Venice Sbalorditiva (Still Stunning) 🌊🚦🌉🎭

[Intro — sparse cold mandolin single notes, upright bass pulse slow like footsteps, 52 BPM, instrumental only, 8 bars] [Verse 1 — female vocal only, close-miked contralto, almost spoken, breath between phrases, upright bass pulse underneath, mandolin sparse] My footsteps fill the echo chamber of Venetian walls I step into my own melody creating my own tunes to the echo Until another echo of footsteps interrupts my footsteps I look back and see who's footsteps are echoing behind mine Nobody is there its just silence on the cobblestone and walls [Verse 2 — female vocal only, close-miked contralto, low and intimate, bass pulse continues] I turn back around A glimpse of jet black hair A tall figure in a coat and scarf turning the corner Behind the corner he sings his own melody lulling me into following him [Refrain — female vocal only, contralto, warm and present, bass pulse steadies] Venezia is stunning [Verse 3 — female vocal only, close-miked contralto, slightly more forward, bass pulse quickens slightly to 58 BPM] I round the corner and he is gone His melody fading into the next pathway The labyrinth of Venice leads me deeper Always one corner away from finding him [Verse 4 — female vocal only, close-miked contralto, bass pulse slows to 52 BPM, single warm piano note enters, sparse strings barely audible] Then the labyrinth opens and delivers me to the Ponte dell'Accademia As I walk onto the Ponte dell'Accademia Pink orange and red hues of sunset burn into my memory His image his melody his blue eyes burned in forever Ripples of sunset dancing on the Grand Canal below [Refrain — female vocal only, contralto, warm strings present, piano underneath] Venezia is stunning [Outro — female vocal only, close-miked near whisper, piano and upright bass only, most sovereign delivery of the song] I watch the gondola lovers drift below me on the Grand Canal This time I don't turn away One day that will be us on this water I leave Ponte dell'Accademia at sunset with the hope of finding the kind of love and romance those couples who come together as lovers I will come back to this bridge With him If it is meant to be [Final refrain — female vocal only, contralto, voice and one piano note, long silence after] Venezia is stunning [Outro close — instrumental only, upright bass single note fading, then silence]