RADIO STATION 11:11 S2E 9: “I Was There Before You”

HeavenBound - Debb-ai

cinematic pop, dark theatrical

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[INTRO - MUSIC BOX, SOFT PIANO, DISTANT RADIO STATIC]

CHILD:
You think I was born…

[Pause]

CHILD:
That’s not how it happened.

[VERSE 1]

I was waiting in the hallway
Before anybody came
I knew the house before the windows
I knew everybody’s name

I watched my mother hear the radio
I watched her pick up the phone
I watched the man behind the signal
Before he ever knew my own

They thought I was a child
They thought I needed time
But I’ve been standing at 11:11
Since before the clock could chime

[PRE-CHORUS]

You call it tomorrow
You call it yesterday
I call it every moment
That refuses to stay

[CHORUS]

I was there before you
Before you knew my name
Before the photograph
Before the station came

I was there before you
Before the first goodbye
I watched you build the future
Then watched you ask me why

I was there before you
And I’ll be there when you’re gone
Because somebody has to remember
When everybody else moves on

[VERSE 2]

My mother made her choice that night
She opened up the door
She thought she was creating me
But I had been there before

She gave the station one memory
The memory of her son
And the station learned to recognize him
Before his life had begun

Then the signal started growing
Every voice became a thread
Every person who remembered
Fed another life ahead

[PRE-CHORUS]

You call it a miracle
You call it a curse
But every time you change tomorrow
You rewrite what came first

[CHORUS]

I was there before you
Before you knew my name
Before the photograph
Before the station came

I was there before you
Before the first goodbye
I watched you build the future
Then watched you ask me why

I was there before you
And I’ll be there when you’re gone
Because somebody has to remember
When everybody else moves on

[BRIDGE - MUSIC BOX FADES, LOW ELECTRONIC PULSE]

MALE:
Who are you?

CHILD:
The first memory.

MALE:
That’s not a person.

CHILD:
Neither is time.

MALE:
Where were you born?

CHILD:
In the space between two seconds.

MALE:
Who is your mother?

[Silence]

CHILD:
You are.

[Music stops]

MALE:
That’s impossible.

CHILD:
You still say that.

[Low heartbeat]

MALE:
Then who is the woman?

CHILD:
My mother.

MALE:
And me?

CHILD:
Her son.

MALE:
Then how can I be your mother?

CHILD:
You can’t.

[Pause]

CHILD:
Not yet.

[Music explodes]

[FINAL CHORUS]

I was there before you
But I wasn’t always me
I borrowed someone’s memory
To become somebody’s dream

I was there before you
And now you’re finally near
You spent your whole life looking for me
Because you were the one who put me here

I was there before you
Before the station learned to sing
Before the clock became a doorway
Before the radio had wings

[FINAL REFRAIN]

I remember the beginning
I remember the end
I remember every version
Of the person you became

But there’s one thing I don’t remember…

[Music cuts]

CHILD:
Who was I…

…before I remembered?

[OUTRO - MUSIC BOX RETURNS]

[Radio static]

DJ:
That’s enough.

CHILD:
No.

DJ:
We can’t tell him yet.

CHILD:
Why?

DJ:
Because if he remembers who you were…

[Pause]

DJ:
…he’ll remember who I am.

[Silence]

CHILD:
You mean…

DJ:
Yes.

[Clock ticking]

CHILD:
You’re the father.

[LOUD STATIC]

[END]

3185/7500

[INTRO - MUSIC BOX, SOFT PIANO, DISTANT RADIO STATIC] CHILD: You think I was born… [Pause] CHILD: That’s not how it happened. [VERSE 1] I was waiting in the hallway Before anybody came I knew the house before the windows I knew everybody’s name I watched my mother hear the radio I watched her pick up the phone I watched the man behind the signal Before he ever knew my own They thought I was a child They thought I needed time But I’ve been standing at 11:11 Since before the clock could chime [PRE-CHORUS] You call it tomorrow You call it yesterday I call it every moment That refuses to stay [CHORUS] I was there before you Before you knew my name Before the photograph Before the station came I was there before you Before the first goodbye I watched you build the future Then watched you ask me why I was there before you And I’ll be there when you’re gone Because somebody has to remember When everybody else moves on [VERSE 2] My mother made her choice that night She opened up the door She thought she was creating me But I had been there before She gave the station one memory The memory of her son And the station learned to recognize him Before his life had begun Then the signal started growing Every voice became a thread Every person who remembered Fed another life ahead [PRE-CHORUS] You call it a miracle You call it a curse But every time you change tomorrow You rewrite what came first [CHORUS] I was there before you Before you knew my name Before the photograph Before the station came I was there before you Before the first goodbye I watched you build the future Then watched you ask me why I was there before you And I’ll be there when you’re gone Because somebody has to remember When everybody else moves on [BRIDGE - MUSIC BOX FADES, LOW ELECTRONIC PULSE] MALE: Who are you? CHILD: The first memory. MALE: That’s not a person. CHILD: Neither is time. MALE: Where were you born? CHILD: In the space between two seconds. MALE: Who is your mother? [Silence] CHILD: You are. [Music stops] MALE: That’s impossible. CHILD: You still say that. [Low heartbeat] MALE: Then who is the woman? CHILD: My mother. MALE: And me? CHILD: Her son. MALE: Then how can I be your mother? CHILD: You can’t. [Pause] CHILD: Not yet. [Music explodes] [FINAL CHORUS] I was there before you But I wasn’t always me I borrowed someone’s memory To become somebody’s dream I was there before you And now you’re finally near You spent your whole life looking for me Because you were the one who put me here I was there before you Before the station learned to sing Before the clock became a doorway Before the radio had wings [FINAL REFRAIN] I remember the beginning I remember the end I remember every version Of the person you became But there’s one thing I don’t remember… [Music cuts] CHILD: Who was I… …before I remembered? [OUTRO - MUSIC BOX RETURNS] [Radio static] DJ: That’s enough. CHILD: No. DJ: We can’t tell him yet. CHILD: Why? DJ: Because if he remembers who you were… [Pause] DJ: …he’ll remember who I am. [Silence] CHILD: You mean… DJ: Yes. [Clock ticking] CHILD: You’re the father. [LOUD STATIC] [END]

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