Room for One More

[Instrumental Intro – engine rhythm, clipped percussion] [Spoken] Move your bag. No, not there. There. Yeah. Room for one more. [Verse 1] Door slides open, two jump down Three climb in before we turn around Blue shirt, lunch tin, market sack Someone’s elbow pressed in my back Driver taps twice on the steering wheel Conductor counts what everybody owes One coin travels hand to hand Nobody asks whose hand it was “Move inside.” “There’s nowhere.” “Move.” So we move. [Pre-Chorus] Knee to knee Bag on bag Stop too hard Everybody grabs One voice complains Two people answer Door swings wide More people there [Chorus] Room for one more Make a little space Shift your shoulder Turn your face Room for one more Pass the fare along If you miss your stop you ride one more song Room for one more No one knows quite how Every morning, same old bus Still finds room somehow [Verse 2] Student sleeps against the glass Woman with tomatoes counts her change Phone rings loud from somebody’s coat Whole row hears half of someone’s day Man in the corner says: “Next stop.” Driver doesn’t hear. He says it again. Too late. Bus pulls off. Half the row starts laughing while he knocks on the door [Pre-Chorus] Knee to knee Bag on bag Horn outside No way back Light turns green Nobody moves Driver sighs We all do too [Chorus] Room for one more Make a little space Shift your shoulder Turn your face Room for one more Pass the fare along If you miss your stop you ride one more song Room for one more No one knows quite how Every morning, same old bus Still finds room somehow [Instrumental Break – bass, guitar, percussion] [Verse 3] Rain starts quick Windows fog Someone wipes a circle with a sleeve Vendor jumps in for two short blocks Sells three waters then has to leave A kid by the door keeps counting bikes Old woman tells him: “Sit down straight.” Conductor shouts the next junction twice Someone says: “Wait, wait, wait!” [Bridge – stripped groove] For ten seconds nobody talks Just engine rain wipers breath Then someone’s ringtone starts and half the bus sings the wrong words [Build] Next stop. Next stop. Next— No, not here. Next one. [Final Chorus] Room for one more Move your bag again Someone’s getting off someone’s getting in Room for one more Pass the fare along Shops roll open before the ride is done Room for one more Door won’t close somehow Driver looks back We all squeeze in It closes now. [Outro] [Spoken] See? Room for one more.