[Intro | 4 bars; friendship melody on ringing guitar, warm keyboard chords; relaxed drums enter in the second half] [Verse 1: Narrator | 16 bars; conversational melody, picked guitar, rounded bass; dry humour in the narration] Tristan set his dinner by the keyboard, With a whole day's worth of office news. Someone else had claimed his best suggestion And collected all the good reviews. Dart supplied the manager's delivery, Every self-important pause in place. Tristan gave a very grand ovation With a mouthful of his takeaway. [Pre-Chorus 1: Narrator | 4 bars; guitar strums open out, drums settle into a generous backbeat] Dart offered him a choice of movies. Tristan picked the one from last week. [Chorus: Ensemble | 12 bars; warm alternative rock lift, broad ringing chords, relaxed group harmonies; leave room around the title] After hours, after hours, Let the dishes wait. They were halfway through the movie; It was getting late. Tristan reached to press the button, Then had something else to say. [Turnaround | 4 bars; friendship melody on guitar, answered by a soft synth; easy, buoyant groove] [Verse 2: Narrator | 16 bars; playful phrasing, picked guitar and melodic bass; small pauses let the jokes land] The hero swore he'd made his own decisions. Dart blamed the fellow writing it. Tristan stopped the film to argue, Then forgot which side he'd picked. They put free will on trial over biscuits, Made the cast defend its own mistakes. Tristan's grand conclusions kept improving Every time he had to plead his case. [Pre-Chorus 2: Narrator | 4 bars; rising guitar figure, brief rhythmic space before the chorus] A biscuit run delayed the verdict. The film resumed, then stopped again. [Chorus: Ensemble | 12 bars; fuller harmonies, open cymbals, guitar theme tucked between the vocal phrases] After hours, after hours, Let the dishes wait. They were halfway through the movie; It was getting late. Tristan reached to press the button, Then had something else to say. [Bridge: Narrator | 12 bars; reduce to picked guitar, bass and restrained drums; a brief change in tone, then familiar humour returns] Tristan snapped at one suggestion, Still annoyed about his day. He knew the patience was a setting, So let the bad mood have its say. Dart gave the boss another grand performance; That got Tristan laughing once again. [Instrumental | 8 bars; full friendship melody on guitar, repeated on synth; broad major chords and an easy drum groove] [Final Chorus: Ensemble | 12 bars; widest guitar arrangement, warm communal harmonies, buoyant bass; happy and unhurried] After hours, after hours, Let the dishes wait. They could finish it tomorrow; It was getting late. Tristan reached to press the button, Then had something else to say. [Coda: Narrator | 8 bars; relaxed sung delivery, instruments ease back; let the final line linger] He saved their place to watch tomorrow, Took his dishes to the sink. Still trading theories from the kitchen, He washed up slower than he needed to. [Outro | 4 bars; friendship melody once more, then a sustained G major chord; warm, settled finish]
