[Verse 1: low rhythmic delivery, unstable images, no intro] Someone has broken the arrangement. A chair is turned against the wall. You say the joke was only harmless, then watch to see who heard it all. Your name is on the guest list. Your face is not the same. I ask if you came here looking. You ask me who to blame. [Chorus: fixed bass pattern, clipped question-and-answer phrasing] West End boys— who gets to decide? West End boys— which side are you on? One of us came with a story. One of us came without. West End boys— keep asking the question. Leave the answer out. [Verse 2: denser question volley, hard consonants] Is that your friend? Is that your cover? Is that your hand around his waist? How much can a man admit before the room calls it a taste? Do you want the truth? Do you want the version? Do you want the clean reply? Which do you choose: the careful lie or the beautiful alibi? [Chorus: same shape, heavier bass] West End boys— who gets to decide? West End boys— which side are you on? One of us came with a story. One of us came without. West End boys— keep asking the question. Leave the answer out. [Verse 3: wider destination imagery, more sustained vowels] From the county line to the hotel lobby. From the chapel steps to the county fair. From the back row at a family wedding to the place where nobody stares. At the gym. At work. At your mother’s table. Your name changes shape in the air. You can cross the whole country and still find the question there. [Chorus: return without resolution] West End boys— who gets to decide? West End boys— which side are you on? One of us came with a story. One of us came without. West End boys— keep asking the question. Leave the answer out. [End]
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