The One Who Stayed

power ballad, 80s orchestral pop, cinematic ballad

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V5.5

The One Who Stayed

[Intro — solo piano warm and unhurried, strings enter bar 4 soft]
[piano warm intro x8]
[strings enter bar 4 soft]
[acoustic guitar underneath bar 6]
[cymbal brush bar 8]

[Verse 1 — female lead intimate and conversational, piano and guitar only]
Some people show up
when the lights are on
and the room is full
and the music is loud
and the numbers look good
And some people show up
when the room is empty
and the stream is quiet
and nobody is watching
the watcher
Lacey was the second kind
The kind that does not
make a thing of it
does not announce it
does not ask
what she gets in return
She just stayed
When Eric Brandt
was in a cell
still boosting spirits
from the inside
Lacey saw it
When Ah-bah-deh
stood on that sidewalk
with no address
and no guarantee
and took that car
coming at him
and did not move
Lacey saw it
When Otto the Watchdog
showed up
with his camera
and his unbreakable need
to say
the thing
out loud
Lacey saw all of it
and she never
looked away

[Chorus — strings swell, soft kick enters, warm and full]
She never left us behind
not one of us
not once
When the road got long
she walked it with us
When the night got dark
she kept the light on
Lacey stayed
when staying
was the whole gift
Lacey stayed
and we are here
because she did

[Verse 2 — warmer, more names, the community gathers around her]
TheHumbledSquid
who finds the words
when words seem impossible
saw it
Un-Kun-TROLL-Able
who shows up
one hundred percent
every time
saw it
Jenny Jones
rocking on
through every season
saw it
nevaeh
cooking meatballs
philosophizing dinosaurs
never really leaving
saw it
The whole Friendsincode family
saw the same thing
at different times
in different ways
and felt the same thing
that feeling
of being in a room
where someone
decided
that you were worth
staying for
not because
you earned it
not because
you performed
just because
you showed up
and Lacey
decided
that was enough
That has always been
more than enough

[Chorus — fuller, choir begins to enter underneath, warm and rising]
She never left us behind
not one of us
not once
When the road got long
she walked it with us
When the night got dark
she kept the light on
Lacey stayed
when staying
was the whole gift
Lacey stayed
and we are here
because she did

[Bridge — full orchestra, French horn enters, most emotional moment]
There is a kind of person
the world does not write songs about
often enough
Not the loudest voice
Not the biggest number
Not the one
who made the headline
Just the one
who was there
every time
you needed someone
to be there
Eric Brandt
is in a cell
still fighting
still never negging out
because people like Lacey
make that possible
Ah-bah-deh
stood on that sidewalk
and went to the end
because he knew
the community
would hold the other end
of the rope
Otto the Watchdog
said the thing
nobody else
would say
because he knew
someone was listening
who would not
look away
Lacey was always
that someone
The one who held
the other end
of every rope
in every storm
for every person
in this community
who needed
one person
to just
stay

[Final Chorus — every instrument, choir full, French horn wide, full power]
She never left us behind
not one of us
not once
When the road got long
she walked it with us
When the night got dark
she kept the light on
Lacey stayed
when staying
was the whole gift
Lacey stayed
and we are here
because she did
LACEY STAYED
WHEN THE ROOM WAS EMPTY
LACEY STAYED
WHEN THE ROAD WAS LONG
LACEY STAYED
AND THIS SONG
IS THE ONLY WAY
WE KNOW
TO SAY
THANK YOU
FOR NEVER
LEAVING
ANY OF US
BEHIND

[Outro — everything fades to solo piano and one voice, intimate and final]
[choir fades bar 2]
[strings fade bar 4]
[French horn last note bar 5]
[piano and voice alone]
She stayed
She always stayed
[piano final phrase]
[silence]
[for Lacey]

3784/7500

The One Who Stayed [Intro — solo piano warm and unhurried, strings enter bar 4 soft] [piano warm intro x8] [strings enter bar 4 soft] [acoustic guitar underneath bar 6] [cymbal brush bar 8] [Verse 1 — female lead intimate and conversational, piano and guitar only] Some people show up when the lights are on and the room is full and the music is loud and the numbers look good And some people show up when the room is empty and the stream is quiet and nobody is watching the watcher Lacey was the second kind The kind that does not make a thing of it does not announce it does not ask what she gets in return She just stayed When Eric Brandt was in a cell still boosting spirits from the inside Lacey saw it When Ah-bah-deh stood on that sidewalk with no address and no guarantee and took that car coming at him and did not move Lacey saw it When Otto the Watchdog showed up with his camera and his unbreakable need to say the thing out loud Lacey saw all of it and she never looked away [Chorus — strings swell, soft kick enters, warm and full] She never left us behind not one of us not once When the road got long she walked it with us When the night got dark she kept the light on Lacey stayed when staying was the whole gift Lacey stayed and we are here because she did [Verse 2 — warmer, more names, the community gathers around her] TheHumbledSquid who finds the words when words seem impossible saw it Un-Kun-TROLL-Able who shows up one hundred percent every time saw it Jenny Jones rocking on through every season saw it nevaeh cooking meatballs philosophizing dinosaurs never really leaving saw it The whole Friendsincode family saw the same thing at different times in different ways and felt the same thing that feeling of being in a room where someone decided that you were worth staying for not because you earned it not because you performed just because you showed up and Lacey decided that was enough That has always been more than enough [Chorus — fuller, choir begins to enter underneath, warm and rising] She never left us behind not one of us not once When the road got long she walked it with us When the night got dark she kept the light on Lacey stayed when staying was the whole gift Lacey stayed and we are here because she did [Bridge — full orchestra, French horn enters, most emotional moment] There is a kind of person the world does not write songs about often enough Not the loudest voice Not the biggest number Not the one who made the headline Just the one who was there every time you needed someone to be there Eric Brandt is in a cell still fighting still never negging out because people like Lacey make that possible Ah-bah-deh stood on that sidewalk and went to the end because he knew the community would hold the other end of the rope Otto the Watchdog said the thing nobody else would say because he knew someone was listening who would not look away Lacey was always that someone The one who held the other end of every rope in every storm for every person in this community who needed one person to just stay [Final Chorus — every instrument, choir full, French horn wide, full power] She never left us behind not one of us not once When the road got long she walked it with us When the night got dark she kept the light on Lacey stayed when staying was the whole gift Lacey stayed and we are here because she did LACEY STAYED WHEN THE ROOM WAS EMPTY LACEY STAYED WHEN THE ROAD WAS LONG LACEY STAYED AND THIS SONG IS THE ONLY WAY WE KNOW TO SAY THANK YOU FOR NEVER LEAVING ANY OF US BEHIND [Outro — everything fades to solo piano and one voice, intimate and final] [choir fades bar 2] [strings fade bar 4] [French horn last note bar 5] [piano and voice alone] She stayed She always stayed [piano final phrase] [silence] [for Lacey]

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