[Intro — coins counted into a tin, a wok sizzles somewhere far off, the groove assembles from market sounds] [Verse 1 — four lines, unhurried] The string lights sway above the closing stalls [sub slides under, patient] A dumpling man counts coins into a tin We split the last skewers, foil too hot The cash boxes sing their rusty hymns [Interlude — whistle-led groove, loose and warm, two bars] [Verse 2 — four lines, closer] The flower man gives you one for your jacket You tuck it in the collar, bloom first [organ answers, once] The busker packs her violin and grins She knows exactly what we're doing here [Interlude — whistle returns, joined by handclaps off the beat] [Verse 3 — four lines, quieter] The last wok flares and dims to coals We loop the long way past the spice racks twice [organ answers, low] You pretend you don't know where this ends [Chorus — withheld until now, everything opens at once] Pack up slow, pack up slow The night's not done with us [vocal harmonies split wide on the second line] Pack up slow, pack up slow One more lap between the stalls (Not done yet) One more lap between the stalls [Verse 4 — four lines, singing now] The dumpling man pulls his shutter halfway down And leaves a gap the width of us [sub blooms, warm] The string lights buzz like they approve of this The market holds its breath and lets us stay [Chorus] Pack up slow, pack up slow The night's not done with us Pack up slow, pack up slow One more lap between the stalls (Not done yet) One more lap between the stalls [Bridge — the beat drops to handclaps and bass] If the morning wants this market It can wait outside the gates The dumpling man just nods like he agrees [the groove rebuilds from the claps up] [Final chorus — everything wide, one long release] Pack up slow, pack up slow The night's not done with us [vocal harmonies wide, sustained] Pack up slow, pack up slow One more lap between the stalls (Not done yet) One more lap between the stalls [Outro — cold stop, not a fade] Pack up slow (One more lap) Pack up slow [a shutter rattles down — the string lights hold — end]
