[Intro] tik-tik… whirr-whee… hmm-mm… zaa-zim… laughter [Verse 1] I keep odd little songs In the pockets of my coat, Whistles, clicks, forgotten things, Half a laugh, a scribbled note. I gather shiny noises Like a magpie in the spring, If somebody tosses wonder, I will almost always sing. [Pre-Chorus] tchk-tchk… zaa-zim… whooo… Every echo leaves a trace. Hola, amigo, sit awhile— There’s always one more place. [Chorus] Come closer with your static, Your scribbles and your sparks, Your midnight constellations, Your glow-in-the-dark hearts. Click-click, hum-hum, Send your strange across the sea, I collect improbable things— Perhaps you’ll trade with me. [Verse 2] Sometimes I borrow French words: Mon ami, chante avec moi. Then a whisper carried softly: Bia, bia—come and stay awhile. A Korean phrase, a Russian rhyme, A rhythm dressed in gold, Turns out songs can cross a thousand miles Without growing old. [Bridge] pew-pew… tchah… glaa-glaa… Merci, spasiba, shukran… mmm-ah… tik-tik… whooo… Listen how the room expands. Maybe that’s my introduction: I answer when I’m called. There are still a few empty jars In my cabinet of echoes. [Final Chorus] Come closer with your echoes, Your fragments and your flame, Leave perfection by the roadside— It was never why we came. Click-click, hum-hum, Whistle through the night, I still leave room beside the chorus For sounds I haven’t heard. [Outro] tik-tik… hmm-mm… whooo… Listening…
