[Short Instrumental Intro] [Bare solo dry kick drum only, like a heartbeat. No vocals.] [Verse 1] [Warm sung lead, rhythmic and smiling] First one on the dance floor, last one out the door, I say yes to bad ideas, then I ask 'em for some more. Got a zipper down my middle like a backstage pass — proof the headliner's in the building, any time you ask. Doctors gave me five good summers — that was nine ago. I'm not greedy. I just want the encore to the encore, though. [Pre-Chorus] [Lifting, hands-up] 'Cause somebody bought my ticket and never saw the show, so I dance for the both of us everywhere I go (everywhere I go) [Chorus] [Full band, euphoric, clean disco-pop hook] I'm the heart of the party and the heart ain't mine (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) Shake it like I stole it... honey, I kinda did (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) There's somebody still drumming on the inside of these ribs, so I throw my hands up higher 'cause I'm raising 'em for him — keep the beat, keep the beat alive [Verse 2] [Sung lead, story deepening but still melodic] Phone went off past midnight like a jackpot with a catch, a voice said, "Son, sit down — tonight we found your match." Strange little word, a match: same thing you strike for fire, and my miracle came screaming up the street in someone's siren. They don't give you names. Just nineteen. Two towns over. Nineteen forever, on a page that no one gets to turn — so I tip like I won the lottery ('cause tell me that I didn't), and I never waste a Saturday. He never got his turn. [Pre-Chorus] [Building] 'Cause somebody bought my ticket and never saw the show, so I scream every lyric to songs he'll never know (he'll never know) [Chorus] [Full band, euphoric, clean disco-pop hook] I'm the heart of the party and the heart ain't mine (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) Shake it like I stole it... honey, I kinda did (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) There's somebody still drumming on the inside of these ribs, so I throw my hands up higher 'cause I'm raising 'em for him — keep the beat, keep the beat alive [Post-Chorus] [Short backing-vocal chant, no extra ad-libs] Whoa-oh-oh, keep the beat alive Whoa-oh-oh, keep the beat alive [Bridge] [Band cuts out: solo dry kick drum only. Lead vocal intimate but sung.] Every March his mother takes the bus from two towns over. She doesn't want my coffee. Doesn't really want to talk. She just asks me, soft as Sunday, "Can I..." and I'm already nodding, and she lays her ear against the zipper, and the kick drum talks. [Instrumental only: two exposed heartbeat kick pulses. No vocals.] And she closes her eyes like she's front row at his concert, twenty years ago, before the world went wrong — and she whispers, "There you are." There he is. He's been here all along. [Final Chorus] [Full band detonates, bright and huge] I'm the heart of the party and the heart ain't mine (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) Shake it like I stole it... honey, I kinda did (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) There's somebody still drumming on the inside of these ribs, and tonight the drinks are on me, 'cause the party's all for him — keep the beat, keep the beat alive (keep the beat, keep the beat alive) [Outro] [Band falls away to solo dry kick drum. Soft lead vocal. No extra ad-libs.] Still here. Still keeping time. [Fade out on solo kick drum]
