House Lights

[Instrumental Intro] (broken two-step pulse, deep sub, soft spectral chords) [Verse 1] Credits still rolling Half the room already gone A paper cup Under row C Someone left a scarf Across two seats The screen stays bright While the soundtrack fades I wait by the door Until the last couple stands They whisper something I don’t hear Then disappear Into the hallway I take the little broom From behind the curtain And start at the back [Chorus] When the house lights come on Everything changes shape The screen is only fabric The stars are only names I walk the rows While the last song plays When the house lights come on The room becomes a room again [Instrumental Passage] (shuffled future-garage rhythm, warm sub movement, suspended chamber-electronic chords) [Verse 2] Seat fourteen Sticky floor Ticket folded Under somebody’s shoe Half a chocolate bar Still in the wrapper One glove Near the aisle I hold it up For nobody Then place it On the lost-property shelf The projector fan Keeps turning upstairs I can hear it Through the ceiling Screen goes white Then grey Then nothing [Chorus] When the house lights come on Everything changes shape The screen is only fabric The stars are only names I walk the rows While the last song plays When the house lights come on The room becomes a room again [Instrumental Break] (deeper two-step groove, low sub pulse, restrained strings, short electronic motif) [Coda] Tomorrow night Someone else will sit in row C Someone else Will forget the room exists For two hours I’ll stand by the door Wait for the credits Then turn the lights back on [Final Instrumental] (fragmented garage rhythm, soft chamber textures, sub gradually fading)