[Intro: Cavernous warehouse-techno male lead, alone over the 909 kick] Halloween, ten p.m. Clock in, headset on [Verse 1: Cavernous warehouse-techno male lead, chanting low over the 909 kick and offbeat hats] Minus ten in the freezer and my breath hangs in the air Pallet jack and a headset and her voice is in my ear She says aisle four, slot six, pick two, and I say confirm Aisle seven, slot one, pick nine, and the next one comes in turn Twelve aisles in this building, I could walk them with no light Forty thousand boxes and I know them all by sight Then at midnight she goes quiet and the speaker starts to hiss And the forklifts park themselves and the fans go stiff Then she reads a number that I never heard before Aisle thirteen, and there's frost across a door [Chorus: Female headset voice sung over the acid bass, cavernous warehouse-techno chant under her] Aisle thirteen, slot nine, pick one Say confirm, say it when you're done Aisle thirteen where the cold don't end Pick it up and say confirm again [Verse 2: Cavernous warehouse-techno male lead, pummeling kick, warehouse clanks] Door wasn't there last week, now it's open half a foot Racks inside go back forever and the floor is black as soot First box on the shelf has got my mama's handwriting Second box, my baby shoes, the laces never tied Third box is the jacket that I lost when I was nine Every pick she gives me is a thing I left behind And she says, "Good, you're doing good," and I say confirm And the door behind me closes and the handle doesn't turn [Chorus: Female headset voice sung over the acid bass, cavernous warehouse-techno chant under her] Aisle thirteen, slot nine, pick one Say confirm, say it when you're done Aisle thirteen where the cold don't end Pick it up and say confirm again [Bridge: Cavernous warehouse-techno male lead, sidechain gasp, the whole mix ducking and breathing on the kick] Pick one, confirm Pick one, confirm Last slot at the end of the row Box is just my size and I already know Label on the lid, it's my name and it's my size Dale Mercer, ship tonight, and she reads it to me twice [Verse 3: Cavernous warehouse-techno male lead, acid bass climbing, chanting harder] She says, "Pick one," and the lid is open wide Frost is on the edges and there's room for me inside Says, "You never miss a pick, Dale, you never miss a night" Says, "Say confirm," and the freezer turns off every light [Final Chorus: Female headset voice sung alone, then the 909 kick slams back with the cavernous warehouse-techno chant] Aisle thirteen, slot nine, pick one Say confirm, say it when you're done Aisle thirteen where the cold don't end Pick it up and say confirm again [Outro: Female headset voice, flat and sweet over the last kick, cavernous warehouse-techno hum fading] Order complete Order complete Next picker, clock in [End]
