[Intro – Dry, spoken male vocal, slightly bewildered and matter-of-fact. Sparse electronic percussion ticks beneath a repetitive, two-note analog synthesizer figure. Gradually introduce a pulsing synth bass and tightly gated drum machine.] Well, here we are. Everybody's here. Everybody's got somewhere to be. Nobody's going anywhere. [Verse 1 – Conversational, quirky male vocal with exaggerated rhythmic phrasing. Bouncy, rubbery electric bass drives the groove. Angular, clean electric guitar plays clipped syncopated chords. Mechanical drum machine pattern with tight snare and punchy kick.] There's a man at the corner With a ticket in his hand He's been standing there since Tuesday Says he's got a little plan There's a woman by the window Checking something on her phone She keeps saying she'll be leaving But she hasn't left her home And the fellow at the counter Says the next one's nearly due But the next one's been the next one Since Nineteen Eighty Two [Pre-Chorus – Vocal becomes more animated and rhythmically insistent. Synth bass becomes more prominent. Bright, repetitive keyboard stabs punctuate each line. Drums add syncopated accents.] Uncle, you can get in line Aunt, You can take a number Niece, You can ask how long Nephew, You can ask somebody else! [Chorus – Energetic, catchy, repetitive male vocal with a slightly manic, rhythmic delivery. Layered vocal doubles on the repeated phrases. Full band kicks in with driving electronic drums, prominent melodic synth bass, bright analog keyboard hooks, and choppy new wave guitar.] Everybody's waiting! Everybody's waiting! Waiting for a little something Waiting for a better day! Everybody's waiting! Everybody's waiting! What's everybody waiting for? Nobody seems to say! [Instrumental Break – Eight bars of bouncy synth bass, sequenced analog synthesizers, angular guitar riffs, and tightly programmed electronic percussion. Short, quirky keyboard melody repeats and develops.] [Verse 2 – Return to dry, conversational vocal delivery. Slightly more animated than the first verse. Bass and drum groove remain tight and mechanical. Add little bursts of synthetic keyboard between vocal lines.] There's a sign above the doorway Says the future starts today But the people standing under it Have been standing there all day I bought a clock to watch the time That tells me when to leave I set it ten minutes early So there's time enough to breathe There's a form I need to fill out To explain why I'm delayed But the person taking statements Has been missing half the day [Pre-Chorus – Increasing vocal urgency. Repetitive synth stabs and sharper percussion accents create tension.] Brother, You can check the date Sister, You can check the weather Father, You can ask the time It doesn't make mother better! [Chorus – Full, energetic arrangement. Rhythmic vocal doubles and short backing vocal responses emphasize the repetition.] Everybody's waiting! Everybody's waiting! Waiting for a little something Waiting for a better day! Everybody's waiting! Everybody's waiting! What's everybody waiting for? Nobody seems to say! [Bridge – Instrumentation strips back to a pulsing sequenced bassline, electronic kick, and dry synthetic percussion. Male vocal shifts into rapid-fire spoken delivery, increasingly frantic and eccentric. Each successive phrase becomes more animated. Gradually introduce layers of synthesizer and increasingly busy percussion.] Wait a minute! Wasn't I supposed to be somewhere? Wasn't there something I was doing? Didn't somebody tell me something? I was waiting for a phone call About a thing I can't recall And I was waiting for the weekend But I can't remember why at all! I had a list! I had a plan! I had a number in my hand! Was that the number? Is this the line? Did I miss my turn? Am I doing fine?! [Electronic Breakdown – Abrupt stop. Dry vocal over a repetitive, minimal electronic pulse. Gradually build the synth sequence and mechanical percussion. Vocal becomes increasingly obsessive, with short rhythmic repetitions.] Everybody's waiting... For what? Everybody's waiting... For who? Everybody's waiting... How long? How long? How long?! [Final Chorus – Biggest arrangement of the song. Driving electronic drums, thick pulsing synth bass, bright layered analog synthesizers, angular electric guitar, and energetic vocal doubles. Male lead sounds almost overwhelmed by the repetition, but remains rhythmically precise.] Everybody's waiting! Everybody's waiting! Waiting for a little something Waiting for a better day! Everybody's waiting! Everybody's waiting! What's everybody waiting for?! I think I was waiting... I think I was waiting... [Outro – Instruments gradually drop away until only the repetitive synth pulse remains. Vocal returns to the casual, dry spoken delivery from the intro. Finish with an abrupt electronic cutoff.] Well. That's something, isn't it? Anyway... I'll wait.
