PLAY IT BACK [Intro] You let the silence finish. I usually get there first. [Verse 1] You pull a chair across from mine. No window. Nothing tells the time. I give the name that opens doors. You lay it down beside yours. You ask me what comes after that. I say the world. You settle back. I’ve never had to get this far. They usually know their part. [Pre-Chorus] I make a joke. You let it land. Then leave the question where it stands. [Chorus] Play it back. Leave the silence in. Let it run where the laughter thins. I called it winning. Don’t turn away. I had a reason. Let me explain. [Verse 2] The door shuts. I’m already gone. You leave the picture running on. I never stayed to see the room. You find the part I hurry through. A mouth begins to say my name. I reach to stop the reel again. You watch my hand. I let it play. [Pre-Chorus] I bare my teeth. You don’t retreat. The little motor keeps the beat. [Chorus] Play it back. Leave the silence in. Let it run where the laughter thins. I called it winning. Don’t turn away. I had a reason. Let me explain. [Bridge — Bare voice over ticking] I know what fear looks like. I know where anger goes. You sit with empty hands. I have no move for those. You slide the water closer. I leave it where it stands. Then halfway through my answer, I take it in both hands. [Final Chorus — Pulse returns] Play it back. Leave the silence in. Past the place where I begin to grin. Let it run. Stay till it ends. I had a reason— [One beat of silence] I lost my place. [Outro] You let the silence finish. This time, I let it stay.
