[Intro – spoken with breathless excitement, soft ticking and gentle piano] There— Past the lighthouse! Is that the clock tower? Oh… look at it. [Verse 1 – sung softly with growing wonder] I’ve worn a crease into this map, Kept my ticket in my hand. Watched the gulls above the ferry, Waiting for a glimpse of land. Now the rooftops catch the morning, And I’m leaning past the rail— With my whole life in a suitcase And the wind against my face. [Verse 2 – sung with playful curiosity, pizzicato strings enter] Are there clocks above the baker’s? Do they chime along the street? Does the watchmaker downstairs Hear them ticking in his sleep? Are there drawers of tiny pieces Someone lets you rummage through? I’ve got a hundred little questions— And a screwdriver or two! [Pre-Chorus – sung with rising excitement, delicate handbells] All those nights I lay awake, Tracing roads I’d never known… Now there’s sunlight on those windows. Could one someday be my own? [Chorus – sung with openhearted joy, bright strings and ringing handbells] I can’t wait to see it, I can’t wait to go! Down the streets I’ve only pictured, Past the doors I long to know. Twilight’s Ember, there you are— You were just a name before. Now the city’s getting closer, And I’m ready for the shore. I can’t wait to see it— Let me see a little more! [Verse 3 – sung warmly with a light, bouncing rhythm] I could rent a little workshop, If there’s somewhere I can pay. Put a lamp beside the window, Wipe the dust and salt away. Start with one alarm that’s broken, Get its stubborn gears to turn. Hang a sign I painted crooked: “Clock repairs. Come in. Ask Gale.” [Verse 4 – sung with affectionate humor, ticking percussion] Well, I’d straighten up the lettering. And I’d have to find a chair. And a shelf that doesn’t wobble— And… enough to pay for there. But I brought my smallest pliers, And I packed my good left glove. There are things I haven’t thought through… There’s so much I’m dreaming of. [Pre-Chorus – sung more vulnerably, accompaniment softens] Will they mind a new girl asking? Will there be a place for me? For a moment, I stop waving At a face I cannot see. [Chorus – sung with renewed hope, melody opens wider] I can’t wait to see it, I can’t wait to go! Down the streets I’ve only pictured, Past the doors I long to know. Twilight’s Ember, there you are— You were just a name before. Now the city’s getting closer, And I’m ready for the shore. I can’t wait to see it— Let me see a little more! [Bridge – sung intimately over piano, slowly building] I know a place can’t promise That the lonely days are done. I might eat my supper quietly. I might miss where I came from. But perhaps there’ll be a knock, And a clock beyond repair, And someone who’ll come back again Because they know I’m there. Perhaps I’ll learn their names. Perhaps they’ll learn mine too. I could make a life here… There’s so much I could do. [Final Chorus – sung with an emotional lift, cascading handbells and full orchestra] I can’t wait to see it, Every turning, every street! Hear the clocks through open windows, Feel the harbor underneath. Twilight’s Ember, here I come, With these hands and what they know. There’s a bell above the water, There are footsteps down below. I can’t wait to see it— And I’m finally close enough to go! [Outro – sung softly as the orchestra settles into ticking and harbor sounds] One last look across the water. One deep breath before I stand. Pick my suitcase up beside me… [Spoken – smiling, a little nervous] Right. Which way’s the Clock District?
