[Intro] [Subtle vinyl crackle, soft tape hiss] [Soulful 1960s slow string loop begins, accompanied by a low, repeating baritone guitar pluck] [Deep sub-bass pulse drops on the downbeat] [Verse 1] [Gravelly male whisper and detached female alto in tight unison, dry and upfront] Take a step into the corridor Shadows dancing on the hardwood floor You read the text in the morning light But left the meaning in the dead of night Carbon copy of a broken lease Looking everywhere to find some peace But the walls are leaning in too close Whispering secrets to a fading ghost [Chorus] [The loop plays uninterrupted; the drums drop in volume slightly while cavernous dub delay catches the tail of the vocals] Smoke is rising from the concrete crack There is a pathway but you can't go back The ink is leaking on a pristine page Another actor on a narrow stage Keep your head down, keep your collar high Watch the satellites divide the sky [Verse 2] [The loop continues its hypnotic repetition; mono-focused dusty drum break hits harder with a swinging boom-tap rhythm] Check the mirror for a sudden trace A slight distortion on a familiar face They track the motion through an open wire Fueling the engine with a silent fire A silver dollar spinning on the floor You never notice who is at the door The clock is ticking but the hands are still A bitter swallow from a heavy pill [Chorus] [The string loop swells slightly through an underwater filter effect] Smoke is rising from the concrete crack There is a pathway but you can't go back The ink is leaking on a pristine page Another actor on a narrow stage Keep your head down, keep your collar high Watch the satellites divide the sky [Outro] [Drums abruptly drop out, leaving only the deep sub-bass and the cyclical 1960s string loop] [Vocals dissolve into an echoed murmur, repeating and fading out] Can't go back... Keep your collar high... [The baritone guitar pluck plays one final time as the loop steps into an infinite tape delay trail] [Vinyl crackle runs alone for three seconds before a sudden click of silence]
