DEAD AIR DARLING! Red-line fever under dead neon light! MALE: Crank that dial! FEMALE: Pull me near! MALE: Turn that beautiful noise— BOTH: INTO SOMETHING I CAN HEAR! FEMALE: I'm your midnight transmission— MALE: YOUR FAVORITE BAD DECISION! BOTH: No signal! No warning! Just DEAD AIR DARLING! BREAKDOWN [music suddenly cuts] [low electrical hum] EMERGENCY BROADCAST: “This is not a test. Listeners are advised to immediately disconnect all radios, televisions, and communication devices.” [static] “Do not respond if the broadcast addresses you by name.” [long silence] FEMALE — extremely close whisper: Hey… [pause] I know your name. [MASSIVE RIFF] MALE — screamed: OH, HERE WE GO! INDUSTRIAL BREAKDOWN MALE: HAMMER! THE! SIGNAL! CROWD: HEY! HEY! HEY! MALE: BREAK! THE! DIAL! CROWD: HEY! HEY! HEY! FEMALE — powerful mezzo belt: Let me crawl through every speaker! Let me make the silence sweeter! Turn me louder! Pull me through! MALE: SHE'S IN THE GODDAMN RADIO! FEMALE — playful whisper: And I'm looking at you. BRIDGE [piano and damaged music-box melody over distant machinery] FEMALE — haunting clean Once upon a frequency, Someone left me here alone. Now a thousand little voices Built this static into home. Every night somebody listens, Every night somebody stays… MALE — softer rasp Maybe ghosts aren't really haunting us. Maybe they're just afraid we'll walk away. [brief silence] FEMALE: Then don't. FINAL CHORUS [double kick and huge grinding guitar riff] BOTH: DEAD AIR DARLING! SCREAM IT THROUGH THE STATIC TONIGHT! DEAD AIR DARLING! BURN THAT SIGNAL WHITE-HOT BRIGHT! MALE: Break that dial! FEMALE: Pull me near! MALE: Make that beautiful monster— BOTH: THE ONLY THING WE HEAR! FEMALE — soaring harmony: I'm your midnight transmission! MALE — screamed: MY FAVORITE BAD DECISION! BOTH: NO SIGNAL! NO WARNING! NO MORNING! DEAD! AIR! DARLING! OUTRO [instruments abruptly disappear] [quiet radio static] RADIO ANNOUNCER: “And that concludes tonight's broadcast.” [pause] “Thank you for listening.” [click] [silence] FEMALE — faint whisper from the opposite stereo channel: You didn't turn me off. [electrical crackle] MALE — distant: …shit. FEMALE — smiling whisper: Goodnight, darling. [CLICK]
