RADIO STATION 11:11 S2E 6: “Before There Was a Station”

HeavenBound - Debb-ai

R&B, gospel-soul, cinematic

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[INTRO - SOLO PIANO, WARM ORGAN, VERY FAINT VINYL CRACKLE]

MALE:
I remember the night before the radio…

[Pause]

MALE:
There was already music playing.

[VERSE 1]

There was no station
There was no number
No voice hiding inside the wires

Just an old apartment
A lamp in the corner
And rain tapping softly on the glass

I was younger then
Before I knew her
Before I knew the child
Before I knew the name

I sat beside a radio
That wasn’t even plugged in
And heard somebody calling through the rain

[PRE-CHORUS]

I thought I was dreaming
I thought I was alone
Then somebody whispered:

VOICE:
Come home.

I asked, “Where?”

VOICE:
You know.

[CHORUS]

Before there was a station
Before there was 11:11
Before the photograph
Before the telephone

There was a voice in the darkness
Singing something I knew
And when I closed my eyes
I swear I heard you

Before there was a station
There was already a song
And somehow I had heard it
My whole life long

[VERSE 2]

The radio began to glow
Though nothing was connected
The clock beside it read 11:11

I reached toward the dial
And saw a little reflection
But the face inside the glass wasn’t mine

It was a child
Standing in the hallway
Holding a silver key

The child looked at me
And said:

CHILD:
You’re late.

I said, “For what?”

CHILD:
For remembering me.

[PRE-CHORUS]

Then the woman appeared
Behind the child
And tears were running down her face

She said:

WOMAN:
You promised you’d come back.

I said, “I never left.”

She whispered:

WOMAN:
That’s what you always say.

[CHORUS]

Before there was a station
Before there was 11:11
Before the photograph
Before the telephone

There was a voice in the darkness
Singing something I knew
And when I closed my eyes
I swear I heard you

Before there was a station
There was already a song
And somehow I had heard it
My whole life long

[BRIDGE - ORGAN SWELLS, PIANO BECOMES SPARSE]

[Radio static]

MALE:
Who turned on the radio?

WOMAN:
You did.

MALE:
When?

WOMAN:
The first time.

MALE:
I don’t remember.

WOMAN:
You weren’t supposed to.

MALE:
Why?

[Long silence]

WOMAN:
Because if you remembered the beginning…

…you’d remember the ending.

[Music drops]

MALE:
What ending?

WOMAN:
Mine.

[Silence]

CHILD:
Not hers.

[Deep organ chord]

CHILD:
Yours.

[Music builds]

[FINAL CHORUS]

Before there was a station
I was already there
Before I knew your voice
You were already everywhere

Before the clock could tell us
Where the beginning ends
I heard myself calling
From somewhere I hadn’t been

Before there was a station
There was only you and me
And a child with a silver key
Standing where the future used to be

[FINAL REFRAIN]

Maybe the station didn’t find us
Maybe we found it first

Maybe every song I’ve heard
Was something I sang before I learned the words

Maybe time isn’t broken…

Maybe I am

[OUTRO - SOLO PIANO]

[Radio static slowly fades in]

VOICE:
Do you remember now?

MALE:
Yes.

VOICE:
Then say it.

MALE:
Say what?

VOICE:
Who was listening to the first broadcast?

[Pause]

MALE:
I was.

VOICE:
No.

[Silence]

VOICE:
You were broadcasting.

[CLICK]

[END]

3092/7500

[INTRO - SOLO PIANO, WARM ORGAN, VERY FAINT VINYL CRACKLE] MALE: I remember the night before the radio… [Pause] MALE: There was already music playing. [VERSE 1] There was no station There was no number No voice hiding inside the wires Just an old apartment A lamp in the corner And rain tapping softly on the glass I was younger then Before I knew her Before I knew the child Before I knew the name I sat beside a radio That wasn’t even plugged in And heard somebody calling through the rain [PRE-CHORUS] I thought I was dreaming I thought I was alone Then somebody whispered: VOICE: Come home. I asked, “Where?” VOICE: You know. [CHORUS] Before there was a station Before there was 11:11 Before the photograph Before the telephone There was a voice in the darkness Singing something I knew And when I closed my eyes I swear I heard you Before there was a station There was already a song And somehow I had heard it My whole life long [VERSE 2] The radio began to glow Though nothing was connected The clock beside it read 11:11 I reached toward the dial And saw a little reflection But the face inside the glass wasn’t mine It was a child Standing in the hallway Holding a silver key The child looked at me And said: CHILD: You’re late. I said, “For what?” CHILD: For remembering me. [PRE-CHORUS] Then the woman appeared Behind the child And tears were running down her face She said: WOMAN: You promised you’d come back. I said, “I never left.” She whispered: WOMAN: That’s what you always say. [CHORUS] Before there was a station Before there was 11:11 Before the photograph Before the telephone There was a voice in the darkness Singing something I knew And when I closed my eyes I swear I heard you Before there was a station There was already a song And somehow I had heard it My whole life long [BRIDGE - ORGAN SWELLS, PIANO BECOMES SPARSE] [Radio static] MALE: Who turned on the radio? WOMAN: You did. MALE: When? WOMAN: The first time. MALE: I don’t remember. WOMAN: You weren’t supposed to. MALE: Why? [Long silence] WOMAN: Because if you remembered the beginning… …you’d remember the ending. [Music drops] MALE: What ending? WOMAN: Mine. [Silence] CHILD: Not hers. [Deep organ chord] CHILD: Yours. [Music builds] [FINAL CHORUS] Before there was a station I was already there Before I knew your voice You were already everywhere Before the clock could tell us Where the beginning ends I heard myself calling From somewhere I hadn’t been Before there was a station There was only you and me And a child with a silver key Standing where the future used to be [FINAL REFRAIN] Maybe the station didn’t find us Maybe we found it first Maybe every song I’ve heard Was something I sang before I learned the words Maybe time isn’t broken… Maybe I am [OUTRO - SOLO PIANO] [Radio static slowly fades in] VOICE: Do you remember now? MALE: Yes. VOICE: Then say it. MALE: Say what? VOICE: Who was listening to the first broadcast? [Pause] MALE: I was. VOICE: No. [Silence] VOICE: You were broadcasting. [CLICK] [END]

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