[Intro: booming drums alone, then castanets, piano and the whole wall of sound] [Verse 1] Six-fifty, and the sun's going down on the block I hear your boots on the steps, and I'm checking the clock You smell like the harbor and the diesel and the rain I'm in the blue shirt with my lunch and my name You tell me which crane jammed and who got yelled at today I tell you there's chili, and the gas bill's paid Then you kiss me on the second step, and I'm out the gate And the bus comes around, and the bus don't wait [Chorus] Ten minutes at the shift change Your boots coming in as mine go out Ten minutes at the shift change Kiss me, baby, make it count That's the whole day, and I'll take it [Verse 2] Hundred thousand letters for a hundred thousand lovers Birthday cards and bills and a postcard from a brother Never read a single one, I write one of my own Every night on my break, and I leave it by the phone You get home to the bed, and it's still warm from me You find my hair on the pillow, and you leave me your tea We've never had a dinner on a weeknight, not one But I've never had a morning where I didn't feel your sun [Chorus] Ten minutes at the shift change Your boots coming in as mine go out Ten minutes at the shift change Kiss me, baby, make it count That's the whole day, and I'll take it [Bridge] People ask me how we do it Like we're missing all the best But I know that man in ten minutes Better than they know theirs, I guess And when Sunday finally comes around We don't set a single clock We just sit there on the second step And let the whole street walk [Verse 3] One night the bus broke down, and I ran the last mile You were sitting on the step with your boots and your smile You'd been waiting on the step for an hour of your sleep Said, ten minutes is ten minutes, and it's mine to keep Then you walked me to the bus, and you wouldn't let go Driver tapped the horn twice, said, I know, I know [Final Chorus: the piano plays the verse melody underneath the chorus, two tunes at once] Ten minutes at the shift change Your boots coming in as mine go out Ten minutes at the shift change Kiss me, baby, make it count Shift change, baby, but we stay the same [Outro: drums, castanets and the wall of sound, one last hit] Six-fifty, and I hear your boots on the stair Ten minutes, baby, and I'm already there [End]
