[INTRO — 8 bars] [Male bari-tenor, G2–E4. Low, sly, theatrical. Almost spoken.] Come a little closer There's a secret in the room Something underneath the floorboards Something waking up for you Don't worry about the scratching Don't worry about the grin The wicked little things Have always known how to get in [VERSE 1 — 16 bars] [Swaggering rhythmic delivery. Playful menace.] One lives behind the mirror One sleeps beneath the bed One waits until I'm almost good Then starts talking in my head One likes bad decisions One collects regret One says, "You can quit tomorrow" Like tomorrow ever showed up yet They know my little weaknesses They know where I keep the keys They turn a tiny spark of trouble Into something I can't leave I tell them, "Not tonight." They laugh. They know me better than I do. [HEAVY GROOVE — 16 bars] [Full groove. Dirty, confident, melodic.] Wicked little things Wicked little things Stealing all my good intentions While they're sharpening their wings Wicked little things They don't care what morning brings They'll whisper something terrible And make it sound like spring Wicked little things I should throw them out But every time I lock the door They find another way around [THEATRICAL BREAK — 8 bars] [Strip down. Near-spoken. Deliberate pauses.] There's one in the mirror. One at the door. One says, "You've done this before." [Beat.] I know. [Beat.] That's why I opened it. [RHYTHMIC ASSAULT — 16 bars] [Maximum swagger. Tight, percussive vocal.] They don't come when you call them They come when you're alone They know the hidden staircase To every room you own They don't need an invitation They don't knock twice They slide through the window And rearrange your life One says, "Take another." One says, "Don't be scared." One says, "Nobody's watching." I say, "Are you sure?" [Beat.] They say, "Who cares?" [MEDIEVAL CHAOS — 8 bars] [Playful, mischievous, rapid phrasing.] I've got a little temptation I've got a little shame I've got a little voice that never Answers to its name I've got a crooked conscience I've got a loaded grin And every wicked little thing Knows exactly where I've been [POP HOOK — 16 bars] [Huge, instantly memorable. Theatrical swagger.] Wicked little things Wicked little things They steal your good intentions Then teach them how to sing Wicked little things Oh, they know what trouble brings They'll pull you by the collar While they're laughing in your ear "Come on." Wicked little things I should know better now But every time I shut them up They find another way out Wicked little things Don't look so innocent. [FINAL THEATRICAL PEAK — 16 bars] [Biggest vocal. Aggressive, playful, controlled grit.] I've tried to change the locks I've tried to clean the house Tried to build a better version Of the man I kicked out But somewhere underneath it Where the good boys never go There's a little room still waiting With the curtains pulled down low Maybe they're not demons Maybe they're not cursed Maybe all the wicked little things Are just the parts I learned to hide first Maybe that's the secret. Maybe that's the joke. I spent my whole life fighting them When I could've let them smoke. Wicked little things. Come on out. Let's see what we've got. [OUTRO — 8 bars] [Suddenly intimate and sinister. Almost whispered.] One behind the mirror. One beneath the bed. One standing in the doorway Wearing my face instead. [Pause.] I could tell them all to leave. [Beat.] But they were here first. [Final D minor.]
