[Intro] [Bard] Ah—hold it, hold it. My fault. [Crowd laughter] Bass man says I owe him a drink for that one. Two boots, then your hands. Ready? Stomp—stomp. Clap-clap. Again. Stomp—stomp. Clap-clap. There you are. Now you're Parallax. [Verse 1] Heard of a man with a key in his hand? Built him a room where the whole town could stand Talked to the walls when the chairs were bare Said, “One day, friends, you'll all be there” Kept a little ledger underneath his coat Fed it every winter, never spent a note Folks said, “Friend, what're you waiting for?” He'd tap that key and grin at the door [Pre-Chorus] Now you in the back— Don't make me sing alone If you've ever built something Nobody else could know— [Chorus] [Bard] Who kept the key? [Crowd] You kept the key! [Bard] Who fed the fire? [Crowd] You fed the fire! [Bard] Who kept building when nobody came? [Crowd] You did! You did! [Bard] Well, that's what they say... But I never told you his name [Verse 2] He loved like a window with no latch down Never held a heart just to keep it around Left one chair empty, one light burning low Said, “If it comes, let it come. If it goes, let it go” He'd hear one whisper through an old back wall Walk clear around just to prove it at all Wouldn't call a shadow truth 'cause it moved Wouldn't kill the wonder just to call it proved [Pre-Chorus] Now stomp if you've waited Clap if you've changed Raise what you're drinking If you outgrew your name [Chorus] [Bard] Who kept the key? [Crowd] You kept the key! [Bard] Who fed the fire? [Crowd] You fed the fire! [Bard] Who kept building when nobody came? [Crowd] You did! You did! [Bard] Careful now... You still don't know his name [Break] [Band drops to boots and claps] Stomp—stomp. Clap-clap. Stomp—stomp. Clap-clap. [Bard] Funny thing about stories— You tell one long enough, sometimes the pronouns slip. [Verse 3] I kept the ledger. [Crowd murmurs] I kept the coat. I talked to the empty room. I wrote every note. I left that chair there. I walked that wall. I kept the key when there wasn't Any lock at all. [Band stops] [Bard] ...What? [Crowd laughter / cheers] [Bridge] Maybe I knew where the road would bend Maybe I'm learning it night by night with friends Maybe the song gets there before the man Maybe you understand before I understand So if you see me somewhere three towns on Playing this same old beat with the wording wrong Don't tell the room what you think you know Some doors open better when you let 'em go [Final Chorus] [Bard] Who kept the key? [Crowd] YOU kept the key! [Bard] Who fed the fire? [Crowd] YOU fed the fire! [Bard] Who kept building when nobody came? [Crowd] YOU DID! YOU DID! [Bard] Then keep this rhythm if you forget my name— [All] STOMP-STOMP! CLAP-CLAP! STOMP-STOMP! CLAP-CLAP! [Outro] [Bard] We're Parallax. Tip your bartender. We'll be better tomorrow night. [Acoustic guitar misses the final chord] [Bard] ...Eventually.
