[Intro — Harp plucks against the hum of an old computer] [Spoken, curious] Save? Save what? [Click] [Verse 1 — Playful, crooked rhythm] Save your money, save your soul, Save the pieces, save the whole. Save the date and save your seat, Save the scraps you didn’t eat. Save your breath and save your face, Save a little hiding place. Save the world, but don’t forget To pay the interest on the debt. Somebody’s saving up for later, Someone’s waiting for a savior. Someone’s selling guarantees On a future no one sees. [Pre-Chorus — Bassoon curls around the melody] And every time the screen goes dark, They say I’ve got to start again. But I can see a little mark Beside the place where I’ve just been. [Chorus — Deep groove, baritone sax] Save as… Something I haven’t been. Keep the old file, Let the new one begin. Save as… Not another rescue scene. I don’t have to lose the story Just to change what it means. Oh, don’t forget to save. Don’t forget to save. [Verse 2 — Percussion becomes mechanical] There’s a button marked SALVATION, There’s a fee for activation. There’s a box for proof of labor, And a debt to every neighbor. There’s a counter for the profits, There’s a podium for prophets. There’s a ledger full of blessings With a charge for second guessing. Every character’s been cast To reenact somebody’s past. Every warning gets promoted To a rule nobody voted. [Pre-Chorus — Music cuts to harp] And a little voice behind the wall Says, “You could leave it as it stands.” [Spoken] Could. Interesting word. [Chorus — More forceful] Save as… Something I haven’t been. Keep the old file, Let the new one begin. Save as… Not another rescue scene. I don’t have to lose the story Just to change what it means. Oh, don’t forget to save. Don’t forget to save. [Instrumental — Bassoon and saxophone chase each other through an unstable time signature; sudden silence] [Bridge — Bare vocal, soft analog pulse] I saved a seat for someone Who was never coming back. I saved a little money, Then I spent it filling cracks. I saved a dozen strangers From a fire I didn’t start. I saved the best for later Till I couldn’t find the part. I saved my reputation With apologies I owed. I saved the same old ending Every time the screen reloaded. [Pause] [Spoken, quiet revelation] Oh. I’ve been saving everything Except the changes. [Verse 3 — Warm acoustic rhythm emerges] So I opened up the archive, Didn’t burn a single page. Found the girl behind the costumes, Found the player behind the stage. There were versions built for surviving, There were versions built for war. There were versions who kept giving Till they couldn’t give anymore. I didn’t call them failures. Didn’t drag them to the bin. I just made a little space For who I hadn’t yet been. [Final Chorus — Expansive, triumphant without bombast] Save as… A life I get to live. Not a debt I have to settle, Not a gift I have to give. Save as… With a future left to choose. I can keep what I have learned Without repeating what I lose. Don’t forget to save. Don’t forget to save. [Outro — Harp returns; single note from bassoon] [System voice, same vocalist] Existing file detected. Overwrite? [Pause] [Spoken] No. Save as. [Click] New file created. Filename? [Long pause] [Whisper] Mine. [Soft confirmation chime] [End]
