One Step Late

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V6-WILD

[Verse 1]
Saw her once outside the station,
missed the train I meant to catch on purpose.
Now I'm early where I'm not supposed to be,
just in case she's early too.
One glance and I've lost my footing,
one glance and my good sense went too.

[Verse 2]
Three days later, supermarket,
halfway down the organic aisle, there she was,
comparing labels, then she caught me mid denial.
I bought things I'd never wanted just to queue behind her.
Went home carrying six lemons
and absolutely no idea why.

[Chorus]
I know you, don't ask me how,
always one step late somehow.
Near enough, still too far,
same street, wrong time, there you are.

[Verse 3]
Told myself I came in early
just to get a watch strap changed.
Rearranged my whole damn Thursday,
pretending that's a coincidence.
Kept the receipt from the day we didn't speak,
don't ask me why, I just did.

[Chorus]
I know you, don't ask me how,
always one step late somehow.
Near enough, still too far,
same street, wrong time, there you are.

[Bridge - vocal becomes slightly more intimate, arrangement strips back]
Maybe I've been getting this all wrong,
counting every almost as a sign.
Maybe all I need is half a second
when your half a second falls with mine.

[Brief instrumental lift - 4 bars]
[Main synth motif returns in altered form; syncopated percussion becomes more pronounced, fretless bass answers the melody. Short rising synth figure leads directly into Verse 4.]

[Verse 4]
Lift doors opened, there she was.
One breath. I said hello,
late, after she had done the same.
Doors shut faster than my courage,
left me grinning at the floor.

[Final Chorus - fuller but still crisp]
I know you, don't ask me how,
always one step late somehow.
Near enough, still too far,
same street, wrong time, there you are.

[Outro - 8 bars]
[Voice softly repeats fragments of "one step late" and "there you are" between instrumental phrases, never full belting. Drums progressively drop elements rather than fading into reverb. Analog bass and glassy synth motif remain for the final bars.]

[Final beat]
[Everything stops together except one deliberately late synth note, arriving just after the apparent ending.]

2438/7500

[Intro - 8 bars] [Dry Linn-style drum-machine pattern enters alone, joined by clipped analog synth bass. Glassy synth motif answers in short phrases. Subtle Latin-electro percussion enters after four bars. No atmospheric wash; crisp separation and restrained stereo movement.] [Verse 1] Saw her once outside the station, missed the train I meant to catch on purpose. Now I'm early where I'm not supposed to be, just in case she's early too. One glance and I've lost my footing, one glance and my good sense went too. [Verse 2] Three days later, supermarket, halfway down the organic aisle, there she was, comparing labels, then she caught me mid denial. I bought things I'd never wanted just to queue behind her. Went home carrying six lemons and absolutely no idea why. [Chorus] I know you, don't ask me how, always one step late somehow. Near enough, still too far, same street, wrong time, there you are. [Verse 3] Told myself I came in early just to get a watch strap changed. Rearranged my whole damn Thursday, pretending that's a coincidence. Kept the receipt from the day we didn't speak, don't ask me why, I just did. [Chorus] I know you, don't ask me how, always one step late somehow. Near enough, still too far, same street, wrong time, there you are. [Bridge - vocal becomes slightly more intimate, arrangement strips back] Maybe I've been getting this all wrong, counting every almost as a sign. Maybe all I need is half a second when your half a second falls with mine. [Brief instrumental lift - 4 bars] [Main synth motif returns in altered form; syncopated percussion becomes more pronounced, fretless bass answers the melody. Short rising synth figure leads directly into Verse 4.] [Verse 4] Lift doors opened, there she was. One breath. I said hello, late, after she had done the same. Doors shut faster than my courage, left me grinning at the floor. [Final Chorus - fuller but still crisp] I know you, don't ask me how, always one step late somehow. Near enough, still too far, same street, wrong time, there you are. [Outro - 8 bars] [Voice softly repeats fragments of "one step late" and "there you are" between instrumental phrases, never full belting. Drums progressively drop elements rather than fading into reverb. Analog bass and glassy synth motif remain for the final bars.] [Final beat] [Everything stops together except one deliberately late synth note, arriving just after the apparent ending.]

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