🟧Lenny Harrow - (1976) Needlelight Apartments - After Hours Alibi [v2bS01]

[Intro: (tight pocket, bass vamp, Rhodes comping, flute hook hinted)]

[Verse 1: (cool, conversational phrasing, behind-the-beat)]
don’t start with that sweet little story, i can hear it before you speak
i know where you’ve been wanderin’, i’ve seen it in your timing all week
you come in dressed like nothin’ happened, like i’m supposed to play it blind
but i’m not lost in your perfume, i’m just quieter than you’d like
i’m not lookin’ for a courtroom, i’m not loadin’ up a fight
i’m sittin’ with the simple fact, and it don’t sit right

[Pre-Chorus: (backing vocals rise, horns punctuate)]
say it plain, no polish, no sideways charm
because the cover you keep reachin’ for is doin’ you harm
the dirty truth don’t vanish, it just waits in the wings
and what you throw out careless
comes back around with strings

[Chorus: (hook opens up, flute and stacks lock in)]
after hours alibi, you say it soft, you say it sweet
but your footsteps talk louder than your mouth does to me
after hours alibi, don’t make me beg for clarity
if you want me here tomorrow
bring the truth back to me

[Verse 2: (bass and drums stay locked, vocal a touch sharper)]
i get it, you like sensation, you like the way the room turns warm
you like the easy hands on you, the little thrill before the calm
and i’m not always made of lightning, i’m not always ready on cue
some days i’m just human, babe
and that’s when you go lookin’ new
but don’t call it an accident, don’t call it fate and fate alone
you chose the door, you chose the ride
then you chose to come back home

[Pre-Chorus: (tighter stacks, horns answer lines)]
i’m not mad, i’m not breakin’, i’m not throwin’ you away
i’m just watchin’ what it does to us
when you dodge what you did today
if you want this to live, then stop feedin’ me fog
say it clean, say it steady
let it land where it falls

[Chorus: (slightly bigger, more insistence)]
after hours alibi, you say it soft, you say it sweet
but your footsteps talk louder than your mouth does to me
after hours alibi, don’t make me beg for clarity
if you want me here tomorrow
bring the truth back to me

[Bridge: (drops to bass, Rhodes, and hats, vocal closer and tired)]
look, i’m not your warden, i’m not your saint
i can’t be everywhere you ache, i can’t be every little want you paint
so if you need to roam, own it
don’t dress it up as fate
because i can forgive a hunger
i can’t live with bait
i’m standin’ in the real now, not the version you rehearse
and i’m tryin’ to see a future
that don’t feel like it’s cursed

[Flute Solo: (flute takes the hook, playful but tense, rhythm never loosens)]

[Guitar Solo: (clean melodic lead, bends and fills, horns stabbing behind phrases)]

[Chorus: (vampy repeat feel, backing vocals layered, lead ad-libs)]
after hours alibi, you say it soft, you say it sweet
but your footsteps talk louder than your mouth does to me
after hours alibi, don’t make me beg for clarity
if you want me here tomorrow
bring the truth back to me

[Outro: (band rides the vamp, flute answers the last horn hits, tight fade)]

3044/7500

[Intro: (tight pocket, bass vamp, Rhodes comping, flute hook hinted)] [Verse 1: (cool, conversational phrasing, behind-the-beat)] don’t start with that sweet little story, i can hear it before you speak i know where you’ve been wanderin’, i’ve seen it in your timing all week you come in dressed like nothin’ happened, like i’m supposed to play it blind but i’m not lost in your perfume, i’m just quieter than you’d like i’m not lookin’ for a courtroom, i’m not loadin’ up a fight i’m sittin’ with the simple fact, and it don’t sit right [Pre-Chorus: (backing vocals rise, horns punctuate)] say it plain, no polish, no sideways charm because the cover you keep reachin’ for is doin’ you harm the dirty truth don’t vanish, it just waits in the wings and what you throw out careless comes back around with strings [Chorus: (hook opens up, flute and stacks lock in)] after hours alibi, you say it soft, you say it sweet but your footsteps talk louder than your mouth does to me after hours alibi, don’t make me beg for clarity if you want me here tomorrow bring the truth back to me [Verse 2: (bass and drums stay locked, vocal a touch sharper)] i get it, you like sensation, you like the way the room turns warm you like the easy hands on you, the little thrill before the calm and i’m not always made of lightning, i’m not always ready on cue some days i’m just human, babe and that’s when you go lookin’ new but don’t call it an accident, don’t call it fate and fate alone you chose the door, you chose the ride then you chose to come back home [Pre-Chorus: (tighter stacks, horns answer lines)] i’m not mad, i’m not breakin’, i’m not throwin’ you away i’m just watchin’ what it does to us when you dodge what you did today if you want this to live, then stop feedin’ me fog say it clean, say it steady let it land where it falls [Chorus: (slightly bigger, more insistence)] after hours alibi, you say it soft, you say it sweet but your footsteps talk louder than your mouth does to me after hours alibi, don’t make me beg for clarity if you want me here tomorrow bring the truth back to me [Bridge: (drops to bass, Rhodes, and hats, vocal closer and tired)] look, i’m not your warden, i’m not your saint i can’t be everywhere you ache, i can’t be every little want you paint so if you need to roam, own it don’t dress it up as fate because i can forgive a hunger i can’t live with bait i’m standin’ in the real now, not the version you rehearse and i’m tryin’ to see a future that don’t feel like it’s cursed [Flute Solo: (flute takes the hook, playful but tense, rhythm never loosens)] [Guitar Solo: (clean melodic lead, bends and fills, horns stabbing behind phrases)] [Chorus: (vampy repeat feel, backing vocals layered, lead ad-libs)] after hours alibi, you say it soft, you say it sweet but your footsteps talk louder than your mouth does to me after hours alibi, don’t make me beg for clarity if you want me here tomorrow bring the truth back to me [Outro: (band rides the vamp, flute answers the last horn hits, tight fade)]

0/500