[118 BPM in D minor. Simple early-80s drum-machine pattern, dry electronic drums, short kick, short snare, closed hi-hats, minimal fills. Analog synth bass with a simple syncopated pattern. Sparse poly-synth chords and restrained sequenced synth motifs. Low female vocal register, chest voice, limited vocal range.] [Intro - instrumental] [Simple early-80s drum-machine pattern, pulsing synth bass, short sequenced synth motif] [Verse 1 - low, rhythmic, conversational] I've got a dollar in my pocket, A franc inside my shoe, A little German mark beside it, And a train ticket for two. I've got a passport full of places That I hardly recognize, A photograph with no description, And a city in my eyes. The hotel gives me breakfast, The station gives me rain, Every morning has a different name, Every night becomes a train. [Hook - restrained, rhythmic] Foreign currency, Changing hands and changing me. Different faces, different streets, But the same moon follows me. [Verse 2 - steady, slightly stronger] In Rome I bought a silver bracelet, In Madrid I lost a glove, In Paris I learned that strangers Can sometimes talk about love. A taxi driver in Vienna Told me I should settle down. I laughed and gave him half a story, Then I left before the town. I don't collect souvenirs, I collect the things they mean: A ticket, a matchbook, a hotel key, A face I saw but never kept. [Chorus - firm, rhythmic, same register] Foreign currency, I don't need a home tonight. Every road is temporary, Every border feels alright. Foreign currency, Let the paper change its name. What I carry isn't money, And I never carry shame. [Instrumental Break - instrumental only, no vocals] [Arpeggiated synth sequence, active analog bass, short melodic synth lead] [Verse 3 - calmer, reflective] One day I may stop somewhere Where the trains don't call my name, Where a window stays familiar And the seasons stay the same. But tonight I'm at the airport, Watching airplanes cross the sky. The girl beside me asks me, "Where are you going?" I say, "I don't know. That's why I'm going." [Bridge - low spoken female voice, dry, restrained] A passport has a number. Money has a value. A ticket has a destination. But freedom... has no currency. [Final Chorus - same register, stronger rhythm] Foreign currency, I don't need a home tonight. Every road is temporary, Every border feels alright. Foreign currency, Let the paper change its name. What I carry isn't money, And I never carry shame. [Final Refrain] Different cities, different skies, Different names and different lives. Keep your coins and keep your gold, I've got stories left to hold. [Outro - instrumental] [Sequenced synth motif repeats, bass continues, dry drum machine fades gradually]
