[Intro — immediate slow-burn groove; warm piano sets the rhythm and harmony, joined by rounded bass, soft kick, brushed snare and sparse muted electric guitar; no atmospheric buildup] [Verse 1 — fully sung intimate male baritone, close-mic and natural; unhurried melodic phrasing with space between lines; calm, observant, emotionally guarded] The boxes in the hallway have been there since we met. Records I don't play. A number I don't call. Nothing has been lost here. Nothing's been decided yet. And you're still in your coat, standing by the wall. I could still be whoever anybody needs. I could still leave in the morning. I could still stay for good. You never asked me which. You never made me choose. You just stood in the hallway like I knew you would. [Pre-Chorus — bass becomes more present, piano harmony opens gently; melody rises without increasing the drama] Nobody's disappointed if you never say a name. Nobody's disappointed if you never make the call. I kept every door open — and I lived in the hall. [Chorus — wider sustained melody over the same steady groove; subtle low backing harmonies, restrained emotional release, never an anthem] I took my coat off. Shut the door. Sat down. You came in behind me. Didn't make a sound. Nothing left to measure. Nothing left to weigh. I don't hold a vote on this a hundred times a day. [Verse 2 — same melodic shape, slightly fuller bass and piano movement; small guitar answers between phrases; fully sung, never rushed] The boxes went on Tuesday. Someone's kid took every one. And a city went out with them, and a job I'd never take, and two good years I'd kept in reserve for some better year, and a letter on the table I let sit until too late. You held the door. You didn't help me lift a thing. You said: you took your time. You said it flat and low. No apology from me. And none from you. Nothing there to fix. We both already know. [Pre-Chorus — gentle harmonic lift; restrained backing texture enters only on the final two lines] Nobody's disappointed if you never say a name. Nobody's disappointed if you never make the call. I kept every door open — and I lived in the hall. [Chorus — slightly fuller drums and warmer harmonies, but the vocal remains intimate and controlled] I took my coat off. Shut the door. Sat down. You came in behind me. Didn't make a sound. Nothing left to measure. Nothing left to weigh. I don't hold a vote on this a hundred times a day. [Bridge — arrangement narrows to piano pulse, bass, faint guitar and minimal brushed drums; close, fully melodic vocal; leave silence around the central line] It was easy before, when the choosing wasn't mine. Somebody handed me a life and I slept fine. No voice in the dark. Nothing left to name. And I'll be honest with you — the quiet sounds the same. Same room. Same hour. It could still be the hall. The only difference now is I've got no one else to blame. [Final Chorus — arrangement opens gradually, never explodes; richest harmonies of the song, unresolved and quietly accepting] I took my coat off. Shut the door. Sat down. You came in behind me. Didn't make a sound. I don't know that this works. I don't know that it stays. But I don't hold a vote on it a hundred times a day. [Outro — drums fall away; piano, bass and room tone remain; final line lands alone, followed by one clean warm chord] The coat's still on the hook. I didn't throw it out. I just took it off.
