The Seat Beside Me

**The Seat Beside Me** [Intro: bright kalimba hook, syncopated bass, tight drums] [Verse 1] Packed room. One chair. I lay my coat across it. You look. I lift it. You sit. We shift. [Pre-Chorus] Your knee. My knee. We turn with the beat. [Chorus: smooth held notes on “me”, “free” and “stay”] The seat beside me. I kept it free. You pull it closer. Stay here with me. Stay… Stay… [Verse 2] You write your name on my receipt. The pen runs dry. You press through. I trace the dents. You watch my hand. The table shakes. We let it. [Chorus] The seat beside me. I kept it free. You pull it closer. Stay here with me. Stay… Stay… [Instrumental Break: 8 bars, kalimba and muted guitar trade phrases, full groove] [Mirror Bridge, Part 1: voice and kalimba only, same steady tempo] You could stay. I could move. One small chair. Room for two. [Mirror Bridge, Part 2: repeat EXACT vocal melody, bass enters with new warm chords] You could stay. I could move. One small chair. Room for two. [Drum pickup, full groove returns] [Final Chorus: wider harmonies, Nora remains the only singer] The seat beside me. I kept it free. You pull it closer. Stay here with me. [Final Chorus: longer held vowels] The seat beside me. I kept it free. You pull it closer. Stay here with me. [Outro: kalimba motif, bass and soft vocal] Your coat. Next to mine. Stay… [Short instrumental ending] ```