[Intro — crooked dusty breakbeat enters with no count-in; deep rounded bass answers a detuned electric-piano figure; reversed guitar fragments flicker at the edges; faint tape-speed wobble; atmosphere feels warm but unstable] [Female lead — deep clear contralto, intimate and composed, dry center placement, restrained vibrato, melodic phrasing slightly behind the drums] I knew the way you’d look at me Before you ever did Like I’d already watched your mouth Decide what not to give [Verse 1 — sparse arrangement; bass remains melodic; tiny backwards fragments appear between vocal phrases; no lush pad] You crossed the room, I knew the distance Knew where you would stop Knew you’d leave your glass untouched And turn it when you talked Nothing about you should feel familiar Still, I know the shape Of every second right before You finally say my name [Pre-Chorus — drums lose several hits; electric piano becomes slightly more detuned; one bent guitar note hangs too long] Maybe I dreamed this wrong Maybe it hasn’t happened yet But I remember you Better than someone I just met [Chorus — the entire instrumental subtly bends out of tune around the singer while lead vocal stays perfectly centered and in tune; bass deepens; dusty drums become heavier but not louder; LOW VOCAL DOUBLE appears only on final words; HIGH GHOST HARMONY briefly shadows “before”] I wanted you Before I knew you [high harmony: before] Missed something I never had Tell me why Your hands feel like a memory [low double: memory] I wanted you Before I knew you And that’s the part I can’t explain [Post-Chorus — vocal cuts; instruments drift back toward pitch unevenly; reversed guitar plays a fragment resembling the chorus melody; short dub echo] [Verse 2 — drums return slightly altered; worn keyboard figure has one changed note; vocal remains calm while production grows stranger] You say something I almost answer Before you finish it I know exactly when you’re leaving Before you even shift There’s a mark beside your wrist I swear I’ve seen somewhere But every place I search my mind There’s nothing waiting there [Pre-Chorus — bass briefly disappears; organ haze enters for first time; tape warble increases] Maybe I dreamed this wrong Maybe I’m remembering ahead But when you get this close My body knows you instead [Chorus — stronger pitch-bending effect around unchanged centered vocal; bass slides between notes; strategic stacked vocals remain sparse] I wanted you Before I knew you [high harmony: before] Missed something I never had Tell me why Your hands feel like a memory [low double: memory] I wanted you Before I knew you And that’s the part I can’t explain [Bridge — drums disappear; bass becomes isolated pulses; reversed vocal-like texture moves across stereo field without forming words; electric piano drifts increasingly out of tune; lead remains clean, dry and unwavering] If this is the first time Why does it feel late? Why do I know what happens Right before you change your face? Why does leaving you tonight Feel like making the same mistake? [brief silence] Don’t tell me we just met [Final Chorus — beat returns crooked, heavy and spacious; strongest instrumental detuning of song; vocal remains completely stable; low double and one high harmony overlap imperfectly around key phrases] I wanted you Before I knew you [high harmony: before] Missed something I never had Tell me why Your hands feel like a memory [low double: memory] I wanted you Before I knew you Maybe I’ve been here before [Outro — drums fall away unevenly; bass repeats two-note figure; keyboard loop continues degrading; reversed guitar fragment returns; final instrumental pitch drift never fully resolves]
