Passport to Yesterday by Vladust

[Intro - instrumental]

[Dry electronic drum machine, analog synth bass, muted poly-synth chords]

[Verse 1 - low, rhythmic, conversational]
I found my passport in a drawer,
A little blue book I don't need anymore.
The pages smelled of dust and rain,
And every stamp brought back a different name.
London in winter, Rome in July,
A hotel in Paris beneath a violet sky.
A train through Vienna, a night in Madrid,
So many things I thought I'd never forget.
There was a photograph between the pages,
Twenty-three and dressed in white.
I hardly recognized the woman there,
But I remembered how she looked that night.

[Refrain - restrained, low contralto female vocals]
Passport to yesterday,
Take me where the old roads run.
Passport to yesterday,
Show me who I was before the years had come.
Every stamp, another story,
Every border, another life.
I can read the places I have been,
But I can't go back inside.

[Verse 2 - steady, controlled]
There was a number written in blue ink,
A telephone I don't remember now.
There was a name beside it,
But I don't know why I ever wrote it down.
A ticket fell out from between the pages,
One-way, dated nineteen-eighty-four.
I remember buying it at midnight,
I don't remember what I was running for.
Maybe I was looking for a city
Where nobody knew my name.
Maybe I was looking for a stranger
Who would never ask me to stay.

[Instrumental Section - instrumental only, No vocals]

[Sequenced analog bass, warm poly-synth chords, short portamento synth lead]

[Verse 3 - low, reflective, controlled]
I closed the book before the morning,
Put the photograph back in its place.
The girl inside it kept on smiling,
As if nothing ever changed.
I wanted to tell her what I know now,
But the photograph could never hear.
Some roads are only meant for travelling,
Some memories belong to another year.

[Main Refrain - firm, low contralto female vocals, same register]
Passport to yesterday,
Take me where the old roads run.
Passport to yesterday,
Show me who I was before the years had come.
Every stamp, another story,
Every border, another life.
I can read the places I have been,
But I can't go back inside.

[Bridge - low spoken contralto female voice, dry, intimate]
I kept the passport.
I kept the photograph.
I kept the photograph.
I kept the names.
But somewhere along the way...
I stopped being that woman.

[Final Refrain - rhythmic, low contralto female vocals, controlled]
Passport to yesterday,
You can stay inside the drawer.
I don't need another ticket,
I don't need those roads anymore.
Passport to yesterday,
Let the old pages turn.
Somewhere between the places I've forgotten,
I finally learned.

[Final lines - low, almost conversational]
Yesterday has many borders.
I don't live there anymore.

[Outro - instrumental]

[Analog synth bass continues beneath a restrained sequenced motif. Short electronic lead repeats the main melodic phrase, then fades.]

3280/7500

[108 BPM in D minor. Simple early-80s drum-machine pattern, dry short kick, short electronic snare, closed hi-hats, minimal fills. Analog synth bass with a steady syncopated pattern. Warm poly-synth chords, restrained sequenced synth motif and a short melodic electronic lead. Low contralto female vocal register, controlled rhythmic phrasing. No backing vocals.] [Intro - instrumental] [Dry electronic drum machine, analog synth bass, muted poly-synth chords] [Verse 1 - low, rhythmic, conversational] I found my passport in a drawer, A little blue book I don't need anymore. The pages smelled of dust and rain, And every stamp brought back a different name. London in winter, Rome in July, A hotel in Paris beneath a violet sky. A train through Vienna, a night in Madrid, So many things I thought I'd never forget. There was a photograph between the pages, Twenty-three and dressed in white. I hardly recognized the woman there, But I remembered how she looked that night. [Refrain - restrained, low contralto female vocals] Passport to yesterday, Take me where the old roads run. Passport to yesterday, Show me who I was before the years had come. Every stamp, another story, Every border, another life. I can read the places I have been, But I can't go back inside. [Verse 2 - steady, controlled] There was a number written in blue ink, A telephone I don't remember now. There was a name beside it, But I don't know why I ever wrote it down. A ticket fell out from between the pages, One-way, dated nineteen-eighty-four. I remember buying it at midnight, I don't remember what I was running for. Maybe I was looking for a city Where nobody knew my name. Maybe I was looking for a stranger Who would never ask me to stay. [Instrumental Section - instrumental only, No vocals] [Sequenced analog bass, warm poly-synth chords, short portamento synth lead] [Verse 3 - low, reflective, controlled] I closed the book before the morning, Put the photograph back in its place. The girl inside it kept on smiling, As if nothing ever changed. I wanted to tell her what I know now, But the photograph could never hear. Some roads are only meant for travelling, Some memories belong to another year. [Main Refrain - firm, low contralto female vocals, same register] Passport to yesterday, Take me where the old roads run. Passport to yesterday, Show me who I was before the years had come. Every stamp, another story, Every border, another life. I can read the places I have been, But I can't go back inside. [Bridge - low spoken contralto female voice, dry, intimate] I kept the passport. I kept the photograph. I kept the photograph. I kept the names. But somewhere along the way... I stopped being that woman. [Final Refrain - rhythmic, low contralto female vocals, controlled] Passport to yesterday, You can stay inside the drawer. I don't need another ticket, I don't need those roads anymore. Passport to yesterday, Let the old pages turn. Somewhere between the places I've forgotten, I finally learned. [Final lines - low, almost conversational] Yesterday has many borders. I don't live there anymore. [Outro - instrumental] [Analog synth bass continues beneath a restrained sequenced motif. Short electronic lead repeats the main melodic phrase, then fades.]

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