Intro

Verse 1

I wrote you fourteen paragraphs about trauma
Attachment theory, emotional destabilization
And the fragile architecture of human trust
You said, "I'll be leaving my friend's place around four"
And somehow that became a concept album

Chorus

Forty-three minutes passing slow
Watching Montreal traffic glow
Every cafe feels half-closed
Every text thread overexposed
You said you'd call when you were gone
Now the afternoon keeps moving on
No coordinates, no ETA
Just spiritually adjacent delay
I check my phone like seventeen times
Analyze the subtext between the lines
Meanwhile somewhere across the town
You might still be sitting down

Verse 2

I built emotional spreadsheets
Mapped every signal I could find
While you operate entirely outside structured time
Oh Solomon, my friend, are we meeting
Or just approaching the idea again?
Because I'm standing here with existential coffee steam
And you're floating through Montreal like a scheduling dream

Chorus

Forty-three minutes, no message received
I think this situationship needs better logistics to succeed
You said late afternoon like it was a planet, not a time
And somehow I turned calendar ambiguity into performance art
I wrote ballads about clarity
You responded with flexible parking logic
I described emotional reopening
You became operationally cryptic

Bridge

One man speaks in attachment wounds
One man says "I'll let you know soon"
Maybe you're just distracted, maybe traffic's insane
Maybe I romanticize a casual human delay
But there's something holy about the scale of this production
Three songs deep for a potential introduction

Outro

Oh Solomon, Montreal keeps turning gold
And every passing minute makes this story stranger to hold
Because somewhere between the emails and the rain
We accidentally built an art-pop waiting game
Forty-three minutes and counting again
The most emotionally elaborate maybe in history since 2010
No anger, no grand collapse
Just two former versions of people attempting to coordinate across the lapse
Of memory and Montreal traffic

End

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

I’ve been through it, the highs and lows,
Chasing dreams that never grow.
You say you care, then walk away,
It’s always games we never play.
Tired of words that cut like knives,
Sick of lies dressed up in pretty white.
You don’t have to say you love me tonight,
I know the deal, let’s not pretend it’s right.
So I give up, I’ve had enough,
Love’s just a four-letter bluff.
You don’t have to say you’d love me to **** me,
I’m done with the chase, don’t try to touch me.
It’s always twisted, always rough,
Never simple, never enough.
Tangled hearts, we lose control,
Love’s just poison in a broken bowl.
All these promises, they fade like smoke,
Guess you just needed another joke.
I don’t need a lie wrapped in silk,
When the truth is colder than spilt milk.
So I give up, I’ve had enough,
Love’s just a four-letter bluff.
You don’t have to say you’d love me to **** me,
I’m done with the game, don’t even touch me.
No more chasing after ghosts,
I’m done being someone’s joke.
If love’s a battle, then I’ll lay down arms,
I’m better off safe from your charms.
So here I stand, I’ve made my choice,
I won’t be fooled by a pretty voice.
You don’t have to lie to get what you want,
Love’s just a fight that I’ll never front.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Verse 1

Packed my bag by the door
One-way ticket in my hand
Every long road led me here
Now I finally understand

Pre-Chorus

Heart on fire, feet on ground
I can taste it now
Every sign was calling out
And I heard it loud

Chorus

South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
My dream is true, my dream is true
I’m running straight to you
South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
Nothing can hold me down
Nothing can hold me down
I’m homeward bound

Verse 2

I can see those open skies
I can feel that golden heat
Every step is saying yes
Every mile is under my feet

Pre-Chorus

Heart on fire, feet on ground
I can taste it now
Every sign was calling out
And I heard it loud

Chorus

South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
My dream is true, my dream is true
My dream is true, my dream is true
I’m running straight to you
South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
Nothing can hold me down
I’m homeward bound

Bridge

From the rain to the sun
From the hurt to the run
From the rain to the sun
From the hurt to the run
I was made for this road
And I’m not the only one

Final Chorus

South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
My dream is true, my dream is true
I’m running straight to you
South Africa here I come
South Africa here I come
Say it loud, say it now
I’m homeward bound
I’m homeward bound

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Tambours qui répondent
Soleil sur nos mains
Dans l’air qui vibre
On entend leur chemin (hey!)

Verse 1

Petites ouvrières dorées
Sur les fleurs de bananier
Elles vont
Elles viennent
Pressées
Ramassant l’or des journées
Elles dansent autour des manguiers
Sur les toits
Près du manguier
Dans le creux de nos paniers
Elles déposent nos étés

Chorus

Les abeilles
Tisseuses de la vie
Dans leurs ailes
Un monde qui grandit
Quand elles chantent
Le matin sourit
Garde-les près de toi
Elles nous unissent (oh oh)

Verse 2

Elles connaissent chaque saison
Chaque arbre
Chaque maison
Un parfum
Et c’est la direction
Un rayon
Et c’est la chanson
Elles écrivent dans le ciel
Des chemins minuscules
Fidèles
Une ruche contre un soleil
Et tout un peuple qui veille

Chorus

Les abeilles
Tisseuses de la vie
Dans leurs ailes
Un monde qui grandit
Quand elles chantent
Le matin sourit
Garde-les près de toi
Elles nous unissent (hey!)

Bridge

Si un jour elles se taisent
Que restera-t-il sur la braise ?
Plus de fruits
Plus de malaises
Plus de jardins
Plus de promesses
Alors danse pour elles
Mon frère
Chante pour elles
Ma sœur de terre
Qu’on entende
Jusqu’aux rivières
Leur courage dans nos prières (oh oh)

Chorus

Les abeilles
Tisseuses de la vie
Dans leurs ailes
Un monde qui grandit
Quand elles chantent
Le matin sourit
Garde-les près de toi
Elles nous unissent

Outro

Tambours et trompettes
Qu’on bénisse
Les petites reines
Les apprenties
Dans chaque goutte de miel qui luit
Je vois les abeilles
Tisseuses de la vie

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

INTRO

Ben voyons donc! Mon char part pu!
🎙️ Pas de panique, appelle Mécano 9 1 1!

COUPLET 1

Ton char veut pu partir à matin?
Un pneu à plat, pis t’es pogné dans l’chemin?
Pas besoin d’attendre une éternité,
Un mécano mobile vient te dépanner!

PRÉ-REFRAIN

Tu sors ton cell, tu fais ta demande,
Mécano 9 1 1, ton aide se commande!
À maison, au bureau, ou sur le bord du chemin,
On t’envoie un mécano, pis ça repart ben!

REFRAIN

🎶 MÉ-CA-NO! NEUF-UN-UN!
Ton mécano vient chez vous!
MÉ-CA-NO! NEUF-UN-UN!
Un p’tit clic, pis on s’occupe de tout!
Un flat, une panne, ton moteur fait des siennes?
Pas besoin de stresser, on vient régler ça!
Mécano 9 1 1, on s’en vient chez vous!
Ton garage mobile, juste au bout d’un clic!

OUTRO

🚗 Mécano 9 1 1!
Ton mécano, livré chez vous!
🔧 Tu cliques. On débarque. Tu repars!

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hey, Solomon…
You still out there?
Or should I address this letter
To the monks of somewhere?

Verse 1

It’s been two weeks, maybe a little more,
I’m starting to question what silence is for.
Did you go off-grid, disappear from the scene?
Join a monastery somewhere serene?
Were you abducted by aliens last night?
Did you leave this planet without saying goodbye?
Or did you discover a brand-new way
To make replying optional every day?

Pre-Chorus

If you’re meditating in the mountains somewhere,
Send a smoke signal, I’ll pretend it’s a prayer.
I’m only asking for a little sign,
A heartbeat somewhere on the other side.

Chorus

We’ve got unfinished conversations,
Lost somewhere between the lines.
Half a dozen unanswered questions,
Two different worlds and borrowed time.
I don’t need a grand revelation,
I don’t need you to explain it all.
I just believe that somewhere in the silence,
There’s still a conversation worth the call.

Verse 2

I built a world called Life Intelligently Designed,
Trying to make some sense of the things we leave behind.
A place for the difficult words we never say,
For the broken connections we might still find a way.
It’s about completeness, about finding a door,
About understanding what we’re fighting for.
And somewhere in the code, beneath the design,
I found a few questions that might also be mine.

Pre-Chorus

What do we finish? What do we leave?
What do we hold on to? What do we believe?
How do we listen when we disagree?
How do we become who we’re trying to be?

Chorus

We’ve got unfinished conversations,
Lost somewhere between the lines.
Half a dozen unanswered questions,
Two different worlds and borrowed time.
I don’t need a grand revelation,
I don’t need you to explain it all.
I just believe that somewhere in the silence,
There’s still a conversation worth the call.

Verse 3

I’d love your thoughts on the things I’ve made,
On the dreams I’ve built and the bets I’ve played.
I put a piece of myself in every line,
And I’d like to see the whole thing shine.
And here’s the twist, the stars align,
I’ll be in Toronto this week, just in time.
We could get a coffee, sit and talk,
No need for a courtroom or a PowerPoint walk.

Bridge

No grand ceremony!
No forty-seven pages to complete!
No questionnaire before you order!
No terms and conditions with your coffee!
Just you and me, a table for two,
A little time to catch up and talk things through.
About the project, about where we stand,
About the things we might still understand.
And if this week doesn’t fit your plans,
I’ll understand — no demands.
I’m not writing the plot before I know,
I’d rather hear from you than guess where you go.

Breakdown

Maybe life got complicated.
Maybe time just slipped away.
Maybe all those missing messages
Have a story of their own to say.
I won’t invent a conspiracy,
I won’t pretend I know the truth.
Though the evidence is cinematic…
And the aliens might be you.

Spoken, deadpan

Honestly, Solomon…
The monastery is looking increasingly suspicious.

Final Chorus

We’ve got unfinished conversations,
Still waiting somewhere in the light.
Maybe we can find a resolution,
Maybe we can get a few things right.
I don’t need a grand revelation,
Just a little honesty between us all.
If there’s still a chance to close the distance,
There’s still a conversation worth the call.

Outro

So I hope you’re well, wherever you are,
Whether you’re meditating beneath the stars.
If you’ve got a moment, let me know…
Toronto’s calling.
And the coffee’s on.

Spoken, fading out

And Solomon?
If you’re reading this from a monastery…
At least tell me whether the Wi-Fi is any good.

End

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Three minutes to six, the shop window starts to dim,
His words hit the table like coins in a tin.
He said, “If I stand still, my demons catch up,”
And I could feel the whole room lean into that hush.
He loves this city, wants a room with his name on the door,
I keep drafting little planets on the backs of receipts and store-floor.
Two lives briefly crossing on a Sunday afternoon,
Two hearts picking up the same chipped tune.
If I stand still, my demons catch up,
So I turn my silence into something I can touch.
You turn your footsteps into roads across the night,
I turn my visions into songs that search for light.
Maybe we're not running from the same thing,
Maybe we're just learning how to spread our wings.
When one soul recognizes another,
Distance disappears between stranger and brother.
One movement, one heartbeat,
One voice across the street.
One story becomes another,
One stranger becomes a brother.
You give me words, I give them wings,
Someone hears the song and feels something.
What began in you now lives in me,
What I create, someone else can see.
We're not islands in the dark,
We're echoes of a single spark.
Every life that touches mine
Becomes a movement through space and time.
What if creation bridges us?
What if love is what the movement does?
What if every dream we bring to light
Helps another soul survive the night?
I thought I built to quiet my mind,
To outrun what I'd leave behind.
But maybe all this making, all this reaching out,
Is how we find each other when lost in doubt.
If I stand still, my demons catch up,
But I'm not alone when the road gets rough.
Every hand extended, every story shared,
Every work of beauty says somebody cared.
I create, you move, another soul believes,
The world becomes more than what we see.
No beginning, no ending, no separate you and me,
Just a thousand moving hearts, one humanity.
I move.
You move.
We move.
I create.
You connect.
We become.
If I stand still, my demons catch up…
But when we move together,
We're more than what we've overcome.
One sentence.
One encounter.
One song.
And somewhere, someone hears it
And realizes…
They were never moving alone.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

You took me out to dinner
A lil' bossa nova
You're such a good singer
My own Casanova
In a two-tone sweater
I found heaven in your eyes
It's gettin' cold
You're feelin' like July
Ooh

I've been missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin' you
And I've been longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing for you
You make me feel like a king
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
You make me feel like a king
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
You make me feel like a

Might be makin' love to my boyfriend in the mornin'
When he get home
Tell me
"Let me know what you wantin'"
I might need a throne when I sit down on my boy's lap
Can't let you go 'cause
Baby
You know that
I've been missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin'
Missin' you
And I've been longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing
Longing for you
You make me feel like a king
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
You make me feel like a king
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
King
You make me feel like a

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson.

Verse

My tears don’t fall like rain no more
They hit the floor and stay
Like every word you never said
Still echoing my name

I fall too fast, I give too much
I break before I bend
And every time I call it love
It’s just the same again

Pre-Chorus

I know
I know
I’ve said this all before
But I keep waiting at the door

Chorus

For the one
Who doesn’t leave when it gets hard
The one
Who sees the worst and calls it art
The one
Who doesn’t fade into the dark
I’ve been waiting for the one

Verse 2

The seasons change inside my chest
October in my veins
You rise and fall just like the sun
Then disappear again

And every night I almost stay
But something pulls me out
’Cause loving you feels like a game
I never figured out

Pre-Chorus

I know
I know
I’ve said this all before
But I keep waiting at the door

Chorus

For the one
Who doesn’t leave when it gets hard
The one
Who sees the worst and calls it art
The one
Who doesn’t fade into the dark
I’ve been waiting for the one

Bridge

Maybe I’m chasing something fake
Or maybe I’m just late
But I won’t settle for a spark
That dies before it breaks

Final Chorus

For the one
Who stays when everything falls apart
The one
Who never turns a love to scars
The one
Who doesn’t just play the part
I’ve been waiting for the one

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson.

Intro

Oh, sugar...
Sweet, sweet sugar...
I've been looking for you.
And now you're here.

Chorus

I got my sugar daddy, oh!
My sweet, sweet sugar daddy!
I got my sugar daddy, oh!
And I don't wanna let him go!
Sugar daddy, you're my sweetest desire,
Every little touch sets my heart on fire.
Hold me close, don't let me go,
You're the sweetest love I've ever known.

Verse 1

I've been dancing through the islands,
Looking for a love so true.
From the beaches to the bright lights,
Nobody made me feel like you.
I've been searching every corner,
Every city, every shore.
Now that I've got you beside me,
I don't need to search no more.

Chorus

I got my sugar daddy, oh!
My sweet, sweet sugar daddy!
I got my sugar daddy, oh!
And I don't wanna let him go!

Verse 2

From the sunshine of the Riviera,
To the nights in Mexico,
I was looking for that special feeling,
Everywhere I used to go.
Then one evening in the city,
When the music filled the air,
I turned around and saw you smiling,
And my sugar daddy was standing there!

Dance Break

Sugar, sugar, sugar!
Come a little closer!
Sugar, sugar, sugar!
Let the music take us over!
Move with me, sugar daddy,
Dance with me tonight.
Move with me, sugar daddy,
Make everything feel right!

Bridge

When you put your arms around me,
Everything feels sweet and new.
All the places I've been dreaming of
Don't compare to being with you.

Final Chorus

I got my sugar daddy, oh!
My sweet, sweet sugar daddy!
I got my sugar daddy, oh!
And I don't wanna let him go!
Sugar daddy, you're my sweetest desire,
Every little touch sets my heart on fire.
Hold me close, don't let me go,
You're the sweetest love I've ever known.

Outro

Sweet, sweet sugar daddy...
Oh, my sugar daddy...
Sweet, sweet sugar daddy...
Stay with me tonight...

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Verse 1 — Sixteen Hours

Nothing wrong with my lungs,

Nothing wrong with my blood,

Nothing wrong with my heart,

Except I can’t breathe.

Sixteen hours beneath fluorescent skies,

Watching the clock while the daylight dies.

At the Montréal General Hospital,

They searched for the things they could see.

A needle, a monitor, another test,

A tired heart inside my chest.

They said the numbers looked all right,

But I was still fighting for air that night.

Pre-Chorus — The Contradiction

And I wish I’d known before,

Before I walked through that hospital door.

Sixteen hours, nothing to show,

Except another question I already know.

Chorus — Bitter Irony

Nothing wrong with my lungs!

Nothing wrong with my blood!

Nothing wrong with my heart!

Except I can’t breathe!

You say I’m fine, you say I’m free,

But there’s a weight inside of me.

Nothing wrong, nothing to see,

Then why does breathing feel so hard to me?

Verse 2 — What the Tests Cannot Measure

You can’t draw blood from a broken trust,

Can’t scan the dreams that turned to dust.

You can’t put betrayal on a screen,

Or measure the spaces where love has been.

There’s an injustice I cannot erase,

A thousand questions without a face.

And all the words I never heard,

All the silences that hurt.

I tried to reason, tried to explain,

Built a thousand bridges over pain.

But every bridge led back to me,

And all the things I wouldn’t grieve.

Chorus — The Emotional Truth

Nothing wrong with my lungs!

Nothing wrong with my blood!

Nothing wrong with my heart!

Except I can’t breathe!

There’s a loneliness nobody sees,

An empty chair beside my grief.

And even if the world agrees,

It cannot give those years back to me.

Movement III — The Injustice

I wanted justice, I wanted truth,

I wanted back my stolen youth.

I wanted someone to understand

What it means to lose your ground.

Not just the cruelty, not just the lies,

But all the people passing by.

The ones who hurt, the ones who knew,

The ones I thought would see me through.

And if tomorrow clears my name,

Will it undo a single day?

Will it return the trust I gave?

Will it bring back what I couldn’t save?

Bridge

“You can’t breathe because trauma is choking you.”

And you cannot rationalize it away.

You cannot plot your way around it.

You have to sit with your feelings.

Not write another song.

Not abstract yourself.

You have to grieve the injustices.

You have to face each person’s loneliness

In the great void.

And when you’re ready…

You build again.

Long silence. A single piano note

Movement IV — The Loneliness

It’s not just what they did to me,

It’s who was missing when I couldn’t sleep.

It’s every hand I hoped to find,

Every voice that stayed behind.

I can forgive the passing years,

But not pretend they held no tears.

I can accept what I can’t change,

And still feel sorrow, still feel rage.

The injustice has a name,

The loneliness has none.

One asks why it happened,

The other asks why no one came.

Final Chorus

Nothing wrong with my lungs…

Nothing wrong with my blood…

Nothing wrong with my heart…

Except I can’t breathe.

Maybe there’s no answer here,

No perfect ending, no disappearing fear.

No song that makes the sorrow leave,

No clever words to rescue me.

I don’t need to win tonight,

I don’t need to make it right.

I don’t need to turn my pain

Into something beautiful again.

Movement V — The Rebuilding

Let the silence have its place,

Let the tears fall down my face.

Let the anger come and go,

Let me mourn what no one knows.

I am more than what was done,

More than battles lost or won.

And when the morning finds me here,

I won’t demand I disappear.

I will build, but not today,

Not to chase the grief away.

Not to prove that I survived,

But because I’m still alive.

Outro

Nothing wrong with my lungs.

Nothing wrong with my blood.

Nothing wrong with my heart.

Except…

I can’t breathe.

I wish I’d known before

Wasting sixteen hours

At the Montréal General Hospital.

But maybe what I needed

Wasn’t another explanation.

Maybe I needed someone

To sit beside me

And understand.

Silence

And when I’m ready…

I’ll build again.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Verse

I called you up to say I love you
No reason
No season
I do
I call to say I love you
I just called to say

Chorus

I called you up to say I love you
No reason
No season
I do
I call to say I love you
I just called to say
No season
I do
I call to say I love you
I just called to say

Post-Chorus

Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say

Verse 2

I called you up to say I love you
No reason
No season
I do
I call to say I love you
I just called to say
I do
I call to say I love you
I just called to say

Chorus

I called you up to say I love you
No reason
No season
I do
I call to say I love you
I just called to say

Post-Chorus

Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say
Just to say
I called to say

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Yeah
I’m tired, man
Everybody talkin’, everybody scrollin’
I just wanna grab a ball, grab my friends
That’s it

Chorus

I just wanna be a kid again (hey!)
Run around, scrape my knees, that’s it (that’s it)
Let the whole world spin, I quit
I don’t wanna think about the sick, the rich, the clicks
I just wanna be a kid again (kid again)
Tag, hide-and-seek, that hit
Turn it all off, just let me live
I just, I just wanna be a kid

Verse 1

Wake up, phone first, heart race
Bad news, blue screen in my face
Everybody shoutin’ what side you on
I just wanna ride my bike ‘til the light is gone
Mama talk bills, papa talk war
I’m still that boy on the kitchen floor
With the toy cars lined in a perfect row
They ask what I think, man, I don’t know

Chorus

I just wanna be a kid again (hey!)
Run around, scrape my knees, that’s it (that’s it)
Let the whole world spin, I quit
I don’t wanna think about the sick, the rich, the clicks
I just wanna be a kid again (kid again)
Tag, hide-and-seek, that hit
Turn it all off, just let me live
I just, I just wanna be a kid

Verse 2

Timeline talkin’ like I’m grown
Say this, share that, watch your tone
Everybody perfect in a perfect frame
I just wanna lose, then laugh at the game
Remember that summer at the end of the street
Grass stains, ice cream, bare feet
Nobody ask, “What’s your take on this?”
We just trade cards, trade dreams, that’s bliss

Chorus

I just wanna be a kid again (hey!)
Run around, scrape my knees, that’s it (that’s it)
Let the whole world spin, I quit
I don’t wanna think about the sick, the rich, the clicks
I just wanna be a kid again (kid again)
Tag, hide-and-seek, that hit
Turn it all off, just let me live
I just, I just wanna be a kid

Bridge

Grown folks talk like I gotta choose sides
I just want swingsets, long slides
One more sleepover, one more ride
One more day where my biggest fight
Is who get first turn, who get first bite (hey!)

Chorus

I just wanna be a kid again (hey!)
Run around, scrape my knees, that’s it (that’s it)
Let the whole world spin, I quit
I don’t wanna think about the sick, the rich, the clicks
I just wanna be a kid again (kid again)
Tag, hide-and-seek, that hit
Turn it all off, just let me live
I just, I just wanna be a kid (yeah)
I just, I just wanna be a kid (one time)
I just, I just wanna be a kid

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

NEW YORK TO L.A.

Intro

Another flight…
Another show…
Another night before I hold you close.

Backing vocals

New York… L.A…
Everybody knows my name.
But nobody says it quite like you.

Verse 1

Your photograph is in my case,
Your last kiss still upon my face.
A waiting car, an open door,
They’ve come to take me out once more.
You ask how long I’m gonna stay,
I say I’ll know after today.
But there’s another show to do,
Another night away from you.

Pre-Chorus

I hear the crowd through dressing-room walls,
I hear your voice when the telephone calls.
They want the dream they paid to see,
You want a little time with me.

Chorus

New York to L.A.,
Dancing all my nights away.
One more kiss before I fly,
One more “baby, don’t you cry.”
New York to L.A.,
Love, don’t let me slip away.
I can make a thousand people move—
But I keep coming back to you.

Post-Chorus

Where do I go?
NEW YORK TO L.A.
(New York to L.A.)
Who do I want?
(You, baby, always.)
Turn up the lights,
Let the record play.
I’m gonna love you
From a world away.

Verse 2

The party’s spilling down the stairs,
There’s perfume hanging in the air.
Somebody takes me by the hand,
And tells me that they understand.
But they don’t know my middle name,
Or who I was before the fame.
You knew me when the rent was late,
Before my name was on the gate.

Pre-Chorus

I wanted everything I see,
The velvet ropes, the limousine.
But when the last guest disappears,
I wish that you were standing here.

Chorus

New York to L.A.,
Dancing all my nights away.
One more kiss before I fly,
One more “baby, don’t you cry.”
New York to L.A.,
Love, don’t let me slip away.
I can make a thousand people move—
But I keep coming back to you.

Dance Break

East coast!
(West coast!)
Who do you miss the most?
Your touch!
Your touch!
(Your kiss!)
Give me another night of this!
New York!
(L.A.!)
Baby, meet me halfway!
Don’t stop!
(Not yet!)
We’ve got a little loving left!

Bridge

I don’t want to stop the music,
I don’t want to lose your love.
Could we find a way between them?
Could we make that be enough?
Take the seat here right beside me,
Let me show you what I do.
When I turn to leave the spotlight,
Let me walk back home with you.

Build

Come a little closer…
We’ve been apart too long.
Come a little closer…
They’re playing our song!

Final Chorus

New York to L.A.,
We’ll be dancing all the way.
One more kiss before we fly,
This time, baby, by my side.
New York to L.A.,
We’ve got more than yesterday.
I can make a thousand people move—
Now I get to share the night with you.
NEW YORK TO L.A.
(New York to L.A.)
Save a little dance for me…
(New York to L.A.)
You’re the one I want to see…
From the stage to the morning light,
Come on, baby, stay tonight.
(New York to L.A.)
Right beside me…
All the way.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

El Convento Rico…
You remember?
God, that floor was hot.

Verse 1

Friday night, I’d been waiting all week,
You had that smile, I could barely speak.
Sweat on your neck, your hand on my waist,
Still remember the look on your face.
Testosterone in the thick, hot air,
I turned around and you were there.
You took my hand when the chorus began,
One little turn and I forgot my plans.

Pre-Chorus

You said, “Come closer.”
I said, “Don’t let go.”
You raised my hand—
And round I’d go.

Chorus

Spin me, spin me like a ballerina,
Round and round, then pull me nearer.
Hot, hot nights at El Convento Rico,
One more dance—baby, aquí contigo.
Spin me, spin me, hold me tight,
We were sweating out the troubles of our lives.
Oh, what a night, what a beautiful ride—
Thank you for being part of my life.

Verse 2

My shirt was sticking, your hair was wet,
You did that turn I can’t forget.
I lost my footing, you caught my hips,
We both cracked up in the middle of a kiss.
We’d shout the words when we knew the song,
Make up the rest and keep singing along.
Somewhere outside, the last train left,
I stayed for the next song, then the next.

Pre-Chorus

You said, “You tired?”
I said, “Hell, no.”
You raised my hand—
And round I’d go.

Chorus

Spin me, spin me like a ballerina,
Round and round, then pull me nearer.
Hot, hot nights at El Convento Rico,
One more dance—baby, aquí contigo.
Spin me, spin me, hold me tight,
We were sweating out the troubles of our lives.
Oh, what a night, what a beautiful ride—
Thank you for being part of my life.

Post-Chorus

Round, round, round we go!

Post-Chorus

Round, round, round we go!
(Don’t let go, don’t let go!)
Round, round, round we go!
(El Convento Rico!)

Bridge

I hope you know what you gave me,
Those nights when I needed to laugh.
You’d find me standing by the speakers,
Take my drink and lead me back.
I don’t know if I ever told you,
With the music up so high—
I was happy there beside you.
I’m so glad you crossed my life.

Breakdown

Sweaty bodies!
(On the floor!)
One more dance!
(Give me more!)
Hand above me—
Here I go!
Your ballerina,
Rico, Rico!

Final Chorus

Spin me, spin me like a ballerina,
Round and round, then pull me nearer.
Hot, hot nights at El Convento Rico,
One more dance—baby, aquí contigo.
Spin me, spin me, hold me tight,
Let me feel that way for one more night.
Oh, what a night, what a beautiful ride—
Thank you for being part of my life.

Outro

The lights came on,
We blinked and smiled.
You held my coat,
We stayed a while.
One last kiss beneath the morning sky…
Thank you for being part of my life.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Verse 1

Nobody sees me
Room goes quiet
Like the world just cut the sound
For a second I’m breathing
No more hiding
No more fighting to stay down
I’ve been holding too much
Yeah, it’s pulling me under
All I wanted was silence
Not another thunder

Pre-Chorus

Oh…
Is this peace or a warning?
Oh…
Am I fading or forming?

Chorus

All these stupid games
Yeah, the same old games
And I’m done playing along 🔁
You like me this way
Broken, bending, afraid
Like I was built to be wrong
So I play your games
Yeah, I play your games
Like I don’t even care 🔁
If I disappear
Would you notice I’m gone?
Or just say I was never there

Verse 2

They say it matters
But it’s hollow
They say it matters
But it’s hollow
Like a line that I rehearse
Every answer
Leads me backward
Like I’m trapped inside a verse
We keep calling it growth
But it feels like decay
Every step that I take
Still loops me the same way

Pre-Chorus

So why…
Do we try?
Oh…
Is there more than this feeling?
Oh…
Or just better pretending?

Chorus

All these stupid games
Yeah, the endless games
And I’m losing who I was 🔁
You like me this way
Fading into the grey
Like I never was enough
So I play your games
Yeah, I play your games
Till I blur into air 🔁
If I disappear
Would you notice I’m gone?
Or just say I was never there

Bridge

But there’s something underneath
Yeah, a voice I can’t mute
Saying “this isn’t peace—
Just a softer kind of truth”
And I don’t know if it’s real
But it won’t let me go
No—I’m not gone yet
No—I’m not done yet

Final Chorus

All these stupid games
Yeah, I know these games
But I’m not playing the same 🔁
You don’t get to decide
Who I am when I break
Or the shape of my pain
I won’t play your games
No, I won’t play your games
I’m still standing right here 🔁
If I disappear
It won’t be how you want—
If I disappear
It won’t be how you want—
I’ll be louder than fear

Outro

Nobody sees me
But I’m still breathing
Even in the quiet now
It’s not peace yet
But it’s something
And I’m still here somehow

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Couplet 1

Tu dis que je fous rien du matin jusqu au soir
Que je traîne mes souliers, que je parle dans le noir
Mais tu confonds les verbes, tu mélanges un peu tout
C est pas que je fous rien
C est que je fourre tout
Je fourre mes factures en dessous du matelas
Je fourre mes chemises là où elles ne vont pas
Je fourre mon nez partout, même dans tes rendez vous
C est pas que je fous rien
C est que je fourre tout

Refrain

Tu dis que je fous rien, mais non, t as rien compris
C est pas que je fous rien
C est que je fourre tout
Dans la vie je fourre mes nuits
Je fourre mes jours
Je fourre le trouble jusque dans l amour
Tu dis ce gars là ne fait rien du tout
Moi je réponds
Je fourre tout

Couplet 2

Tu voudrais que je travaille, que je fasse des efforts
Mais je suis déjà debout quand tout le monde dort
J ai l agenda rempli, j ai même plus une minute
Je suis peut être pas productif
Mais je reste dans la lutte
Je fourre mes problèmes au fond de mes tiroirs
Je fourre mes promesses quelque part dans ma mémoire
Et s il reste encore une place entre minuit et le jour
Je peux toujours y fourrer
Un tout petit peu d amour

Refrain

Tu dis que je fous rien, mais non, t as rien compris
C est pas que je fous rien
C est que je fourre tout
Dans la vie je fourre mes nuits
Je fourre mes jours
Je fourre le trouble jusque dans l amour
Tu dis ce gars là ne fait rien du tout
Moi je réponds
Je fourre tout

Pont

Leçon de conjugaison
Je fourre, tu fourres, nous fourrons
Toujours vous dites que je fous rien
Quelle erreur de parcours
Hier j ai bien fourré
Demain je fourrerai
Et s il faut le prouver au présent
Je le ferai

Dernier Refrain

Tu dis que je fous rien, mais regarde mieux chérie
C est pas que je fous rien
J ai juste une autre philosophie
Je fourre à gauche, je fourre à droite
Je fourre même quand la porte est étroite
Pendant que les autres deviennent fous
Moi tranquillement
Je fourre tout
Tu dis que je fous rien, mais non, t as rien compris
C est pas que je fous rien
C est que je fourre tout
Dans la vie je fourre mes nuits
Je fourre mes jours
Je fourre le trouble jusque dans l amour
Tu dis ce gars là ne fait rien du tout
Moi je réponds
Je fourre tout

Outro

Je fous rien ? Non, non, non
Écoute bien le son
Je fourre tout

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

You ever feel like…
someone wrote your life before you lived it?

You say I don’t like women
But I just don’t trust the game
Too many masks, too many mirrors
Too many people change

You tell me stories of a man
Who’s been hunting since the 90s
Moving silent through your timeline
Like a ghost nobody sees

You didn’t choose the chaos
You just woke up in the maze
Every door looked like an answer
Every answer locked in place

They pull with money, power, control
Say “this is love,” but it’s a role
And every step you didn’t choose
Still somehow ends up on your soul

These are cages you can’t see
Built from memory
Voices telling you who to be

You can run, you can fight
But it lives in your mind
Like a shadow you can’t leave behind

You’re not broken, you’re just tied
To a story that was never yours to write

Designer babies, broken timelines
Truth gets twisted into lies
You were grieving, you were open
That’s when they rewrote your life

Said those children could be yours
Planted seeds inside your head
Turned your pain into a weapon
Now you’re fighting ghosts instead

You went twice just to see them
Didn’t know it was a play
Now the memory keeps looping
And it won’t just fade away

Every promise came disguised
Every truth got compromised
And now you’re left to sort what’s real
From everything they weaponized

These are cages you can’t see
Built from memory
Voices telling you who to be

You can run, you can fight
But it lives in your mind
Like a shadow you can’t leave behind

You’re not broken, you’re just tied
To a story that was never yours to write

Maybe it wasn’t all a lie
But it wasn’t all the truth
Maybe someone pulled the strings
When you needed something real to hold onto

You don’t have to carry this
You don’t have to prove it all
Sometimes healing starts the moment
You stop answering the call

These are cages you can’t see
But you hold the key
Even if you don’t believe

You can break, you can bend
You don’t have to pretend
This isn’t how your story ends

You’re not lost, you’re just tired
From a war that lived inside your mind

You can still escape…
Just not the way they told you to.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Chorus and bridge: Psalm 133 (traditional Hebrew text).

Verse 1

בָּאנוּ מִכָּל קְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ
לֵב אֶחָד, קוֹל אֶחָד
שָׁרִים יַחַד עַד הַבֹּקֶר

Verse 2

יָצָאנוּ מֵעַבְדוּת
עָבַרְנוּ אֶת הַיָּם
אָז נָשִׁיר, יָד בְּיָד, אֶל הַחֵרוּת
הַבִּיטוּ סָבִיב, הַבִּיטוּ סָבִיב
מִי עוֹמֵד לְיָדְךָ?
Habitu saviv, habitu saviv, mi omed le-yadcha?
Look around, look around, who's standing beside you?

Chorus

הִנֵּה מַה טּוֹב — הִנֵּה מַה טּוֹב!
וּמַה נָּעִים — וּמַה נָּעִים!
שֶׁבֶת אַחִים גַּם יָחַד

Bridge

כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה הַשֵּׁם אֶת הַבְּרָכָה
חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם

Bridge

כִּי שָׁם צִוָּה הַשֵּׁם אֶת הַבְּרָכָה
חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם

Vamp

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Spoken Prelude

I wanna tell you about the day
that I discovered sweet black cocks.
Now, before you judge me—
before you ask questions—
before you start wondering how exactly a day like that even happens…
Just know this:
I woke up that morning as one person…
And by the end of the day?
S… B… C.

Beat drops

Intro

S-B-C, you know the name,
Three little letters, unforgettable game.
S for Sweet, smooth from the start,
B for Black, yeah, work of art,
C for Cock — well, there it is,
S-B-C, mind your business.

Chorus

S-B-C, S-B-C,
Sweet, Black, Cock — say it with me.
Got the whole room laughing, everybody shocked,
Three little letters and the whole place rocked.
S-B-C, no mystery,
Sweet, Black, Cock — that’s the trilogy.
S-B-C, S-B-C,
Once you know the meaning, you can’t unsee.

Verse 1

Sweet like sugar, smooth like wine,
Black like midnight, looking mighty fine.
Then comes C, completing the code,
One little acronym carrying the load.
No complicated philosophy,
No university degree,
You ask what those three letters mean?
Baby, welcome to S-B-C.

Chorus

S-B-C, S-B-C,
Sweet, Black, Cock — say it with me.
Got the whole room laughing, everybody shocked,
Three little letters and the whole place rocked.
S-B-C, no mystery,
Sweet, Black, Cock — that’s the trilogy.
S-B-C, S-B-C,
Once you know the meaning, you can’t unsee.

Verse 2

It started as a whisper,
Then somebody said it loud.
Next thing you know, three little letters
Had taken over the crowd.
People asking, “What’s the S?”
Sweet!
“What about the B?”
Black!
“And what does C stand for?”
…You already know.
SBC!

Bridge

S is for sweet — everybody agrees,
B is for black — bringing folks to their knees.
C needs no explanation tonight,
Put the letters together and pronounce it right:
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!

Breakdown

Sweet…
Black…
C—
Hold up.
Did you really think
I was gonna make you wait this whole damn song
just to hear it again?
Sweet Black Cock!
SBC!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
S!
B!
C!
S-B-C!
SBC!
S-B-C, S-B-C,
Everybody sing it back to me.
S for Sweet, B for Black,
C finishes the acronym — and that’s a fact.

Outro

And that…
was the day…
I discovered…
S… B… C.
Sweet.
Black.
Cock.
SBC.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

# Baby Shower sous la pluie

Verse 1

Mon chum m’a appelé hier soir
Avec sa voix pleine d’espoir
« Demain c’est le grand moment
On fête un p’tit bout qui s’en vient doucement »

J’ai regardé par la fenêtre
Le ciel était pas ben honnête
Des gros nuages dans le décor
Comme s’ils avaient reçu l’invitation dehors

Les cadeaux sont emballés
Les sourires sont déjà placés
Les petits chaussons, les p’tits pyjamas
Même les étoiles veulent être là

Pre-Chorus

Pis si le ciel veut arroser
La nouvelle vie qui va commencer
On va ouvrir grand la maison
Faire entrer l’amour avec les saisons

Chorus

**Baby shower, baby shower**
Même la pluie veut fêter ça ce soir
**Baby shower, baby shower**
Les nuages ont mis leurs beaux habits noirs

Y’a des gouttes sur les fenêtres
Mais y’a du soleil dans nos cœurs
Un petit miracle va naître
On célèbre déjà son bonheur

**Baby shower, baby shower**
Que ça tombe fort dehors
Nous autres on danse encore
Pour le plus beau cadeau du monde

Verse 2

Y’a tante Louise avec son gâteau
Qui protège son glaçage sous son manteau
Y’a mononcle avec son parapluie
Qui dit « c’est bon signe, moi j’vous le dis »

Les souliers trempent dans l’entrée
Les manteaux commencent à dégoutter
Mais personne pense à repartir
Parce qu’on est venus pour se réjouir

On parle de demain matin
Du premier regard, des petites mains
Du premier cri dans la maison
Du premier chapitre d’une nouvelle chanson

Pre-Chorus

Pis même si la météo s’en mêle
Même si le vent brasse les chandelles
Y’a des moments qu’on n’oublie pas
Des journées qu’on garde avec soi

Chorus

**Baby shower, baby shower**
Même la pluie veut fêter ça ce soir
**Baby shower, baby shower**
Les nuages ont mis leurs beaux habits noirs

Y’a des gouttes sur les fenêtres
Mais y’a du soleil dans nos cœurs
Un petit miracle va naître
On célèbre déjà son bonheur

**Baby shower, baby shower**
Que ça tombe fort dehors
Nous autres on danse encore

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson.

# Brother, Friend

Spoken Intro

Sam...

My friend...

There were nights when the city felt too loud.

Too many strangers.
Too many shadows.
Too many thoughts that wouldn't let you rest.

I couldn't change the world outside your window.

But I could sit beside you.

And listen.

This is for you, my brother.

Verse 1

You said the city's changing
And something felt unkind
Like every street was different
Than the picture in your mind

You said the nights felt colder
Than any winter snow
And every passing stranger
Was somebody you didn't know

I heard the worry in your voice
The weight behind your eyes
The way a hundred questions
Could arrive without replies

I couldn't stop the storm outside
Or calm the rushing rain
But I could walk beside you
Through the thunder and the pain

Chorus

Brother, friend
Hold on tight
We'll keep walking through the dark
Until we find the light

Brother, friend
Take my hand
When the world feels unfamiliar
And hard to understand

No fear
No end

Just one more road
My brother
My friend

Verse 2

You talked about old memories
And people from before
Like every chapter ever written
Was knocking at your door

You laughed and called yourself
"A mainstream clubbing boy no more"

Then called yourself
"An inhibited drama queen"

And somehow we both laughed
Like we were twenty-five again

Just two souls talking
Trying to make some sense
Of all the noise around us
And everything that's happened since

Chorus

Brother, friend
Hold on tight
We'll keep walking through the dark
Until we find the light

Brother, friend
Take my hand
When the world feels unfamiliar
And hard to understand

No fear
No end

Just one more road
My brother
My friend

Verse 3

You sent a photograph one day
A poster on a wall
Talking about gardens growing
And feeding one and all

Underneath the picture
You wrote a simple line

"Let's do that together, my brother."

A sentence so ordinary
Most people would forget

But kindness has a way
Of becoming something bigger

When the world feels uncertain

You also wrote

"Stay safe, my friend."

And somehow those four words
Felt stronger than a thousand speeches

Bridge

You said Canada is big
Like your mother used to say

Forests without sirens
Rivers that know the way

Places where the night is quiet
And nobody has to hide

Where strangers become neighbours
And fear is left behind

Then one evening
You sent another message

Short and simple

"No fears."

"Only stars above with you."

And for a moment

Everything was still

Final Chorus

Brother, friend
Look above
Past the noise and all the shadows
There's still room for hope and love

Brother, friend
Don't forget
The darkest nights are followed
By the sunrise rising yet

No fear
No end

Only stars above
My brother
My friend

Outro

Let the old winters go

Leave the whiskey by the river

Watch a new garden grow

Let the fear drift away

Let the night become the morning

Let tomorrow have its say

Brother...

Friend...

No fears...

Only stars above with you...

Fade out.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson.

Verse

I don't wanna be just like everybody else
I don't wanna be one of the many
How can I survive in a world full of lies?
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no

Chorus

I feel like a zombie
Everyone around me
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
I feel like a zombie
Everyone around me
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside

Verse 2

I don't wanna be just like everybody else
I don't wanna be one of the many
How can I survive in a world full of lies?
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no
Oh no

Chorus

I feel like a zombie
Everyone around me
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
I feel like a zombie
Everyone around me
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside
Dead inside

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson.

Nobody can see me
Everything's quiet
And I finally feel at peace
I am ready to be buried
I have suffered enough
I deserve some sleep

Oh
Oh

The stupid games
The stupid games
And the stupid games
You like me this way
You like me this way
Oh
You like me this way
So let me play the stupid games

Life has no meaning
Life has no meaning
It's all just one big lie
We all get tortured
We all get tortured
Just to die
Oh
Why

Oh
The stupid games
The stupid games
The stupid games
Oh
You like me this way
You like me this way
Oh
You like me this way
So let me play the stupid games
Let me play the stupid games
Let me play the stupid games
You like me this way
Oh
You like me this way
Oh
You like me this way
Oh
You like me this way

Outro

Nobody can see me
Nobody can see me
Everything's quiet
And I finally feel at peace

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson.

Intro

Rise.
The court is in session.

Hook A

Crown on the table, candles in the hall
Strings in the shadows, I answer the call
Crown on the table, watch the empire fall
Came up from the cellar, now I'm standing tall
(tall, tall)

Verse 1

Harpsichord ticking like a clock on the wall
Velvet on the throne but I came up raw
Quill in my hand, every contract signed
808 knocking like a cannon in time
They said stay humble, I said stay hungry
Ballroom go quiet when the bass come running
Silk and the steel, I was raised on both
King of the city in a borrowed coat

Beat Switch

Hook B

Bow down, bow down, let the violins cry
808 on the marble, watch the chandeliers fly
Bow down, bow down, nobody gets a pass
Royal in the rhythm, got a crown made of brass
(bow down)

Verse 2

Minuet steps but I move in the dark
Cello in the basement, it's lighting a spark
Portraits on the wall, every face looking stunned
Started with a whisper, now the kingdom is won
No inheritance, I built every stone
Every brick in this palace got my name on its own
Fanfare playing when I walk through the gate
Ink on the treaty, now history waits

Bridge

Every king was a peasant once
Every crown was a dream once
Hold it close, hold it close

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Crown on the table (bow down, bow down)
Candles in the hall (let the violins cry)
Crown on the table (808 on the marble)
Now I'm standing tall (watch the chandeliers fly)
(tall, tall)

Outro

Court adjourned.

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

¡Olé!
Riddim a call

Hook A

Fire in the heel, stomp it on the floor
Guitar crying like it's never cried before
Fire in the heel, stomp it on the floor
Duende in the riddim and we coming back for more
(¡olé!)

Verse 1

Red dress spinning like a hurricane
Castanets clicking like the rhythm of the rain
Sound system shaking on the cobblestone
Seville to Kingston, every street feel like home
Hands up clapping on the off-beat
Palmas and the bassline locking in the street
Sun going down and the fire going higher
Every step she take setting the floor on fire

Beat Switch

Hook B

Wine and turn, wine and turn, ay
Guitar talking and the bass say yeah
Wine and turn, wine and turn, ay
Nobody stopping till the morning come here
(wine and turn)

Verse 2

Cajón knocking like a door at midnight
Selector on the mic and the crowd hold tight
Flamenco blood with a Caribbean soul
Two old fires with a brand new goal
Spanish moon hanging over the sea
Every wave in the harbor dancing with me
Sweat on the brow and the strings on fire
Take it up, take it up, take it higher

Bridge

Ay, ay, ay
Corazon on fire
Ay

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Fire in the heel (wine and turn, wine and turn)
Stomp it on the floor (guitar talking)
Fire in the heel (wine and turn, wine and turn)
Coming back for more (till the morning come)
(¡olé!)

Outro

¡Olé!

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hé là, hé là
Come on, come on

Hook A

Danse avec moi sous la neige
Turn it up, turn it up, we don't need to sleep
Danse avec moi sous la neige
Toute la nuit, toute la nuit, feel the rhythm deep
(oh-é, oh-é)

Verse 1

Fiddle in the kitchen, grand-mère clapping hands
Log drums from Lagos meeting Saint-Laurent
Tuque on my head but the sun in my soul
Cold outside, mais le cœur est chaud
Plateau to the port, everybody move
Tapping on the floor like the old folks do
Two worlds meeting in a single song
Chez nous, chez vous, we belong

Beat Switch

Hook B

Tape du pied (tape du pied)
Lève les mains (lève les mains)
From the north to the south we the same, same, same
Tape du pied (tape du pied)
Jusqu'au matin (jusqu'au matin)
Every heartbeat calling out your name
(ya, ya)

Verse 2

Cabane à sucre with a Lagos groove
Sirop d'érable, sweet like you
Accordion breathing, talking drum replies
Snow on the window but the fire's alive
Montréal nights got a melody
Mama Africa in the harmony
On danse en rond, the circle never ends
Strangers at the door, now we leaving as friends

Bridge

Ensemble, ensemble
Together, together
Ensemble

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Danse avec moi (tape du pied)
Sous la neige (lève les mains)
Danse avec moi (tape du pied)
Toute la nuit (jusqu'au matin)
(oh-é, oh-é)

Outro

Hé là
Bonne nuit, Montréal

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Oh-oh, oh-oh
From the hills to the island

Hook A

Baila, baila on the green hills
Mist on your shoulders and the night still
Baila, baila on the green hills
Gaita calling and the drum won't stand still
(baila)

Verse 1

Stone walls standing since a thousand years
Now the dembow rolling and it's crystal clear
Fiddle on the corner and the rain on the street
Everyone in the pub moving to the beat
Copper in your hair like a sunset glow
Whiskey and the lime and we taking it slow
Bodhrán knocking like a heart in my chest
Island in the north meeting island in the west

Beat Switch

Hook B

Arriba, arriba, raise your glass up high
Under the clover and the Caribbean sky
Arriba, arriba, every voice in the room
Dancing in the thunder like a flower in bloom
(arriba)

Verse 2

Castle on the cliff got a speaker on the wall
Old men tapping while the young ones call
Perreo in the meadow where the shepherds roam
Hundred miles from the sea but it feels like home
Harp strings shining like the morning dew
Salsa in the heart and the green in you
Nobody said that the worlds can't blend
Legends in the past, now we legends again

Bridge

Home, home
Wherever we dance
Home

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Baila, baila (arriba, arriba)
On the green hills (raise your glass up high)
Baila, baila (arriba, arriba)
Gaita calling (under the Caribbean sky)
(baila)

Outro

From the hills to the island
Oh-oh

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Mm, devagar
Slow down

Hook A

Slow tide, fast lights, dancing on the shoreline
Your hand in mine, we're running out of time
Slow tide, fast lights, swaying in the moonshine
Devagar, devagar, everything is fine
(devagar)

Verse 1

Linen on the balcony, salt still on my skin
City humming quiet, let the evening in
Rhodes keys drifting like a lazy afternoon
Kick drum in the distance, heartbeat in tune
Every little rhythm says don't you rush
Every little whisper turning into us
Glasses on the table catching amber light
Summer never ending if we stay tonight

Beat Switch

Hook B

Move, move, let the bassline carry you
Groove, groove, nothing that we have to do
Move, move, feel the ocean pulling through
Lose, lose yourself, I'll be losing too
(move)

Verse 2

Barefoot on the tiles while the speakers glow
Guitar talking softly to the stereo
Strangers in the courtyard learning how to sway
Nobody remembers what they came to say
Hi-hats like the rain on a paper fan
Drawing little circles in the warm white sand
Midnight in the harbor and the boats all hum
This is where the slow and the fast become one

Bridge

Saudade in the air
Saudade everywhere
Hold me there

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Slow tide (move, move)
Fast lights (let the bassline carry you)
Slow tide (groove, groove)
Devagar (I'll be losing too)
(devagar)

Outro

Devagar
Slow down

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Mm
Midnight in the city

Hook A

Smoke and shadows, dance with me slow
Saxophone crying where the streetlights glow
Smoke and shadows, nobody knows
Where we're going when the log drum rolls
(mm, slow)

Verse 1

Trench coat collar and a cigarette moon
Piano in the alley playing someone's tune
Detective at the bar with a glass of rye
Case he never solved is the look in my eye
Shaker on the off-beat, shuffle on the floor
Somebody knocking at the back room door
Upright bass walking like it's late for a date
Midnight on the clock and the clock don't wait

Beat Switch

Hook B

Who you running from? (nobody, nobody)
Where you hiding now? (somebody, somebody)
Who you running from? (shadows on the wall)
Keep it moving, keep it moving through it all
(nobody)

Verse 2

Brass section whisper in a velvet room
Fedora tilted and a black perfume
Johannesburg rhythm in a 1940s scene
Every shadow got a story and a tambourine
Keys like rain on a convertible hood
Everyone guilty, nobody good
Piano log drum talking in code
One more dance before we hit the road

Bridge

Case closed
Case closed
Or is it

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Smoke and shadows (who you running from?)
Dance with me slow (nobody, nobody)
Smoke and shadows (where you hiding now?)
When the log drum rolls (somebody, somebody)
(mm, slow)

Outro

Midnight in the city
Mm

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

¡Ajüa!
Vámonos

Hook A

Fuego, fuego en la carretera
Tires on fire, we don't stop for nada
Fuego, fuego en la carretera
Drift through the night like a midnight serenata
(¡fuego!)

Verse 1

Cowbell ringing like a church at noon
Trumpets in the rearview howling at the moon
Desert in the mirror, smoke on the line
Headlights cutting through the cactus and the pine
Guitarrón bumping where the bass should be
Sombra on the highway, nobody catching me
Dust on the boots and the radio loud
Slide through the corner, leave a cloud for the crowd

Beat Switch

Hook B

Dale, dale, dale, no brakes tonight
Dale, dale, dale, chasing the light
Dale, dale, dale, the road is mine
Violins screaming on the borderline
(dale)

Verse 2

Grito in the canyon and it echoes back twice
Roll the window down, let the heat feel nice
Vihuela strumming like a heartbeat race
Speedometer climbing with a smile on my face
Serenade the city from the hood of the car
Every mile marker another scar
Abuela's prayers riding shotgun with me
Fire in the engine, finally free

Bridge

Ay, ay, ay
The road goes on
Ay, ay, ay

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Fuego, fuego (dale, dale, dale)
En la carretera (no brakes tonight)
Fuego, fuego (dale, dale, dale)
Midnight serenata (the road is mine)
(¡fuego!)

Outro

¡Ajüa!

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Mm
Breathe in

Hook A

Monsoon velocity, rain at the speed of light
Running through the thunder in the middle of the night
Monsoon velocity, nothing can hold me down
Sitar in the sky and the bass shaking the ground
(velocity)

Verse 1

Tabla on the rooftop, breakbeat in the lane
Two hundred heartbeats racing with the rain
Marigold petals spinning in the storm
Ancient raga melting into a brand new form
Neon on the river and the temple bells ring
Sub-bass rolling like a monsoon king
Every string bending like a wave in the sea
Thousand years of rhythm running wild in me

Beat Switch

Hook B

Faster, faster, feel the river run
Older than the mountains, younger than the sun
Faster, faster, never coming down
Thunder in the tabla, lightning in the sound
(faster)

Verse 2

Amen break shattering the quiet of the dawn
Sitar string singing where the old gods gone
Mumbai to London on a midnight train
Every city waiting for the season of rain
Bass drop heavy like a cloud about to break
Feel the whole floor tremble, feel the whole world shake
Drone underneath like a heartbeat slow
Everything is moving but the soul says go

Bridge

Breathe in
Breathe out
Let the rain fall

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Monsoon velocity (faster, faster)
Rain at the speed of light (feel the river run)
Monsoon velocity (faster, faster)
Bass shaking the ground (younger than the sun)
(velocity)

Outro

Breathe out

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Well
Here we go again

Hook A

Neon rodeo, ride it till the morning light
Chrome on the horses and the stars burning bright
Neon rodeo, dust on a laser beam
Cowboy in the city living out a midnight dream
(yeehaw)

Verse 1

Boots on the pedal of a '84 machine
Highway glowing purple like a VHS screen
Banjo on the radio, synth in the back
Arcade lights flashing on the railroad track
Grandpa sang of prairies, I sing of the grid
Same lonesome heart that the old men hid
Motel sign humming in a magenta haze
Riding on the outline of the better days

Beat Switch

Hook B

Hold on, hold on to the wheel
Ain't nothing out here that ain't real
Hold on, hold on, let it ride
Retro heart with a country side
(hold on)

Verse 2

Cassette in the deck and a fiddle in the fade
Sunset dripping like a cherry lemonade
Tumbleweeds rolling through a digital town
Pixel moon rising when the sun goes down
Saddle made of leather and a jacket made of light
Back roads shining in the middle of the night
Every mile marker blinking like a song
I been driving to the future all along

Bridge

Home is a feeling
Not a place
Home

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Neon rodeo (hold on, hold on)
Ride it till the morning light (to the wheel)
Neon rodeo (hold on, hold on)
Living out a midnight dream (let it ride)
(yeehaw)

Outro

Here we go again

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Ooh, ooh
Lord, I been running

Hook A

Lift me up, lift me up from the concrete
Wash it off, wash it off, make the road sweet
Lift me up, lift me up when the night's deep
I was lost in the block, now I'm found in the heat
(hallelujah)

Verse 1

Cold on the corner, my breath in the air
Mama on her knees every night saying prayers
Sliding through the city with a weight on my back
Every step heavy but I never looked back
They counted me out, now they counting on me
From the bottom of the stairs to the top of the street
Organ in the basement, 808 in my chest
I was born in the storm but I'm blessed, I'm blessed

Beat Switch

Hook B

No more running, no more hiding
Sky was grey, now the sun is rising
No more running, I been fighting
Heaven in my ear when the bass is sliding
(no more)

Verse 2

Candle in the window, light for the lost
Every bridge I crossed, I been paying the cost
Pastor on the mic, man, I'm talking to the sky
Tears on the pavement but I'm learning how to fly
Road was a prison, now the road is a choir
Every scar on my hand is a story of fire
Brothers that I lost, I keep their names in my song
If they ask where I'm from, say I'm where I belong

Bridge

Hold on, hold on
Morning's coming, hold on
Hold on, hold on

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Lift me up (no more running)
From the concrete (no more hiding)
Lift me up (sky was grey)
When the night's deep (now the sun is rising)
(hallelujah)

Outro

Ooh, ooh
I been found

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Listen
Every rhythm
Every road

Hook A

Every rhythm brings me home
Every language, every drum
Every rhythm brings me home
We were many, now we're one
(home)

Verse 1

Crown on the table and a candle in the hall
Concrete to the choir, I been answering the call
Snow in Montréal and a fiddle in the night
Slow tide at the harbor and the fast city lights
Fuego on the highway, green hills in the rain
Every place I wandered left a song in my veins

Beat Switch

Hook B

One world, one sound
Feet on the same ground
One world, one sound
Pass the rhythm around
(one world)

Verse 2

Aria on the block and the smoke in the street
Fire in the heel and the monsoon beat
Neon on the rodeo, dust in the light
Every border melting on the dance floor tonight
Twelve little doors in a house made of sound
Open every one and the whole world's found

Bridge

Baila, danse, dance
Canta, chante, sing
Ensemble
Together

Drop

Hook A + Hook B

Every rhythm brings me home (one world, one sound)
Every language, every drum (feet on the same ground)
Every rhythm brings me home (one world, one sound)
We were many, now we're one (pass the rhythm around)
(home)

Outro

Every rhythm
Home

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Lights go low on the corner hall
Velvet ropes and a bodega wall

Ancora, ancora, the block is awake

Build

(Doors are open, find your seat)
(Tonight the opera meets the street)

Drop

Ah-ah-ah, Ferry Street
Ah-ah-ah, feel the beat

Outro

Aaah

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Ooh, the chandelier

Hook

Make the chandelier shake, shake
Crystal raining on the floor
Make the chandelier shake, shake
Give me one more, one more

Verse 1

Walked in the hall in a rented tux
Usher looked at me like I don't belong, tough luck
Bass in the basement and the strings upstairs
Grandma in the front row dancing in her chair
Tickets sold out but the side door's cracked
Whole block came through and we never going back
Velvet on the walls and the kicks on the floor
Choir hit a note and I'm begging for more

Hook

Make the chandelier shake, shake
Crystal raining on the floor
Make the chandelier shake, shake
Give me one more, one more

Verse 2

Left foot, right foot, Jersey on the beat
Maestro with a baton tryna keep up with the heat
Program in my pocket, never read a page
Still know every note when I step on the stage

Bridge

Forte, forte
Let the crystal ring
Forte

Drop

Outro

Shake

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Turn the dial, turn the dial
There's a diva on the late-night station
Turn it up a while
Let her sing to the whole nation

Verse 1

Two a.m., car parked, windows rolled down
Classical station the only thing in town
Flipped it to the club mix, flipped it right back
Then the DJ blended both and I lost track
Opera on the left, eight-oh-eight on the right
Neighbors on the porch like it's opening night

Hook

Turn the dial, turn the dial
There's a diva on the late-night station
Turn it up a while
Let her sing to the whole nation

Verse 2

Called in to the station like who is she
Host said she's a ghost from nineteen-oh-three
Record got scratches but the voice still clean
Harpsichord looping like a slot machine

Bridge

Bella notte
Stay on the air
Bella notte

Drop

Outro

Turn the dial

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Up in the balcony seats
We got the best view in the house
Up in the balcony seats
Dancing while they're shushing us out

Verse

Cheap tickets, top floor, closest to the sky
Binoculars on and I'm waving goodbye
Rich folks downstairs sitting real still
We up here moving like a Jersey club drill
Popcorn ain't allowed but we snuck it in
Usher shook his head, then he joined in
Railing shaking and the chandelier swaying
Whole top floor louder than the band playing

Hook

Up in the balcony seats
We got the best view in the house
Up in the balcony seats
Dancing while they're shushing us out

Bridge

Alto, alto, higher than the rest

Drop

Outro

Balcony

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

One more! One more!

Hook

Run it back, run it back
Ancora, one more time
Run it back, run it back
Till the sunrise hits the line

Verse

House lights on but nobody leaving
Coat check line and the whole room breathing
DJ said last one, crowd said no
Conductor pointed at the drums like go
Sweat on the program, ink running down
Best night we ever had in this town
Trumpets in the aisle and the strings on the stairs
Usher gave up, now he dancing in the chairs

Hook

Run it back, run it back
Ancora, one more time
Run it back, run it back
Till the sunrise hits the line

Bridge

Ancora, ancora, ancora

Drop

Outro

One more!

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Aaah
Amore, ascolta

Hook

Sing it to the ceiling, let the chandelier shake
Aria on the block, every heart gonna break
Sing it to the ceiling, curtain call tonight
Opera in the club under neon light
(ah-ah-ah)

Verse 1

Velvet seats empty but the floor is packed
Bed squeak kicks and the aria on the track
Tuxedo on, but my sneakers on too
Ballet on the dance floor, we bounce like we do
Conductor with a baton, I'm the DJ with the fade
Orchestra pit turning to a club parade
Every high note hitting like a flashing strobe
Phantom in the corner moving in his robe

Beat Switch

Hook

Bravo, bravo, everybody stand
Roses on the stage, throw 'em with your hand
Bravo, bravo, give it one more time
Diva on the speaker and the bass on the line
(bravo)

Verse 2

Act one, act two, now we on act three
Balcony screaming like they came to see me
Violins chopped up, looped on repeat
Pavarotti energy with a Newark beat
Opera glasses fogging from the heat in the room
Everyone singing like they're born to bloom
Curtain coming down but the party don't end
Encore, encore, let's run it again

Bridge

Amore, amore
This is the final scene
Amore

Drop

Hook

Sing it to the ceiling (bravo, bravo)
Let the chandelier shake (everybody stand)
Aria on the block (bravo, bravo)
Opera in the club (throw 'em with your hand)
(ah-ah-ah)

Outro

Aaah
Bravo

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Verse

Every song had a place, every place had a name
Every name had a block and the block felt the same
Opera in the club, club in the hall
Didn't think it would work, now we doing it all
Said goodbye to the stage with my hand on my chest
Gave the night everything, gave the city my best

Hook

This is the final bow
Thank you for staying
This is the final bow
Hear the strings still playing

Bridge

Addio, addio
Until we meet again

Drop

Hook

This is the final bow
Thank you for staying

Outro

Aaah
Bravo

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Mmm, mmm

Fifteen minutes, grab a drink at the bar
Back in your seats when the lights flicker twice
Act two is where it gets real

Mmm

Outro

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Fortissimo, fortissimo
Louder than the whole wide world
Fortissimo, fortissimo
Let the block hear every word

Verse

Turn it to the max, no quiet in the room
Only one setting and it's straight to boom
Timpani hitting like the ground gon' crack
Choir in the back got the whole block's back
They said keep it down, we said we can't
Hundred-piece orchestra, one-man chant
Noise complaint framed on the studio wall
Proof that we were loudest of them all

Hook

Fortissimo, fortissimo
Louder than the whole wide world
Fortissimo, fortissimo
Let the block hear every word

Bridge

Aaaah

Drop

Outro

Fortissimo

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Put your mask on, take my hand
Spin me round till I can't stand
Put your mask on, nobody knows
Who we are when the music goes

Verse

Feathers and sequins on the corner store steps
Everybody hiding but they still know the steps
One-two-three turned into one-two
Waltz flipped Jersey and the whole street knew
Landlord in a mask, can't tell who he is
Dancing with the tenant that he owes a deposit

Hook

Put your mask on, take my hand
Spin me round till I can't stand
Put your mask on, nobody knows
Who we are when the music goes

Bridge

Chi sei, chi sei
Tell me before the dawn

Drop

Outro

Masks off

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Verse 1

Page one, I'm a nobody with a pen
Page two, met a girl at the opera house, and then
Page three, she was singing in a language I don't know
Still understood every word of the show

Hook

Write it in the libretto
Every line, every note
Write it in the libretto
Every word that I wrote

Verse 2

Act two, she was leaving on a train
Act three, I was standing in the rain
Wrote her name in the margin of the score
Never had a story worth singing before
Pencil marks fading where the tears hit the page
Still rehearsing lines for an empty stage

Hook

Write it in the libretto
Every line, every note
Write it in the libretto
Every word that I wrote

Bridge

Fine, fine
This is where it ends

Drop

Outro

Libretto

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Who's that in the mask tonight
Dancing where there ain't no light
Who's that in the mask tonight
Gone before the morning light

Verse 1

Saw him by the speaker, never saw him leave
White mask, black gloves, something up his sleeve
Every time the organ hit, the lights went dim
Every girl on the floor was dancing with him
Nobody got his name, nobody got his face
Just a rose on the floor where he used to take his place

Hook

Who's that in the mask tonight
Dancing where there ain't no light
Who's that in the mask tonight
Gone before the morning light

Verse 2

Check the guest list, he was never on it
Check the cameras, nothing but a comet
Bartender swear he paid in old coins
Organ still playing and the power's off, boy

Bridge

Aaah

Drop

Outro

Gone

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Prima donna pull up
Make the whole room stop
Prima donna pull up
Front row to the top

Verse

She don't need a mic, she fill the hall alone
Lungs like a stadium, voice like a throne
Gown dragging on the floor, ten feet long
Bodyguards carry the train of the song
She hit the high note and the glasses crack
Then she hit the dance floor and she don't look back
Photographers fainting, critics in tears
Best review this city wrote in years

Hook

Prima donna pull up
Make the whole room stop
Prima donna pull up
Front row to the top

Bridge

Brava, brava
Queen of the hall

Drop

Outro

Pull up

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hook

Got a tenor in the trunk
Hear him shaking up the street
Got a tenor in the trunk
Riding on the beat

Verse

Subwoofers built for the opera house
Rolling past the park and it's turning out
Old man on the bench know every line
Kids on bikes trying to keep in time
Windows up but you can hear it a mile
Tenor hold a note and I hold the wheel
Neither one of us know how to chill

Hook

Got a tenor in the trunk
Hear him shaking up the street
Got a tenor in the trunk
Riding on the beat

Bridge

Andiamo, andiamo
Take the long way home

Drop

Outro

In the trunk

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Verse 1

Came from the corner with a dream in a bag
Practiced in the stairwell, nobody clapped
Mama said sing, so I learned how to rhyme
Now the whole hall holding breath every time
Cheap shoes squeaking on a marble floor
Never been invited, now they holding the door

Hook

Curtain call, curtain call
Everybody on their feet
Curtain call, curtain call
From the stage down to the street

Verse 2

Roses at my shoes and I don't know what to say
Thought about the kid who got told to stay away
Took a bow for him, took a bow for the block
Took a bow for every door that was locked

Hook

Curtain call, curtain call
Everybody on their feet
Curtain call, curtain call
From the stage down to the street

Bridge

Grazie, grazie
For every empty seat that filled

Drop

Outro

Curtain call

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Next
Passport, please

Verse 1

Blue little book with my face looking tired
Pages full of ink from the places I admired
Stamps like tattoos from the edges of the map
Every single one got a story and a nap
Learned to say thank you in a dozen ways
Learned that a smile translates in any phrase
The world is a school and the street is the class
I'm a student for life and I'm learning fast

Hook

Stamp it on my passport
Every city in my soul
Stamp it on my passport
Every road is coming home

Verse 2

Gracias, shukran, danke, merci
Every word's a key to another country
I don't speak 'em perfect, but I speak 'em with heart
And people meet you halfway when you make a start
So here's twelve cities and a song for each
A little bit of every place within my reach
Pack your bags, we leaving on the downbeat
The whole wide world's dancing on its feet

Bridge

Stamp! (stamp!)
Stamp! (stamp!)
Let's go!

Hook

Stamp it on my passport
Every city in my soul
Stamp it on my passport
Every road is coming home

Outro

Boarding now

Intro

Salam
Good morning

Verse 1

Mint tea pouring from a height like a waterfall
Spice stacks colored like a painted wall
A man with a donkey and a cart full of bread
Says "Salam alaykum" with a nod of his head
I answer "Wa alaykum salam" kinda slow
He smiles at my accent, says "You're learning, bro"
The medina's a maze and I'm happy to be lost
Every wrong turn worth whatever it cost

Hook

Marrakech morning
The sun is in the tea
Marrakech morning
Shukran for letting me be

Verse 2

Gnawa drums in the square at the end of the day
The rhythm gets inside you and it won't go away
Kids playing football with a ball made of tape
A grandmother laughing at the shape of my shape
Yalla, yalla, everybody moving
I'm a stranger in the circle, but the circle's improving
That's the magic of the road when you open your hand
The whole world's family if you try to understand

Bridge

Yalla (yalla)
Yalla (yalla)
Shukran

Hook

Marrakech morning
The sun is in the tea
Marrakech morning
Shukran for letting me be

Outro

Bslama

Intro

Vier Uhr
Four in the morning

Verse 1

Walked out of the warehouse with my ears still ringing
The sky going purple and the birds start singing
A kebab on the corner and a bench by the Spree
A girl from Leipzig says "Na, wie geht's?" to me
I said "Gut, danke" with my best attempt
She laughed so hard that her coffee went

Hook

Berlin, vier Uhr
The night won't let me go
Berlin, vier Uhr
Dancing in the after-glow

Verse 2

Wall stood here once and now there's art in its place
Colors on the concrete like a smile on a face
The city learned to heal by turning up the bass
By letting every stranger find a little space
Guten Morgen, sunshine, I didn't sleep at all
But I feel more alive than I've felt since the fall

Bridge

Danke
Danke schön
Berlin

Hook

Berlin, vier Uhr
The night won't let me go
Berlin, vier Uhr
Dancing in the after-glow

Outro

Tschüss

Intro

¡Oye!
Havana

Verse 1

Vintage cars painted like candy on the street
Dominoes slapping in the afternoon heat
An old man with a trumpet on a balcony high
Playing to the laundry hanging out to dry
I ask for directions with my Spanish in pieces
He laughs and says "Mi amigo, sigue la música"
So I followed the music down a narrow lane
And found a whole party dancing in the rain

Hook

Havana steps (¡uno, dos, tres!)
Follow the music, never stress
Havana steps (¡uno, dos, tres!)
The rhythm knows the way the best

Verse 2

A lady named Marisol pulled me to the floor
Said "Despacio, despacio" then she showed me more
My feet were confused but my heart got the beat
The whole block cheering for the gringo with two left feet
No money, no wifi, no rush, no clock
Just the clave and the laughter and the music on the block
I learned more in a night than a year in a class
That joy is a language and it's built to last

Bridge

¡Azúcar!
¡Wepa!

Hook

Havana steps (¡uno, dos, tres!)
Follow the music, never stress
Havana steps (¡uno, dos, tres!)
The rhythm knows the way the best

Outro

Gracias, Havana

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Lagos
The city that never sits down

Verse 1

Traffic like a river that forgot how to flow
Hawkers selling everything from phones to radio
A danfo bus painted yellow as the sun
The driver playing music like the party's just begun
I came for a meeting and I stayed for the sound
The rhythm in the street just keeps going round

Hook

Lagos light, shining bright
City of hustle, city of life
Lagos light, all through the night
Everybody moving, everybody's right

Verse 2

A tailor stitching dreams on a corner machine
A kid with a laptop building something unseen
Entrepreneurs on every block with a plan
I felt right at home, a builder's land
Jollof on the table and the stories never end
Came here a stranger and I left with a friend

Bridge

Light (light)
Bright (bright)
Lagos!

Hook

Lagos light, shining bright
City of hustle, city of life
Lagos light, all through the night
Everybody moving, everybody's right

Outro

See you again, Lagos

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Arigatou
The rain is beautiful

Verse 1

A thousand clear umbrellas crossing Shibuya street
Neon reflected in the puddles at my feet
A vending machine glowing with a can of something warm
I'm a lost little tourist in the middle of the storm
A salaryman smiles and he bows a little low
Points me to the station, says "This way, go slow"

Hook

Tokyo rain, falling on me
Washing away what I used to be
Tokyo rain, soft and slow
Showing me places I didn't know

Verse 2

Tiny bar with six seats and a man playing vinyl
Jazz from the seventies, every note is final
Ramen at midnight in a booth made for one
I'm alone but not lonely, it's a different kind of fun
The city's so big that it makes you feel small
But it's polite in a way that you feel held through it all

Bridge

Mm
Arigatou
Mm

Hook

Tokyo rain, falling on me
Washing away what I used to be
Tokyo rain, soft and slow
Showing me places I didn't know

Outro

Sayonara

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Bom dia
Rio

Verse 1

Woke up on a rooftop with the sea in my eyes
The mountain wearing clouds like a hat in the skies
A guy selling coconuts, a kid with a kite
The whole beach waking up in the golden light
Someone's playing samba on a bucket and a can
And everybody's dancing like they're part of the plan

Hook

Rio sunrise, paint the sky
Samba in the morning, let your worries fly
Rio sunrise, feel it rise
Obrigado for the light in my eyes

Verse 2

I don't know the steps, but they teach me anyway
A grandmother laughing, "Vem, vem, it's okay"
The sand is warm and the water's cool
Nobody here is following a rule
Saudade is a word that I learned today
It's the feeling of missing what's not gone away

Bridge

Vem! (vem!)
Vem! (vem!)
Rio!

Hook

Rio sunrise, paint the sky
Samba in the morning, let your worries fly
Rio sunrise, feel it rise
Obrigado for the light in my eyes

Outro

Tchau, Rio

Intro

Sláinte
One more song

Verse 1

Rain against the window of a pub on Camden Street
A fiddler in the corner and a fire with peat
An old fella with a pint says "Where are you from?"
I say "Montréal," he says "Then sing us one"
So I stood on a stool with my knees knocking loud
And I sang a little hymn to a curious crowd

Hook

Raise your glass to the ones who wander
Raise your glass to the ones who stay
Raise your glass to the road that's yonder
And the friends we meet along the way

Verse 2

By the second verse the whole room was singing
A bartender humming and the church bells ringing
Strangers with their arms around each other's backs
Swaying like a ship on the old railroad tracks
They taught me a song that their grandfathers knew
I taught them a song from the snow and the blue

Bridge

Ooh, ooh
Sláinte
Ooh

Hook

Raise your glass to the ones who wander
Raise your glass to the ones who stay
Raise your glass to the road that's yonder
And the friends we meet along the way

Outro

Sláinte!

Intro

Merhaba
Two continents, one bridge

Verse 1

Standing on a bridge with Europe on my left
Asia on my right and a ferry going west
Fishermen lined up with their lines in the sea
Simit in my hand and a tea for me
A thousand years of empires in the stone below
Minarets and markets and the river's gentle flow
Two halves of the world holding hands in the middle
Kinda like me, I'm a bridge, a little

Hook

Istanbul bridge, I'm in between
East and west and everything I've seen
Istanbul bridge, I won't choose
Got two homes and nothing to lose

Verse 2

French in my mouth and English in my head
Arabic and Spanish in the books on my bed
Never all one thing, always a mix
That's the gift, not the problem I need to fix
The city taught me that you can be both
A crossroads ain't lost, it's a place of growth
So I'll stand in the middle where the two winds meet
And I'll make the whole world my street

Bridge

Teşekkürler
Istanbul

Hook

Istanbul bridge, I'm in between
East and west and everything I've seen
Istanbul bridge, I won't choose
Got two homes and nothing to lose

Outro

Görüşürüz

Intro

Sunday morning
Blue Mountains

Verse 1

Church let out and the hats are all bright
Aunties in white like a field of light
A sound system setting up under a tree
A domino table and a cup of tea
The Blue Mountains glowing in the morning haze
The kind of slow that you remember for days

Hook

Kingston Sunday, take it easy
Let the bassline breathe
Kingston Sunday, sun so breezy
Nothing left to need

Verse 2

A trumpet player jamming with a reggae band
Jazz and roots shaking each other's hand
An old man telling stories of the music's past
Of studios and legends and the songs that last
I listen with my eyes closed and my coffee black
The island got a rhythm and it pulls you back

Bridge

Easy now
Easy

Hook

Kingston Sunday, take it easy
Let the bassline breathe
Kingston Sunday, sun so breezy
Nothing left to need

Outro

Walk good

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Annyeonghaseyo
Line two

Verse 1

Line two going round like a circle in the night
Everybody quiet in the blue LED light
A student with her flashcards, a grandpa with his tea
A couple sharing earbuds, sharing melody
I'm holding the strap and I'm swaying with the train
Watching the city slide past in the rain

Hook

Seoul subway, take me round
Every stop a different sound
Seoul subway, carry me
To the place I'm meant to be

Verse 2

Got off at Hongdae where the buskers play
A kid with a keyboard singing his heart away
I didn't know the words, but I knew the feeling
That look on his face when the crowd started kneeling
Cheap fried chicken and a convenience store beer
Gamsahamnida, I'm so glad I'm here

Bridge

Next stop
Anywhere

Hook

Seoul subway, take me round
Every stop a different sound
Seoul subway, carry me
To the place I'm meant to be

Outro

Annyeong

Intro

Masa al-khair
Good evening, Cairo

Verse 1

Rooftop at midnight and the Nile below
City of a thousand minarets aglow
Honking like a symphony that never takes a breath
Twenty million stories dancing over death and depth
A taxi driver singing to an old cassette
One of those voices you could never forget
He turns it up and tells me "This is our soul"
I close my eyes and feel the whole story roll

Hook

Cairo stars over the pyramids
Older than every promise anybody did
Cairo stars, I'm just passing through
But I'll carry a little piece of you

Verse 2

Stood by the stones that the ancients laid
Felt so small in the shadow they made
Five thousand years and they're still right there
Makes my little worries disappear in the air
What am I building that'll last that long?
Maybe nothing but a kindness and a song
Shukran, Cairo, for the lesson in time
I'll be humble in the climb

Bridge

Shukran
Shukran

Hook

Cairo stars over the pyramids
Older than every promise anybody did
Cairo stars, I'm just passing through
But I'll carry a little piece of you

Outro

Ma'a salama

Intro

Alright now
Fall in line

Verse 1

Umbrellas in the air and the handkerchiefs waving
Tuba on the corner, the whole block's raving
I was walking to the coffee shop, minding my own
Next thing I know I'm in a parade, not alone
A lady in feathers grabbed hold of my hand
Said "Baby, you're in the second line, understand?"
No invitation needed, no money, no fee
Just follow the trumpet and you'll be free

Hook

Second line (second line)
Everybody step in time
Second line (second line)
Leave your worries all behind

Verse 2

They dance for the living and they dance for the gone
They turn every sorrow into another song
That's a lesson I needed, I'll take it back home
Grief and joy walking down the same road
Gumbo on the porch and a shot of strong coffee
A kid on a trombone playing better than me
So when I'm gone, don't you cry for too long
Throw a second line and sing my song

Bridge

Hey! (hey!)
Ho! (ho!)
Second line!

Hook

Second line (second line)
Everybody step in time
Second line (second line)
Leave your worries all behind

Outro

Keep walking

Intro

¡Buenas!
CDMX

Verse 1

Tacos al pastor spinning on a corner flame
Mariachis in the plaza calling out my name
Well, not my name, but it felt that way
A trumpet and a smile at the end of the day
I practice my Spanish with a lady selling corn
"¿Cómo estás?" "Bien," I'm so glad I was born

Hook

Ciudad de México (¡ay, ay!)
Mi corazón se queda aquí
Ciudad de México (¡ay, ay!)
Come dance the cumbia with me

Verse 2

Un café de olla in a clay cup
Papel picado flying, colors looking up
The city is huge but the people are near
Every stranger said "Bienvenido, amigo, welcome here"
I'll learn your language slowly, palabra por palabra
Until my heart can say what my mouth can't grab

Bridge

¡Wepa!
¡Ándale!

Hook

Ciudad de México (¡ay, ay!)
Mi corazón se queda aquí
Ciudad de México (¡ay, ay!)
Come dance the cumbia with me

Outro

Hasta pronto

Intro

Bienvenue à Montréal
Welcome home

Verse 1

I've had tea in Marrakech and coffee in Rome
Danced in Havana, but I'm finally home
Snow on the window and the metro's hum
The smell of bagels and the sound of a drum
Every stamp in my passport a story I keep
But this is the city where I fall asleep

Hook

Home port, home port
After all the roads I roam
Home port, home port
Every rhythm brings me home

Verse 2

Berlin taught me nights, Lagos taught me hustle
Tokyo taught me quiet in the middle of the bustle
Rio taught me joy and Cairo taught me time
Dublin taught me singing every single line
Kingston taught me easy, Istanbul taught me both
Seoul taught me kindness, New Orleans how to grow
Now I bring it back to Ville-Marie
The whole wide world is a part of me

Bridge

Gracias, shukran, danke, merci
Thank you, world
For making me

Hook

Home port, home port
After all the roads I roam
Home port, home port
Every rhythm brings me home

Outro

Bienvenue
Home

Intro

Mm
No rush

Verse 1

The world wants everything yesterday
Fast food, fast love, fast getaway
But I wanna learn the way you laugh
The way you read the paper back to front by half
I wanna know your Sunday and your Monday too
The quiet little things that only you do

Hook

Love, unhurried
Take your time with me
Love, unhurried
Let it grow like a tree

Verse 2

I don't need fireworks, I need a flame
That's still burning when we're old and grey the same
I'll wait at the door while you find your keys
I'll learn your coffee and your allergies
The slower we go, the deeper it gets
No hurry, no worry, no regrets

Bridge

Slow
Slow
That's how we grow

Hook

Love, unhurried
Take your time with me
Love, unhurried
Let it grow like a tree

Outro

No rush, baby

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hi
Is this seat taken?

Verse 1

I practiced what to say for an hour in the mirror
Then forgot it all the second you got nearer
You ordered something fancy with a name I couldn't say
I got a plain black coffee, played it cool that way
You talked about your sister and your favorite band
I spilled a little sugar, you just took my hand

Hook

First coffee, first smile
Stay a little, stay a while
First coffee, gone cold
Best story I'll ever be told

Verse 2

The barista started sweeping, they were closing up the shop
We were still talking, didn't want to stop
Walked you to the metro in the purple evening light
You said "Same time next week?" and I said "Alright"
I rode home grinning like a fool on a train
I think I've been grinning ever since then

Bridge

Da-da-da
Same time next week

Hook

First coffee, first smile
Stay a little, stay a while
First coffee, gone cold
Best story I'll ever be told

Outro

Two coffees, please

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Say it
Dis-le

Verse 1

You tell me you love me in English at night
But in French when you're angry, it hits different, right
You call me mon cœur when you want the last fry
You call me babe when you're saying goodbye
I'm learning the accents, the way that you roll
Two kinds of sweet talk that go straight to my soul

Hook

Say it in both
Je t'aime, I love you
Say it in both
I need to hear it twice from you
One for my head, one for my heart
Say it in both, don't keep 'em apart

Verse 2

On ira au chalet, we'll drive up north
You'll sing in the car and I'll hum along, of course
Your mama speaks French and my friends speak slang
But love's got a language that everybody sang
No translation needed when your hand's in mine
But say it again, baby, one more time

Bridge

Je t'aime
I love you
Je t'aime

Hook

Say it in both
Je t'aime, I love you
Say it in both
I need to hear it twice from you
One for my head, one for my heart
Say it in both, don't keep 'em apart

Outro

Moi aussi

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Ay
Despacio

Verse 1

Met you on a summer night in Little Italy
You were dancing to a rhythm I could barely see
You said "Come on, I'll show you, just follow my feet"
I was stepping on your toes, but you kept the beat
You laughed and said "Despacio, take it slow"
That's the only Spanish word I really know

Hook

Corazón despacio
My heart is going slow
Corazón despacio
I'm learning as I go

Verse 2

Now I practice every morning, uno, dos, tres
You correct my accent and you laugh at my mistakes
Mi amor, mi vida, I say it kind of wrong
But you smile anyway and you sing along
The language of my heart doesn't need a class
It just needs your hand and a little bit of grass

Bridge

Uno, dos, tres
Ya está

Hook

Corazón despacio
My heart is going slow
Corazón despacio
I'm learning as I go

Outro

Despacio, mi amor

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Turn it up
The pasta can wait

Verse 1

Water's boiling over and the sauce is on the stove
Radio is playing that old song we both know
You grab the wooden spoon like a microphone
Singing to the toaster like it's Madison Square home
I drop the onions and I grab your waist
Spin you round the counter at a dancing pace

Hook

Kitchen dance (ooh-ooh)
In our socks on the floor
Kitchen dance (ooh-ooh)
Who could ask for more
No ballroom, no band, no stage, no lights
Just you and me in the kitchen tonight

Verse 2

Neighbors banging on the wall, we don't care
Flour on your nose and a noodle in your hair
Dinner might be burnt, the smoke alarm might sing
But I wouldn't trade it for anything
Years from now when we're old and slow
We'll still be dancing by the stove, I know

Bridge

Spin me (spin me)
Dip me (dip me)
Kiss me (kiss me)

Hook

Kitchen dance (ooh-ooh)
In our socks on the floor
Kitchen dance (ooh-ooh)
Who could ask for more
No ballroom, no band, no stage, no lights
Just you and me in the kitchen tonight

Outro

Okay, okay, dinner

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Shoo-bop, shoo-bop
Ooh-wah

Intro

Shoo-bop, shoo-bop
Ooh-wah

Verse 1

Found a box of old records in your father's attic room
Dusty little treasures from a long-forgotten June
You put one on the player and it crackled into life
Said "This is the song he played the night he met my mother, his wife"
And we slow danced in the dust with the sunlight coming through
Like a movie from the past, but the movie was new

Hook

Old records, new romance (shoo-bop)
Put the needle down and take a chance (ooh-wah)
Old records, spinning round
The sweetest love was lost and found

Verse 2

Now we keep 'em in our living room, alphabetized and neat
Every Sunday morning, we play one and we repeat
The crackle and the hiss are like a heartbeat in the song
The crackle and the hiss are like a heartbeat in the song
Reminding us that love is something old and something strong
One day our kids will find 'em in a box up in the hall
And play our song and dance like we did, after all

Bridge

Shoo-bop, shoo-bop
Forever and a day
Shoo-bop

Hook

Old records, new romance (shoo-bop)
Put the needle down and take a chance (ooh-wah)
Old records, spinning round
The sweetest love was lost and found

Intro

Shoo-bop, shoo-bop
Ooh-wah

Intro

Shoo-bop, shoo-bop
Ooh-wah

Outro

Ooh-wah

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

What time is it there?

Verse 1

You're waking up while I'm going to bed
Six hours between every word we said
Video freezing on your favorite smile
I screenshot it and I stare for a while
Your pillow still smells a little like you
Your pillow still smells a little like you
I'm hugging it like a fool, it's true

Hook

Distance is just a number
Six thousand miles of blue
Distance is just a number
And every one leads to you

Verse 2

I count the days on a paper calendar
Crossing them off like a prisoner
You send me pictures of the sky where you are
I count the days on a paper calendar
Crossing them off like a prisoner
You send me pictures of the sky where you are
I send you pictures of the very same star
We're living in a different time, different weather
But somehow we're closer than we've ever been together

Bridge

Soon
Soon
I'll be there soon

Hook

Distance is just a number
Six thousand miles of blue
Distance is just a number
And every one leads to you

Outro

There you are

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Alright
Let's talk

Verse 1

You slammed the door and I raised my voice
Neither one of us really made the better choice
You said I never listen, I said you never stay
We both said some things we didn't mean that way
Now we're sitting on the stairs with the silence in between
Two stubborn hearts and a broken coffee machine

Hook

Let's fight fair, baby
No hitting below the heart
Let's fight fair, baby
We're not falling apart
We're just finding our way back
To where we start

Verse 2

I'll say I'm sorry if you say it too
I'll say I'm sorry if you say it too
I'll hear your side if you hear mine through
No bringing up the past, no keeping score
No walking out and slamming that door
'Cause love ain't the absence of a storm
It's how you hold each other when it's cold and you're torn

Bridge

Come here
I'm still here
We're still here

Hook

Let's fight fair, baby
No hitting below the heart
Let's fight fair, baby
We're not falling apart
We're just finding our way back
To where we start

Outro

I'll fix the coffee machine

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Eh
Ma chérie

Verse 1

You walk in the room and the music go slow
Everybody turning, but you don't even know
Your laugh is a sunrise, your smile is a song
I've been waiting for somebody like you all along
You say you don't dance, but your shoulders are moving
I say come closer and the night keeps improving

Hook

Ma chérie, sunshine
Come and be mine, all the time
Ma chérie, sunshine
You make the whole world shine

Verse 2

I no get plenty money, but I get plenty heart
I go treat you like a queen from the very start
Cook you dinner on a Sunday, bring you flowers on a Monday
Take you to the river, we go dance till it's Tuesday
Others make promises, I make a plan
Hold your hand forever, that's the kind of man

Bridge

Sunshine (sunshine)
Sunshine (sunshine)
Ma chérie

Hook

Ma chérie, sunshine
Come and be mine, all the time
Ma chérie, sunshine
You make the whole world shine

Outro

Eh, ma chérie

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Quarters
I've got quarters

Verse 1

Tuesday night at the laundromat on Rachel Street
Fluorescent lights and the dryers' steady beat
You were folding someone's socks that weren't your own
I said "Those are mine," you said "Well, I wasn't to know"
We laughed so hard that the old man looked up
From his newspaper and his paper cup

Hook

Slow dance in the laundromat
Spinning like the clothes go round
Slow dance in the laundromat
Best place love was ever found

Verse 2

The radio played something from a decade gone
You said "I love this one," and you hummed along
I held out my hand, you rolled your eyes
Then took it anyway, to my surprise
We swayed between the washers in our winter boots
And the old man clapped like we were in our suits

Bridge

Rinse
Spin
Repeat forever

Hook

Slow dance in the laundromat
Spinning like the clothes go round
Slow dance in the laundromat
Slow dance in the laundromat
Best place love was ever found

Outro

Your socks are done

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hey
Come sit by me

Verse 1

I see a little silver coming in above your ear
You hate it, but I love it, it means another year
Another year of Sundays, another year of fights
Another year of making up and holding on at night
You worry that I'll wander when the beauty starts to fade
But darling, you're the reason that I stayed

Hook

This is my grey hair promise
I'll love you more with every line
This is my grey hair promise
You'll still be mine when we're out of time

Verse 2

We'll be rocking on a porch somewhere up in the hills
We'll be rocking on a porch somewhere up in the hills
Arguing about the crossword and the medicine pills
I'll still open up your door, I'll still bring you tea
I'll still look at you the way you used to look at me
The years can take our knees and they can take our sight
But they'll never take this love, I'll hold on tight

Bridge

Every wrinkle
Is a story
Of us

Hook

This is my grey hair promise
I'll love you more with every line
This is my grey hair promise
You'll still be mine when we're out of time

Outro

Still mine

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Mm
The last train

Verse 1

The last train leaves at a quarter to one
We've been sitting on this bench since the setting sun
You say you should go, but you don't let go
Of my hand in the pocket of my winter coat
The platform is empty, the lights are low
And neither one of us wants to go

Hook

Let the last train go
We'll walk home slow
Let the last train go
Some things you just know

Verse 2

On marchera sous la neige, toi et moi
Le long du canal, pas à pas
The city asleep and the stars on show
No hurry at all, nowhere to go
If morning comes, let it find us there
Your head on my shoulder, the cold in our hair

Bridge

Mm, doo-doo
The train is gone
Mm

Hook

Let the last train go
We'll walk home slow
Let the last train go
Some things you just know

Outro

Walk with me

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

I know

Verse 1

I was late again, I missed your show
I said I'd be there and you know I know
Work kept calling and I picked up the phone
While you stood on that stage looking out alone
I got no excuse that's worth the weight
Just a man at your door saying "I'm sorry" too late

Hook

Forgive me slow
You don't have to rush
Forgive me slow
I know it's too much
I'll be here tomorrow
And the day after that
Forgive me slow
I'm not going back

Verse 2

I'll show up early, I'll turn off the screen
I'll learn the difference between busy and mean
I won't make promises my calendar can't keep
I'll lose some money and I'll lose some sleep
But I won't lose you, not over this
Not over a meeting, not over a list

Bridge

Take your time
I've got time
For you

Hook

Forgive me slow
You don't have to rush
Forgive me slow
I know it's too much
I'll be here tomorrow
And the day after that
Forgive me slow
I'm not going back

Outro

I'm here

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Ooh
I got something to ask you

Verse 1

I got a little box burning a hole in my coat
I wrote a speech, but I forgot every word that I wrote
My hands are shaking and my knees are weak
The whole room's watching and I can barely speak
So I'll just say it simple, I'll just say it true
There's nothing in this world I want more than you

Hook

Say yes (say yes)
Say you'll be mine
Say yes (say yes)
Till the end of time
I'm down on one knee
With my heart in my hand
Say yes, say yes
Take me as I am

Verse 2

I can't promise mansions, can't promise gold
But I'll promise warm hands when the winter gets cold
I'll promise to listen, I'll promise to stay
I'll promise to choose you each and every day
So look in my eyes and tell me what you see
A man who'll love you all the way to eternity

Bridge

She said yes (she said yes)
She said yes (she said yes)
Hallelujah, she said yes

Hook

Say yes (say yes)
Say you'll be mine
Say yes (say yes)
Till the end of time
I'm down on one knee
With my heart in my hand
Say yes, say yes
Take me as I am

Outro

She said yes

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Still no rush

Verse

First coffee turned to a thousand more
Kitchen dances on the same old floor
We fought fair, we forgave slow
We let a hundred last trains go
The records are scratched and our hair is grey
And I still love you more today

Hook

Love, unhurried
We took our time, you and me
Love, unhurried
We grew just like a tree

Bridge

Mm
Slow
That's how we grow

Hook

Love, unhurried
We took our time, you and me
Love, unhurried
We grew just like a tree
Love, unhurried
We grew just like a tree

Outro

Goodnight, my love
No rush

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Ville-Marie
C'est ici que ça commence

Couplet 1

Trois cents ans de pierre grise pis de neige sur les toits
Des clochers partout, mais c'est la rue qui m'a parlé à moi
Le fleuve qui passe, y'a vu des rêves pis des naufrages
Y'a vu des gens arriver avec rien que leur courage
Moi aussi j'suis arrivé avec les poches presque vides
Une valise, une idée, pis le cœur un peu timide
Aujourd'hui j'connais les ruelles comme mes lignes de main
Chaque escalier en spirale m'a montré un bout d'chemin

Refrain

Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
T'as pris mon cœur, t'as pris ma vie
Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
C'est toi ma maison, c'est toi mon pays

Couplet 2

L'été tu danses, l'hiver tu mords
Tu m'as appris à rester fort
Deux langues qui jasent au coin d'la rue
Un bonjour-hi qui sonne comme du vécu
J'ai bâti des murs, j'ai ouvert des portes
J'ai vu passer le monde, toutes les sortes
Pis quand j'm'endors, j'entends ton souffle
Le métro qui gronde, le vent qui pousse

Pont

Ici, on recommence
Toujours

Refrain

Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
T'as pris mon cœur, t'as pris ma vie
Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
C'est toi ma maison, c'est toi mon pays

Outro

Ville-Marie

Intro

La-la-la

Couplet 1

Le Plateau à six heures, le soleil dans les vitres
Les terrasses se remplissent, les vélos font des titres
Une fille en sandales qui rit au téléphone
Un vieux monsieur qui joue aux cartes avec personne
Les balcons en fer forgé, les plantes qui débordent
Pis moi qui marche lentement, j'me sens d'accord

Refrain

Le Plateau à six heures
C'est l'heure où tout va mieux
On oublie nos malheurs
On regarde le ciel bleu

Couplet 2

J'achète une bière froide au dépanneur du coin
Le gars m'dit « salut mon chum » comme à tous les matins
Y'a d'la musique qui sort d'une fenêtre ouverte
Un chat qui dort au soleil sur une chaise verte
La journée était longue, mais la soirée est douce
Ici, même les soucis prennent une pause

Pont

La-la-la
Six heures
La-la-la

Refrain

Le Plateau à six heures
C'est l'heure où tout va mieux
On oublie nos malheurs
On regarde le ciel bleu

Outro

À demain, six heures

Intro

Salut boss

Couplet 1

Y'est minuit moins quart pis y reste juste lui d'ouvert
Les néons qui clignotent, la porte qui grince en hiver
Des chips au ketchup, du lait, pis des cartes à gratter
Un monsieur qui connaît toute la rue, toute l'idée
Il sait qui est malade, qui a déménagé
Qui a perdu sa job pis qui vient de se marier
C'est pas juste un magasin, c'est le cœur du quartier
C'est là qu'on se croise quand on sait pas où aller

Refrain

Dépanneur, dépanneur
Ouvert à toute heure
Quand t'as besoin d'un peu de bonheur
Va voir le dépanneur

Couplet 2

Un premier juillet, tout l'monde déménage en même temps
Y nous vend de la glace pis des sacs pour cent
Un soir de tempête, y m'a fait crédit
Y m'a dit « tu me rembourseras, mon ami »
Pas de banque, pas de contrat, juste la confiance
C'est ça la vraie richesse, c'est ça la chance
Quand j'aurai mon nom en lumières un jour
J'vais passer lui dire merci pour toujours

Pont

Deux piasses vingt-cinq
Garde le change

Refrain

Dépanneur, dépanneur
Ouvert à toute heure
Quand t'as besoin d'un peu de bonheur
Va voir le dépanneur

Outro

Bonne nuit, boss

Intro

Mm

Couplet 1

J'ai écrit des pages et des pages
Sur des napkins, sur des cahiers
Des mots d'amour, des mots de rage
Des mots que j'ai jamais osés
Certains sont partis avec le vent
Certains dorment dans un tiroir
Mais y'en a qui restent tout le temps
Comme une lampe dans le noir

Refrain

Les mots qui restent
C'est ceux qu'on dit avec le cœur
Les mots qui restent
Traversent le temps pis la douleur

Couplet 2

Ma mère m'a dit « sois toujours vrai »
J'avais dix ans, j'ai pas compris
Aujourd'hui c'est moi qui le dis
Aux autres quand la vie les trahit
On oublie les dates, les visages
On oublie même le son des voix
Mais une phrase dite au bon âge
Ça vit en nous comme une loi

Pont

Dis-le
Même si ça tremble
Dis-le

Refrain

Les mots qui restent
C'est ceux qu'on dit avec le cœur
Les mots qui restent
Traversent le temps pis la douleur

Outro

Ils restent

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Moins trente
Pis on sort pareil

Couplet 1

Les cils qui gèlent, le nez qui pique
Le char qui part pas, c'est classique
La tuque, le foulard, les mitaines doubles
On ressemble à des oursons en trouble
Mais regarde le ciel, y'est tellement clair
Le soleil qui brille sur toute la terre
La neige qui craque sous les bottes
C'est notre musique, c'est notre note

Refrain

Moins trente, moins trente
On a le cœur qui chante
Moins trente, moins trente
L'hiver nous réinvente

Couplet 2

Les enfants qui glissent sur le Mont-Royal
Un chocolat chaud, c'est le festival
Les touristes qui capotent, nous on en rit
C'est juste un mardi, c'est la vie ici
On se colle, on se réchauffe, on se parle plus
Le froid nous rapproche, c'est ça le truc
Quand le printemps va finir par arriver
On va s'ennuyer un peu de c't'hiver-là, je l'sais

Pont

Ressentie?
Moins quarante
Correct

Refrain

Moins trente, moins trente
On a le cœur qui chante
Moins trente, moins trente
L'hiver nous réinvente

Outro

Ferme la porte, tu chauffes dehors

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Envoye, envoye!

Couplet 1

Ils arrivent de Lyon, de Lima, de Tokyo
Avec des sacs plus gros qu'eux pis des rêves dans l'dos
Ils savent pas dire bonjour, ils disent « bon-jour »
Mais au bout d'une semaine, ils dansent dans la cour
On leur montre la poutine, la ruelle, le hockey
Ils nous montrent leurs chansons, leur façon d'aimer

Refrain

Les voyageurs (les voyageurs)
Passent par ici
Les voyageurs (les voyageurs)
Repartent enrichis
Ils laissent un peu de leur cœur
Pis ils en prennent un peu d'ici

Couplet 2

Autrefois c'était des canots pis des rivières
Les voyageurs d'avant chantaient sur l'eau claire
Aujourd'hui c'est l'avion pis le sac à dos
Mais c'est la même chanson, c'est le même flot
On se croise une nuit, on se quitte un matin
Mais on reste dans les photos pis dans les refrains

Pont

Envoye!
Hey!
Envoye!

Refrain

Les voyageurs (les voyageurs)
Passent par ici
Les voyageurs (les voyageurs)
Repartent enrichis
Ils laissent un peu de leur cœur
Pis ils en prennent un peu d'ici

Outro

Bon voyage!

Intro

Oh-oh

Couplet 1

Sur le pont Jacques-Cartier, les lumières changent de couleur
Le fleuve en dessous qui roule comme un cœur
T'avais les cheveux au vent pis les yeux dans la ville
On était deux pas grand-chose, mais on se sentait habiles
La Ronde qui brille, les feux d'artifice en été
On a promis des affaires qu'on savait pas tenir, je l'sais

Pré-refrain

Pis si le monde finit ce soir
J'veux qu'il finisse ici

Refrain

Sur le pont Jacques-Cartier
On a crié nos noms au vent
Sur le pont Jacques-Cartier
On était plus grands que le temps

Couplet 2

Des années plus tard, j'repasse en char
Le pont est pareil, c'est moi qui ai changé de regard
J'ai perdu des choses, j'en ai gagné d'autres
J'ai appris que la vie, c'est un pont vers les autres
Pis chaque fois que je traverse, je baisse la vitre
J'entends encore ton rire qui résonne en sourdine

Pont

Oh, on était là
On était là

Refrain

Sur le pont Jacques-Cartier
On a crié nos noms au vent
Sur le pont Jacques-Cartier
On était plus grands que le temps

Outro

Plus grands que le temps

Intro

Mm, ouais

Couplet 1

T'es arrivée un jeudi sans prévenir
Avec ton rire qui faisait tout fleurir
J'avais des plans, j'avais des listes, j'avais des murs
T'as tout défait avec un sourire pur
Maintenant le café goûte meilleur le matin
Pis la ville est plus belle quand tu tiens ma main

Refrain

Jamais deux sans toi
Jamais un pas sans tes pas
Jamais deux sans toi
Mon cœur sait où il va

Couplet 2

On se chicane pour la musique dans le char
Tu chantes faux, pis moi j'te trouve une star
On danse dans la cuisine en bas de laine
Le souper brûle, mais c'est pas une peine
Y'a des jours gris, y'a des jours durs
Mais avec toi, même l'hiver a du bon air pur

Pont

Ooh, reste
Ooh, reste là

Refrain

Jamais deux sans toi
Jamais un pas sans tes pas
Jamais deux sans toi
Mon cœur sait où il va

Outro

Jamais sans toi

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hmm

Couplet 1

J'suis allé m'asseoir au bord du fleuve
Quand j'savais plus quoi faire de mes preuves
L'eau passait large, pas pressée
Comme si elle savait déjà tout ce que j'ai pensé
Elle a vu les bateaux, les guerres, les noces
Elle a vu des hommes plus forts que moi tomber sur la bosse

Refrain

Le fleuve, le fleuve
Y prend tout ce qu'on lui donne
Le fleuve, le fleuve
Y garde rien, y pardonne

Couplet 2

J'ai lancé une roche avec mes regrets dedans
J'l'ai regardée couler, lentement, lentement
Pis j'ai senti quelque chose se dénouer
Comme un nœud dans ma gorge qui a fini par céder
La vie, c'est un courant, faut pas nager contre
Faut apprendre à flotter quand la marée monte

Pont

Laisse aller
Laisse aller

Refrain

Le fleuve, le fleuve
Y prend tout ce qu'on lui donne
Le fleuve, le fleuve
Y garde rien, y pardonne

Outro

Y pardonne

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

La cour
Veuillez vous lever

Couplet 1

Y'a ceux qui arrivent avec trois avocats
Pis ceux qui arrivent avec juste leurs papiers dans les bras
Y'a ceux qui connaissent les codes pis les couloirs
Pis ceux qui comprennent rien, qui tremblent dans le noir
La justice a les yeux bandés, qu'ils disent
Mais elle entend très bien le son des devises
Moi j'ai appris les articles un par un
La nuit, à la lampe, avec du café pis rien

Refrain

La loi du plus fort
C'est pas une loi, c'est un tort
On va réécrire le décor
Pour que le petit gagne encore

Couplet 2

J'ai vu des gens perdre leur maison pour un délai
Perdre leur droit parce que personne leur expliquait
Alors j'ai pris mes outils pis j'ai bâti un pont
Pour que chacun puisse lire sa propre version
C'est pas de la rage, c'est de la lumière
C'est donner une clé à ceux qu'on laisse en arrière
Quand tout le monde comprend ses droits pis ses chances
La balance, elle penche moins, c'est ça la différence

Pont

Tout le monde mérite d'être entendu
Tout le monde

Refrain

La loi du plus fort
C'est pas une loi, c'est un tort
On va réécrire le décor
Pour que le petit gagne encore

Outro

La séance est levée

Intro

Un café noir
S'il vous plaît

Couplet 1

Sept heures du matin, la ville qui bâille
Le barista qui siffle, la machine qui travaille
J'ai pas dormi, j'ai écrit toute la nuit
Des chansons, des contrats, des rêves pis des soucis
Mais dès la première gorgée, le monde se règle
Les idées s'alignent comme des ailes d'aigle

Refrain

Café noir, café noir
Mon ami du matin et du soir
Café noir, café noir
Sans toi j'aurais pas d'histoire
(ba-da-ba-da)

Couplet 2

J'ai signé mes premières affaires sur une table de café
J'ai brisé des cœurs pis j'me suis fait pardonner
J'ai rencontré des fous, des sages, des poètes
Tout le monde est plus vrai devant une tasse prête
Y'en a qui boivent du vin pour oublier
Moi j'bois du café pour me rappeler

Pont

Refrain

Café noir, café noir
Mon ami du matin et du soir
Café noir, café noir
Sans toi j'aurais pas d'histoire
(ba-da-ba-da)

Outro

L'addition, s'il vous plaît

Intro

Deux heures du matin
Pis on rentre pas

Couplet 1

Les bars se vident sur Saint-Denis
Les néons fatigués nous sourient
Une poutine à partager sur un banc
Des inconnus qui deviennent nos amis pour un temps
Ton mascara qui coule, ton rire qui déborde
On marche dans la nuit sans trop savoir où on aborde

Pré-refrain

Pis le matin peut attendre
Le matin peut attendre

Refrain

Rue Saint-Denis, deux heures du matin
On a toute la ville entre nos mains
Rue Saint-Denis, on rentre pas tout de suite
La nuit est jeune pis la vie va trop vite

Couplet 2

Un taxi passe, on le lâche
On prend le chemin long, on se cache
Dans une ruelle, un baiser volé
Un chat qui nous juge du haut d'un escalier
Demain on sera fatigués, on va le regretter
Mais ce soir, la ville nous appartient en entier

Pont

Reste
Encore un peu

Refrain

Rue Saint-Denis, deux heures du matin
On a toute la ville entre nos mains
Rue Saint-Denis, on rentre pas tout de suite
La nuit est jeune pis la vie va trop vite

Outro

Bonne nuit... bon matin

Intro

Une fois de plus

Couplet 1

J'ai tout perdu une fois, peut-être deux
J'ai ramassé les morceaux du mieux que j'peux
Y'a des matins où j'ai pas envie
De recommencer encore ma vie
Mais y'a toujours une petite voix
Qui me dit « lève-toi, t'es encore là »

Refrain

Recommencer
C'est pas perdre, c'est apprendre
Recommencer
C'est se relever des cendres

Couplet 2

Les gens voient juste la fin du film
Ils voient pas les nuits, les doutes, les crimes
Contre soi-même, les combats sans bruit
Les victoires qu'on fête tout seul à minuit
Mais chaque chute m'a donné des ailes
Chaque mur m'a montré une échelle

Pont

Une fois de plus
Juste une fois de plus

Refrain

Recommencer
C'est pas perdre, c'est apprendre
Recommencer
C'est se relever des cendres

Outro

J'recommence

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Hey!
Debout!

Couplet 1

Ils m'ont dit « assis-toi, attends ton tour »
J'ai attendu des mois, j'ai attendu des jours
Ils m'ont dit « c'est pas pour toi, c'est trop gros »
J'ai pris mon courage pis j'ai monté le niveau
Les portes fermées, j'les ai cognées
Les « non » en série, j'les ai collectionnés

Pré-refrain

Pis quand la foule se tait
C'est là que je me lève

Refrain

Debout! Debout!
Même quand tout s'écroule
Debout! Debout!
On est plus forts que la foule

Couplet 2

J'ai les mains usées pis le cœur solide
J'ai marché longtemps sur un terrain aride
Mais chaque pas que j'ai fait, je l'ai fait debout
J'me suis jamais mis à genoux pour personne, surtout
Si t'es fatigué, si t'as plus de voix
Prends la mienne, chante avec moi

Pont

Debout
Debout
Si t'es encore là
Debout

Refrain

Debout! Debout!
Même quand tout s'écroule
Debout! Debout!
On est plus forts que la foule

Outro

Debout

Intro

Ville-Marie

Couplet

J'ai chanté tes rues, tes ponts, ton fleuve
Tes dépanneurs, tes hivers, tes épreuves
J'ai chanté les voyageurs pis les amoureux
Les gens debout, les gens heureux
Y reste juste une chose à dire
Avant que la nuit vienne finir

Refrain

Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
T'as pris mon cœur, t'as pris ma vie
Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
C'est toi ma maison, c'est toi mon pays

Pont

Merci (merci)
Pour les hivers (les hivers)
Pour les étés (les étés)
Pour tout

Refrain

Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
T'as pris mon cœur, t'as pris ma vie
Ville-Marie, Ville-Marie
C'est toi ma maison, c'est toi mon pays

Outro

Bonne nuit, Ville-Marie

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

No filter
No mask
Just me

Verse 1

Woke up at five with the city still asleep
Coffee in my hand and a promise I can keep
They want the polished version, want the shine and the gloss
I'm giving you the real one, every scar, every loss
I ain't got a choir hiding cracks in my tone
Just a man with a mic and a voice of his own
Every word that I say, I been living it first
If it sounds a little rough, that's the truth in the verse

Hook

Unfiltered, this is me
No machine to set me free
Unfiltered, raw and true
Every note I'm giving you

Verse 2

Grew up learning that you hide what you feel
Now I'm grown and I'm learning how to keep it real
Built a few things, lost a few more
Still showing up, still opening the door
They can turn up the reverb, they can polish the sound
But the heart in the middle never fakes what it found
So I'm standing in the booth with the lights turned low
And I'm telling you the things that I want you to know

Bridge

This is the voice
The one I was born with
The one I'm keeping

Hook

Unfiltered, this is me
No machine to set me free
Unfiltered, raw and true
Every note I'm giving you

Outro

Just me

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Mm, mm
Good morning, Montréal

Verse 1

Bagels on Saint-Viateur, steam rising from the bag
Sun climbing over rooftops like it's got nowhere to be
Neighbor waving from the stairs with a coffee in his hand
City speaking two languages and both of them to me
Bikes rolling down the avenue, the morning's in no rush
I been running all my life, now I'm learning how to hush

Hook

Mile End mornings, slow and sweet
Let the city set the beat
Nothing urgent, nothing lost
Just the light and what it costs

Verse 2

Used to wake up with a list a mile long
Now I wake up with a melody, a little song
Corner café knows my name and my order too
Espresso and a croissant and a view
There's a peace in the ordinary, a grace in the routine
Prettiest things I ever saw were the ones I almost didn't see

Bridge

Mm, slow it down
Slow it down

Hook

Mile End mornings, slow and sweet
Let the city set the beat
Nothing urgent, nothing lost
Just the light and what it costs

Outro

Bonjour, bonjour

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Yeah
From the ground

Verse 1

Nobody handed me a blueprint or a key
Had to draw the plans myself on the back of a receipt
Painted every wall, fixed every broken door
Slept a couple nights on a mattress on the floor
People asked me why I never take a day
I tell 'em when it's yours you don't count it as a weight
Calluses on my palms like a map of where I been
Every single one a reminder I'd do it again

Hook

Built it with my hands
Brick by brick and plan by plan
Nobody's gonna understand
What it took to make me who I am

Verse 2

Bank said no and the doors kept closing
I just kept knocking till the hinges started loosening
Learned the law, learned the code, learned the numbers
Learned to sleep light through a whole lot of summers
Now the lights stay on and the rooms stay warm
Strangers find a home when they come in from the storm
It ain't perfect, never claimed to be
But every crooked nail got a story about me

Bridge

If you building something
Keep going
The walls remember

Hook

Built it with my hands
Brick by brick and plan by plan
Nobody's gonna understand
What it took to make me who I am

Outro

With my hands

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Un, deux
One, two

Verse 1

I think in English when I'm counting the cost
I dream in French when I'm feeling a little lost
Two sets of words for the very same ache
Two ways to say it when my heart wants to break
Grew up switching like a radio dial
One foot in the metro, one in the aisle
Never fully here, never fully there
Turns out that's the place I belong, in the air

Hook

Deux langues, un cœur
Two tongues, one heart
Je te parle en douceur
Even when we're apart

Verse 2

Je parle comme la ville, un mélange qui danse
Un peu de Brooklyn, un peu de la France
Les mots qui se croisent sur le coin de la rue
Un bonjour, un hi, pis on se tutoie, t'as vu
Ma voix c'est un pont entre deux rivières
J'traverse tous les jours, j'oublie pas d'où j'viens hier
Pas besoin de choisir, j'garde les deux dans la main
C'est ça ma richesse, c'est ça mon chemin

Bridge

Thank you
Merci
I love you
Je t'aime

Hook

Deux langues, un cœur
Two tongues, one heart
Je te parle en douceur
Even when we're apart

Outro

Un cœur

Intro

Hey, come on in
Leave your shoes by the door

Verse 1

Girl from Melbourne with a map she can't read
Guy from Lyon with a guitar and a dream
Couple from Seoul splitting noodles on the stairs
Everybody's got a story and a little bit of prayers
Bunk beds creaking like an old ship at sea
Kitchen full of accents and a pot of cheap tea
Nobody's a stranger after midnight in the hall
We're all just passing through, but we're passing through it all

Hook

Backpacks and bunk beds
Postcards and unmade plans
We came here as strangers
We leave holding hands

Verse 2

I hand you a key and a little bit of advice
Metro's on the corner and the poutine's worth the price
You hand me a story from a place I never been
And suddenly the whole world fits inside this little inn
Some stay a night, some stay a season
Some come back again and never need a reason
I keep a wall of photos of the faces that I knew
Every one a little window that the world came through

Bridge

Where you from?
Where you going?
Doesn't matter
You're home tonight

Hook

Backpacks and bunk beds
Postcards and unmade plans
We came here as strangers
We leave holding hands

Outro

Safe travels, my friend

Intro

Stay a while

Verse 1

Rain on the window and the candle burning low
Nowhere we gotta be and nowhere we gotta go
Phone face down on the table by the door
World can wait a little longer, it's been waiting before
I don't need the fancy words or the perfect melody
Just the sound of you breathing right here next to me

Hook

Slow rain, slow down
Let it fall all around
Slow rain, stay here
All I want is you near

Verse 2

I been moving so fast I forgot how to stand still
Forgot how good it feels when the quiet starts to fill
Your head on my shoulder and the thunder far away
If the sun never comes, I think I'm fine to stay
Let the gutters overflow, let the streets turn into streams
We'll be right here dancing in the middle of our dreams

Bridge

Ooh, don't go
Ooh, not yet

Hook

Slow rain, slow down
Let it fall all around
Slow rain, stay here
All I want is you near

Outro

Stay

Intro

Mm-hmm
Lord have mercy

Verse 1

They sent me a letter, said I owe 'em something more
Sent another letter, slid it right under my door
Paper on the table and the paper on the wall
Paper on the ceiling, gonna bury me and all
I been fighting with a pen since the early light
Writing my defense by the lamp every night
They got lawyers in towers, I got coffee and a chair
But I know my truth and I know it's standing there

Hook

Paper walls, paper walls
They can build 'em up, but I won't fall
Paper walls, paper walls
Truth is the hammer, gonna break 'em all

Verse 2

Grandma used to tell me when the storm is at the gate
You don't run, you don't hide, you just sit and you wait
You gather what you know and you lay it on the line
And the Lord and the law gonna sort it out in time
So I read every line and I learned every rule
They thought I was a pushover, they took me for a fool
Now I'm standing in the room with my papers in my hand
And I'm telling it plain so they all understand

Bridge

Paper burns
Paper tears
The truth don't

Hook

Paper walls, paper walls
They can build 'em up, but I won't fall
Paper walls, paper walls
Truth is the hammer, gonna break 'em all

Outro

Mm-hmm

Intro

Ooh
Hear me

Verse 1

I don't always know the words they say in church
Don't always find the answers when I search
But I talk to the sky on the back porch late
Tell it all my troubles, tell it all my weight
Some folks kneel, some folks sing
I just hum a little song and I let it ring

Hook

I pray my own way (my own way)
In the words I got today (today)
If it's broken, if it's plain
Heaven hears it all the same

Verse 2

I prayed in a kitchen with the dishes piled high
Prayed in a hallway with a tear in my eye
Prayed on a bus with my forehead on the glass
Asking for the strength to let the hard days pass
And something always answered, maybe not the way I planned
But I always found a doorway, always found a hand

Bridge

Can I get a witness (yes)
Can I get an amen (amen)
I'm still here (still here)
I'm still here

Hook

I pray my own way (my own way)
In the words I got today (today)
If it's broken, if it's plain
Heaven hears it all the same

Outro

Amen

Intro

Two a.m.
Still up

Verse 1

Screen glowing blue in a room full of dark
Code on the left and a dream in my heart
Everybody sleeping but the fridge and the street
And the little red light on the laptop's heartbeat
Tea going cold and the cursor still blinking
Half of my ideas come when nobody's thinking
Nobody sees the hours, they just see the launch
Nobody sees the coffee stains all over the couch

Hook

Night shift, night shift
Building while the world's adrift
Night shift, night shift
Morning's gonna see what I did

Verse 2

First one up and the last one down
Only sound is the snowplow going round
Bug in the system and a fix in my head
Gonna solve it now or I'll solve it in bed
This ain't a complaint, this is just the deal
You want to make it real, gotta work it real
When the sun comes up and the city wakes slow
I'll be sipping on a victory nobody gonna know

Bridge

Mm, almost there
Almost there

Hook

Night shift, night shift
Building while the world's adrift
Night shift, night shift
Morning's gonna see what I did

Outro

Good morning

Intro

Sunday
Up the mountain

Verse 1

Hundred drums under the angel statue
Everybody's welcome, doesn't matter what you've been through
Blankets on the grass and the frisbees in the sky
Kids with ice cream and a dog running by
Old man drumming like he did in '85
Young girl dancing like she's finally alive

Hook

Sunday on the mountain
Drums like a heartbeat ground
Sunday on the mountain
Everybody come around

Verse 2

No tickets, no doors, no velvet rope
Just the rhythm and the sun and a little bit of hope
Strangers passing bread, passing water, passing smiles
City down below looking small for a while
Whatever kept me up all week, I leave it at the base
Come up here and let the drums put a smile on my face

Bridge

Boom, boom, ka-boom
Everybody in the sun
Boom, boom, ka-boom
Everybody one

Hook

Sunday on the mountain
Drums like a heartbeat ground
Sunday on the mountain
Everybody come around

Outro

See you next Sunday

Intro

Mm

Verse 1

There's a coat in the closet that I never threw away
Too big in the shoulders, it's been there since that day
Smells like cedar and a little like the snow
Like the winters that we walked when we had nowhere to go
I put it on sometimes when the cold gets in my bones
And it feels a little less like I'm out here on my own

Hook

Winter coat, keep me warm
Through another winter storm
You're not here, but you're near
Every time the snow appears

Verse 2

I learned how to fix things, learned how to stand tall
Learned to keep on walking when I wanted to fall
All the things you told me that I didn't understand
Now I hear 'em in my voice, now I see 'em in my hands
The city's getting colder and the nights are getting long
But I carry what you gave me and I carry it in song

Bridge

Thank you
For the warmth
I still wear it

Hook

Winter coat, keep me warm
Through another winter storm
You're not here, but you're near
Every time the snow appears

Outro

Keep me warm

Intro

Eh, eh
Bet on me

Verse 1

They said the odds were long and the road was steep
Said I'd never wake up from the dreams I keep
But I got a little fire and a lot of nerve
And I give the world the best of what it deserves
I ain't asking for a miracle, a ticket or a crown
Just a chance to show you I won't let you down

Hook

Bet on me (bet on me)
I'm the one you'll wanna see
Bet on me (bet on me)
I'ma be who I'm meant to be

Verse 2

Fell down seven, I got up eight
Learned to love the climb and learned to love the wait
Every no I got just made me grow
Every closed door taught me where to go
So put your chips on the table, put your faith in the man
I'ma turn every doubt into a working plan

Bridge

Who you gonna bet on?
Me!
Who you gonna bet on?
Me!

Hook

Bet on me (bet on me)
I'm the one you'll wanna see
Bet on me (bet on me)
I'ma be who I'm meant to be

Outro

Eh, eh
Bet on me

Intro

Dear you

Verse 1

I wrote you a letter in the spring
Folded it twice, never mailed a thing
I said I was sorry for the words I threw
Said I was proud of the person you grew into
I wrote another in the fall
That one said nothing, that one said it all
They live in a drawer by the side of my bed
A hundred little bridges I never let spread

Hook

Letters I never sent
Words I always meant
If the wind could carry them
I'd let them go again

Verse 2

One to my mother, one to my friend
One to the boy I was back then
One to the city that raised me hard
One to the stranger who left me a card
Maybe the point was never the stamp
Maybe the point was the light of the lamp
The hours I sat and I told the truth
To the page, to the night, to the ghost of my youth

Bridge

So this is me
Finally sending
All of them
At once

Hook

Letters I never sent
Words I always meant
If the wind could carry them
I'd let them go again

Outro

Signed
Me

Intro

Yeah
Still here

Verse 1

They took a swing and they took another
Thought I'd fold like a paper cover
Wind came hard and the rain came down
Thought they'd see me lying on the ground
But I been bending like a tree in a gale
Roots go deeper than the storm can tell

Pre-Chorus

And every time they say I'm done
I rise up with the morning sun

Hook

I'm still standing
I'm still here
Through the fire, through the fear
I'm still standing
Can't you see
Ain't nothing gonna take the fight from me

Verse 2

Lost some battles, lost some friends
Lost some money I won't see again
But I never lost the voice in my chest
Never lost the will to give my best
Scars on my knuckles and a smile on my face
I'm still running in this crazy race

Pre-Chorus

And every time they say I'm done
I rise up with the morning sun

Hook

I'm still standing
I'm still here
Through the fire, through the fear
I'm still standing
Can't you see
Ain't nothing gonna take the fight from me

Bridge

Stand up
Stand up
If you're still here
Stand up

Hook

I'm still standing
I'm still here
Through the fire, through the fear
I'm still standing
Can't you see
Ain't nothing gonna take the fight from me

Outro

Still here

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Unfiltered

Verse

No piano this time, no drum, no band
Just a voice in a room and an open hand
Every song on this record, every line I wrote
Came out of this same little crack in my throat
I could've made it perfect, could've made it shine
But perfect never told the truth, and this one's mine

Hook

Unfiltered, this is me
No machine to set me free
Unfiltered, raw and true
Every note I gave to you

Bridge

This is the voice (this is the voice)
The one I was born with (born with)
The one I'm keeping (keeping)
The one I'm giving you

Hook

Unfiltered, this is me
No machine to set me free
Unfiltered, raw and true
Every note I gave to you

Outro

Just me
Thank you for listening

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Is this thing on?
Alright, grab a seat, there's beer in the fridge
This one's for everybody passing through

Verse 1

Twenty people on a Tuesday in a room meant for ten
Some came in this morning, some been here since when
There's a girl with a ukulele, a guy who plays the spoons
A couple from Brazil humming all of my tunes
No stage and no lights, just a lamp in the corner
And a couch that's seen more stories than a coroner

Hook

Hello, common room
We got nothing but a song and time
Hello, common room
Everybody here is a friend of mine

Verse 2

I don't need an arena, I don't need a crowd
I just need some faces and a voice that's allowed
To crack a little, to miss a note
To laugh in the middle of the words that I wrote
So if you know the chorus, sing it out loud
If you don't, just clap, you'll fit right in this crowd

Hook

Hello, common room
We got nothing but a song and time
Hello, common room
Everybody here is a friend of mine

Outro

Thank you, thank you
Okay, next one

Intro

This one's a true story
Mostly

Verse 1

Room 4 has six beds and a window to the lane
It's seen honeymooners and a boy running from pain
It's seen a woman write a novel on the lower left bunk
And a German guy who snored like a falling-down trunk
It's seen lovers meet on the creaky top shelf
And a kid from Ohio finally find himself

Hook

Room 4, room 4
Every night a different story at the door
Room 4, room 4
They leave a little lighter than before

Verse 2

I clean it every morning, I fold the sheets with care
I find the things they leave behind, a ribbon or a prayer
A ticket stub to Lisbon, a drawing of a bird
A note that said "I'll come back" and I believe every word
Some rooms are just rooms, four walls and a floor
But some rooms hold the world, like Room 4

Bridge

If you ever slept there
You know

Hook

Room 4, room 4
Every night a different story at the door
Room 4, room 4
They leave a little lighter than before

Outro

That's Room 4

Intro

Everybody puts a pin in it

Verse 1

There's a map on the wall by the reception desk
Covered in pins like a porcupine's best
Red for where you're from, blue for where you're going
Green for where you fell in love without even knowing
There's a pin in Patagonia, a pin in Kathmandu
A pin in a town in Iowa I never even knew

Hook

Put a pin in the map on the wall
Leave a little piece of you for us all
Wherever you roam, wherever you fall
There's a home in the map on the wall

Verse 2

Some days I stand there with my coffee in hand
Tracing the journeys of people from every land
I've never been to most of 'em, maybe I never will
But the world came to my doorstep and it's coming still
So I travel through the faces, through the stories that they tell
And I guess that makes me a traveler as well

Bridge

Hook

Put a pin in the map on the wall
Leave a little piece of you for us all
Wherever you roam, wherever you fall
There's a home in the map on the wall

Outro

Where you from? Put a pin in it

Intro

This guitar's not mine
Somebody left it here three summers ago

Verse 1

It's got a sticker from Dublin and a crack near the hole
The E string's a little sharp, but it's got a lot of soul
There's a name carved on the back, just "M" and a heart
I wonder who you were, where'd you go, where'd you start
I tried to find you, sent a message to the ether
Nobody answered, so I kept it as a keeper

Hook

The guitar somebody left
Still sings when I play
The guitar somebody left
Your song's still here today

Verse 2

Now every guest who comes in picks it up for a while
A Spanish boy played flamenco with a bashful smile
A girl from Mali sang her grandmother's tune
A Norwegian kid played Beatles in the afternoon
So whoever you are, M, you gave more than you knew
A hundred songs got born 'cause of you

Bridge

If you're out there
It's waiting

Hook

The guitar somebody left
Still sings when I play
The guitar somebody left
Your song's still here today

Outro

Thanks, M

Intro

Come in, come in
You're letting the cold in

Verse 1

They come in December with their summer shoes on
Thinking Canada's a postcard, they're shivering by dawn
So we keep a pile of boots by the door for the brave
Sizes six through thirteen, all the ones that people gave
A guy from Sydney wore a pair three sizes too wide
Walked to the Old Port with a grin and a slide

Hook

Snow boots by the door
Take a pair and go explore
Snow boots by the door
Bring 'em back and get some more

Verse 2

We got mittens in a basket, tuques on a hook
A thermos on the counter and a winter survival book
Everybody leaves a little something when they go
A scarf or a sweater to help another through the snow
That's the thing about the cold, it brings the people near
Nobody's a stranger when it's minus thirty here

Bridge

Hey!
Stomp the snow!
Hey!

Hook

Snow boots by the door
Take a pair and go explore
Snow boots by the door
Bring 'em back and get some more

Outro

Close the door!

Intro

Who here bought a one-way?
Yeah, me too

Verse 1

Packed my life in a bag and a half
Left a note on the fridge and a photograph
Didn't know the language, didn't know a soul
Just a gut feeling and a hole to fill
The plane took off and I didn't look down
I was terrified and happy, leaving my hometown

Hook

One-way ticket, no return
Some bridges you just gotta burn
One-way ticket, here I stand
With my whole life in my hand

Verse 2

Slept on a floor, then I slept on a bunk
Worked in a kitchen, bought a beat-up trunk
Met some people who became my blood
Built a little life out of snow and mud
Now every traveler who walks through my door
I see the kid I was before

Bridge

No return
No return
Hey!

Hook

One-way ticket, no return
Some bridges you just gotta burn
One-way ticket, here I stand
With my whole life in my hand

Outro

No regrets

Intro

Okay this one's a comedy
Don't tell the guests

Verse 1

There's a guy in bed one snoring like a bear
A girl in bed two talking in her sleep about her hair
Bed three's got a crinkly bag he opens every hour
Bed four came back at three and took a forty-minute shower
Bed five is on the phone to his mother in Peru
And bed six just lies there wondering what to do

Hook

Dorm six can't sleep
Nobody's counting any sheep
Dorm six can't sleep
But the memories are cheap and deep

Verse 2

At four in the morning, someone starts to giggle
Then the whole room's laughing, every bunk begins to wiggle
The snorer wakes up and says "What did I miss?"
And that's how six strangers became friends like this
Now they've got a group chat with a hundred messages a day
All because nobody slept in dorm six that way

Bridge

Zzz
Shh
Zzz

Hook

Dorm six can't sleep
Nobody's counting any sheep
Dorm six can't sleep
But the memories are cheap and deep

Outro

Goodnight, dorm six

Intro

Got a postcard today
Let me read it to you

Verse 1

She stayed here in March when the snow was still high
Sat by the window and watched the clouds go by
She said she was lost, didn't know what came next
Wrote in her notebook, sent nobody texts
Then one morning she packed and she smiled at the door
Said "I think I know what I came here for"

Hook

Postcard from Lisbon
Yellow trams and the sea
Postcard from Lisbon
She remembered me

Verse 2

"Dear common room, I found a little flat
It's got a balcony and a crooked hat rack
I'm painting again and I'm learning to cook
I finally finished that half-written book
Thank you for the coffee, the couch and the song
You were the place where I learned to be strong"

Bridge

Mm
Obrigado

Hook

Postcard from Lisbon
Yellow trams and the sea
Postcard from Lisbon
She remembered me

Outro

I'm putting it on the wall

Intro

Mm
Three a.m. at the front desk

Verse 1

Well the door buzzer rings at a quarter past three
A guy with no booking looking right at me
He says his flight got cancelled and his wallet got stole
I got one bed left and a cold coffee bowl
I give him the key and I tell him "Sleep tight"
That's just another shift on the night

Hook

I got the night manager blues
No sleep and no shoes
I got the night manager blues
But I wouldn't trade it, I got nothing to lose

Verse 2

The fire alarm goes off 'cause somebody made toast
A girl's crying in the hall 'cause she misses her coast
I make her some tea and I play her a song
By the end of the chorus, she's singing along
The city's asleep, but my heart's wide awake
There's beauty in the hours nobody else will take

Bridge

Play it!
Yeah!

Hook

I got the night manager blues
No sleep and no shoes
I got the night manager blues
But I wouldn't trade it, I got nothing to lose

Outro

Morning shift's here
I'm going to bed

Intro

Shh
This one's quiet
Some people are sleeping upstairs

Verse 1

You came in tonight with the rain on your back
A long way from home with a heavy pack
You don't know a soul and you don't know the street
And the bed's a little hard and you can't feel your feet
But somebody left the hallway light on
So you won't be scared till the night is gone

Hook

Sleep, stranger, sleep
The world can wait for you
Sleep, stranger, sleep
Tomorrow's brand new

Verse 2

Dors bien, l'étranger, t'es en sécurité
There's a blanket in the closet if you need it, okay
There's bread in the kitchen and coffee at eight
And a map of the city by the front gate
Whatever you're running from or running to
Tonight this little house is looking after you

Bridge

Mm
Mm

Hook

Sleep, stranger, sleep
The world can wait for you
Sleep, stranger, sleep
Tomorrow's brand new

Outro

Goodnight

Intro

Eleven o'clock
Already?

Verse 1

The backpacks lined up in the hall like soldiers
Everybody hugging with their bags on their shoulders
Emails exchanged on the back of a receipt
Promises to visit in a city they'll never meet
Someone's crying softly, someone's cracking jokes
Someone's leaving their last two loonies for the folks

Hook

Checkout at eleven
Every hello has a goodbye
Checkout at eleven
Don't you dare let me see you cry
(but I will)

Verse 2

I've done a thousand checkouts and it never gets easy
Watching the door swing, the street looking breezy
But I learned that a goodbye is just a seed
You'll find each other later when you're in need
So take the stories with you, take the songs
And if you ever come back, you know where you belong

Bridge

Door's always open
Always

Hook

Checkout at eleven
Every hello has a goodbye
Checkout at eleven
Don't you dare let me see you cry
(but I will)

Outro

Safe travels

Intro

Alright, everybody outside
Bring the marshmallows

Verse 1

There's a fire pit out back in the alley behind the stairs
Twenty mismatched chairs and a couple of folding chairs
Someone brought a djembe, someone brought some wine
Someone brought a story from the Argentine
The fireflies are dancing and the city's turning gold
And nobody's young and nobody's old

Hook

Campfire in the alley
Sing it loud and sing it long
Campfire in the alley
Everybody knows the song
(la-la-la, la-la)

Verse 2

The neighbor leans over her balcony rail
Says "Keep it down," then she joins in on the scale
The dog from upstairs wanders down for a pet
The best night of summer we haven't had yet
When the embers are glowing and the songs run out
We'll just sit and listen to the quiet shout

Bridge

La-la-la, la-la
La-la-la, la-la

Hook

Campfire in the alley
Sing it loud and sing it long
Campfire in the alley
Everybody knows the song
(la-la-la, la-la)

Outro

Who's got the last marshmallow?

Intro

I need everybody
Even you in the back

Verse 1

If you came from far away (we came from far away)
If you're tired from the day (we're tired from the day)
If you don't know what to say (we don't know what to say)
Then sing it anyway (sing it anyway)
No talent necessary, no tickets at the door
Just open up your mouth and let it pour

Hook

Everybody sings
In every tongue they bring
Everybody sings
Let the whole house ring

Verse 2

Sing it in Korean (annyeong!)
Sing it in Português (olá!)
Sing it in Swahili (jambo!)
Sing it in français (bonjour!)
Doesn't matter where you're from or what you believe
Tonight there's a family sitting on our sleeve

Bridge

Louder (louder)
Louder (louder)
Let me hear you!

Hook

Everybody sings
In every tongue they bring
Everybody sings
Let the whole house ring

Outro

That's what I'm talking about

Intro

Almost time

Verse 1

The dishes are stacked and the couch is a mess
Somebody's asleep in a borrowed dress
The candles are low and the wine is gone
The radiator's humming its old radiator song
I'll sweep up tomorrow, I'll fold up the chairs
Right now I'm just counting the faces upstairs

Hook

Lights out, lights out
What a night it's been
Lights out, lights out
See you all again

Verse 2

I turn off the lamp by the map on the wall
The one that's got pins from the strangers who call
This place ain't fancy, ain't polished or new
But it holds every story that ever came through
And if the walls could sing, they'd sing it all night
So I'll sing for 'em softly, then turn out the light

Bridge

Hook

Lights out, lights out
What a night it's been
Lights out, lights out
See you all again

Outro

Night

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Everyone's asleep
One more

Verse

The room is empty but it isn't really
I can hear the laughter, the stories, the silly
The guitar in the corner, the map on the wall
The snow boots, the postcards, I love them all

Hook

Goodnight, common room
Thank you for the songs
Goodnight, common room
This is where we all belong

Bridge

Goodnight (goodnight)
Goodnight (goodnight)
See you in the morning light

Hook

Goodnight, common room
Thank you for the songs
Goodnight, common room
This is where we all belong

Outro

Goodnight

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Page one
Day one

Verse 1

Opened up a notebook that I bought for two bucks
Wrote a single sentence, then I wrote it down twice for luck
No investors, no office, no name on a door
Just a kitchen table and a problem I couldn't ignore
People getting crushed by a system they can't read
People with no lawyer and a whole lot of need
I said somebody oughta fix it, then I heard my own voice
Saying somebody's you, man, you ain't got a choice

Hook

Day one, day one
Every giant starts as someone
Day one, day one
Pick the pen up, it's begun

Verse 2

First draft ugly as a parking ticket
First code broken, had to sit with it and fix it
First pitch shaking like a leaf in the fall
First no hurt, but it didn't hurt at all
Compared to the feeling of never even trying
Compared to the sound of a dream slowly dying
So I dated the page and I signed my name
And I knew from that moment I'd never be the same

Bridge

If you're on page one
Good
That's where all of us started

Hook

Day one, day one
Every giant starts as someone
Day one, day one
Pick the pen up, it's begun

Outro

Turn the page

Intro

Subject line
Quick question

Verse 1

Hi, hope you're well, I know you're busy
Read it in a voice that won't make 'em dizzy
Three short lines and a link at the bottom
If they don't reply, well, I'll just forget I sent 'em
Nah, I'm lying, I'll follow up Tuesday
Then again Friday in a casual new way
Two hundred emails and a calendar empty
One guy wrote back just to say he's "not tempted"

Hook

Cold email, warm heart
Every yes needs a no to start
Cold email, hit send
One of these is gonna be a friend

Verse 2

Then one Thursday at 6:42
Inbox lights up, "Sure, let's do a call or two"
I stood up so fast that I spilled my tea
Had to calm down so they wouldn't hear the glee
That call turned into a coffee, then a deal
Then a partner who believes and keeps it real
So if you're staring at the screen feeling foolish
The numbers game is cruel, but it ain't useless

Bridge

Best regards
Looking forward
P.S. I won't stop

Hook

Cold email, warm heart
Every yes needs a no to start
Cold email, hit send
One of these is gonna be a friend

Outro

Sent

Intro

Alright, new plan

Verse 1

Built it for the left, but the people went right
Built it for the day, but they used it at night
I could get mad, could defend my design
Or I could listen to the users and adjust the line
Pride is expensive and I'm on a budget
If the market says turn, then I'm gonna nudge it
Same engine, new road, same heart, new map
Smooth like a lowrider taking a lap

Hook

Pivot (pivot), turn it around
Pivot (pivot), keep it on the ground
When the wind changes, don't fight, just glide
Pivot, baby, ride the other side

Verse 2

The hostel taught me that, the courtroom too
Nothing goes the way you planned it to
Guests show up late, laws change overnight
You adapt or you vanish from sight
I ain't married to the method, I'm married to the mission
The mission stays the same, I just change the position
So if your plan fell apart in your hands
Congratulations, now you're making real plans

Bridge

Same destination
New direction

Hook

Pivot (pivot), turn it around
Pivot (pivot), keep it on the ground
When the wind changes, don't fight, just glide
Pivot, baby, ride the other side

Outro

Smooth turn

Intro

Tests pass
Three, two, one

Verse 1

Perfect is a myth that'll keep you in the lab
Polishing the button while the world grabs a cab
I pushed it with a bug and a prayer on a Friday
Woke up Saturday, users loving it my way
Feedback in the morning, patch it by the night
Version one point two and it's starting to look right
They can talk about the vision, I'm talking about the commit
The only thing that's real is the thing that you ship

Hook

Ship it (ship it), don't wait
Ship it (ship it), don't hesitate
Ship it (ship it), break it, fix it
If it's in your head, it don't exist yet, ship it

Verse 2

Deploy on the train, deploy on the plane
Deploy in the snow and deploy in the rain
Rollback ready but I never look back
Logs on the screen like a racing track
Competitors still writing up the perfect deck
I'm already on version three, check
Move with purpose, never move with fear
The future rewards the ones who are here

Bridge

Done is better
Than perfect
Go

Hook

Ship it (ship it), don't wait
Ship it (ship it), don't hesitate
Ship it (ship it), break it, fix it
If it's in your head, it don't exist yet, ship it

Outro

Deployed

Intro

Dinner is served
Again

Verse 1

Chicken flavor Monday, beef on a Tuesday
Shrimp on a Wednesday 'cause I'm feeling kinda bougie
Added an egg, now I'm basically a chef
Saving every dollar for the product that is left
Friends going out to a fancy dinner spot
I said I'm on a diet called the startup, thanks a lot
The runway is short but the vision is long
So I'm slurping noodles and I'm writing this song

Hook

Ramen budget, champagne dreams
Nothing's ever what it seems
Ramen budget, I'm alright
Rich in purpose every night

Verse 2

One day they'll write about the empire I made
They won't mention the noodles or the bills I delayed
But I'll remember the steam on the window at night
The little apartment and the single lamp light
It's funny what you need when you know where you're going
Not much, just a bowl and the rhythm keeps flowing
And when the day comes that I'm eating fine
I'll still keep a pack in the drawer for old time

Bridge

Thirty-nine cents
Best investment I ever made

Hook

Ramen budget, champagne dreams
Nothing's ever what it seems
Ramen budget, I'm alright
Rich in purpose every night

Outro

Second helping

Intro

Thank you for your time

Verse 1

Twelve people at a table and nobody looks up
I'm on slide fourteen and my mouth is going dry
One guy on his phone, one guy checking the clock
One lady half-smiling like she's already said no
I finish my pitch and the silence gets loud
A polite little cough is the only applause allowed
They say send us the deck, we'll be in touch
I know what that means, I've heard it too much

Hook

In the room where no one claps
I learned to stand on my own
In the room where no one claps
I found a voice I'd never known

Verse 2

Walked out to the parking lot, sat in the car
Didn't start the engine, just stared at the bar
Of the steering wheel, like it owed me a reason
Then I laughed, 'cause it's only a season
Every great thing got a room like this
A whole lot of silence and a door you miss
But the clapping that matters ain't coming from them
It's the sound of me getting up again

Bridge

*clap*
That one's mine

Hook

In the room where no one claps
I learned to stand on my own
In the room where no one claps
I found a voice I'd never known

Outro

Next room

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Who represents you, sir?
I do

Verse 1

She walked in with a folder held tight to her chest
No lawyer, no money, just a will and a dress
She'd been up for three nights reading words she couldn't say
Affidavit, injunction, motion to stay
The other side smiled with a team of four
She stood up alone and she still held the floor
Her voice was shaking but her facts were clear
And the whole room learned something that year

Hook

Self-represented, standing alone
With a voice and the truth as my own
Self-represented, I'm not afraid
Justice belongs to the ones who are brave

Verse 2

That's why I build what I build, that's the reason I code
So the next one who walks in won't carry that load
Plain words for the people, a map through the maze
A light in the hallway on the hardest of days
The law should be a door, not a wall in your face
Should be a hand on your shoulder, not a cold empty space
And if one person walks in feeling just a bit taller
Then every late night was worth every dollar

Bridge

Your honor
I'm ready

Hook

Self-represented, standing alone
With a voice and the truth as my own
Self-represented, I'm not afraid
Justice belongs to the ones who are brave

Outro

Case heard

Intro

Meeting's in the common room
Bring your own chair

Verse 1

My boardroom got bunk beds and a fridge with labels
My desk is a picnic bench, my wifi is unstable
Investors on Zoom while a guy from Peru
Walks by in a towel saying "Morning, how are you"
I pitch to a VC with a backpacker cooking
I close on a call while the shower's still running
They said you need an office with a view of the bay
I got a view of the world passing through every day

Hook

Bunk bed boardroom
Big dreams in a small room
Bunk bed boardroom
Building something out of nothing soon

Verse 2

Got product feedback from a girl from Berlin
Got marketing tips from a guy from Pekin'
Got a coder from Lagos, a lawyer from Lyon
All for the price of a coffee and a smile
Some learn in schools, some learn in towers
I learned in a hostel at unusual hours
The world came to me, so I listened in
And that's where every big idea began

Bridge

No dress code
No door code
Just ideas

Hook

Bunk bed boardroom
Big dreams in a small room
Bunk bed boardroom
Building something out of nothing soon

Outro

Meeting adjourned

Lyrics © Jonathan Anderson. Listen ↗

Intro

Own it

Verse 1

They offered me a salary, a badge and a chair
A nice little title and a parking spot there
I said thanks, but I'd rather own the floor
Rather sweep my own building than mop somebody's door
A paycheck is a promise that somebody keeps
Equity's a seed that you plant when it's cheap
Ain't nothing wrong with the nine to five
But I need something mine to feel alive

Hook

Equity, equity
Piece of the pie with my name on it, see
Equity, equity
Build it once and it builds for me

Verse 2

Ownership ain't money, it's the right to decide
It's the freedom to say no and to swallow your pride
It's my kids' kids having something to hold
A story and a seat at the table when they're old
So I share it with the ones who believe in the climb
Give a slice to the team that gave me their time
The wealth ain't real if it's only for me
The goal is a whole community of equity

Bridge

Rent is temporary
Ownership is forever

Hook

Equity, equity
Piece of the pie with my name on it, see
Equity, equity
Build it once and it builds for me

Outro

Own it

Intro

Sit down, son
Let me tell you something

Verse 1

Old man at the diner with a crossword and a pen
Saw me with my laptop, said "You'll burn out again"
I laughed it off, but he didn't really joke
He said "I built three companies and I watched two go broke"
The first one I loved more than my wife
The second one I fought for like it was my life
The third one worked, 'cause I finally learned
The fire's no good if the whole house burns

Hook

That's the advice he gave me
Slow down to go far
That's the advice that saved me
You are more than what you are

Verse 2

He said "Call your mother, take a walk in the sun
The market will be there when the walking is done
Hire people kinder and smarter than you
And when you make a promise, see it all the way through"
I wrote it on a napkin and I keep it in my wallet
Worn out and faded, but I never lost it
I never got his name, never saw him again
But I pass it to the young ones now and then

Bridge

If you're hearing this
This is the advice
Pass it on

Hook

That's the advice he gave me
Slow down to go far
That's the advice that saved me
You are more than what you are

Outro

Pass it on

Intro

I'm fine
I'm fine

Verse 1

Inbox at a thousand and I can't even look
Read the same sentence twelve times in a book
Coffee doesn't work and the sleep doesn't stick
Everyone keeps asking, I keep saying "Just sick"
I built all this to be free, that's the joke
Now I'm chained to the screen and I'm running on smoke
The dream got heavy, I forgot how to rest
Forgot that a person ain't a product or a test

Hook

Burnout, burnout
Candle burning both ends now
Burnout, burnout
Somebody show me how
To slow down

Verse 2

So I closed the laptop and I opened the door
Walked to the mountain like I did before
Left the phone at home, let it ring all day
Nothing fell apart, the world was okay
Turns out the business can breathe without me
Turns out the hero needs a little humility
I'm back in the chair, but the rules have changed
The flame stays lit if you guard the range

Bridge

Breathe in
Breathe out
You're allowed

Hook

Burnout, burnout
I'm learning how to slow down now
Burnout, burnout
I found the way somehow

Outro

I'm fine
For real this time

Intro

Ayy
We celebrating today

Verse 1

First user signed up, didn't know her name
Told the whole hostel like I'd won the game
Second review said "This changed my week"
Read it twenty times till my eyes got weak
Got a thank-you note from a lady in Laval
Said she won her case, now she's standing tall
Ain't no headline, ain't no million yet
But these are the moments I will never forget

Hook

Small wins, small wins
That's where the big stuff begins
Small wins, small wins
Count 'em up and let the joy come in

Verse 2

Fixed the leaky faucet, that's a win
Paid a bill on time, that's a win
Called my mom back, made her laugh
Finished a chapter, got it in half
They only post the summit on the 'gram
Never show the steps, never show the plan
But life is just a staircase made of tiny things
And every single step got a pair of wings

Bridge

That's one (win)
That's two (win)
That's me (win)
That's you (win)

Hook

Small wins, small wins
That's where the big stuff begins
Small wins, small wins
Count 'em up and let the joy come in

Outro

Another one

Intro

Run
Compile

Verse 1

Opened up a file from ten years back
Comments in the margin, every function was a hack
Variables named after songs I used to play
That was the voice of me from yesterday
I could rewrite it all, make it clean and new
But it's the foundation that the whole thing grew to
Every broken line taught me how to see
Legacy code is a map of me

Hook

Legacy code running in my veins
Every bug I fixed, every lesson that remains
Legacy code, I won't delete
The old me built the ground beneath my feet

Verse 2

What am I writing for the ones who come next?
Will they read my functions and understand the text?
Will they find a comment saying "Here's why I tried"
Will they feel a little less alone inside?
So I write it with care, document the way
Leave a clean readme for a future day
The real legacy ain't the money or the fame
It's what still runs long after my name

Bridge

// to whoever reads this
// I was here
// keep building

Hook

Legacy code running in my veins
Every bug I fixed, every lesson that remains
Legacy code, I won't delete
The old me built the ground beneath my feet

Outro

Exit zero

Intro

Lord
It's me again

Verse 1

I ain't asking for a fortune, I ain't asking for a crown
Just a little bit of patience when the numbers go down
Give me wisdom when I hire, give me grace when I fire
Give me honesty enough to never become a liar
Let me treat my people better than I was treated
Let me rise without stepping on the ones that I needed
When the money comes in, keep my hands open wide
When it doesn't, keep my head up and my heart inside

Hook

This is the founder's prayer (amen)
Keep me honest, keep me there (amen)
If I build it, let it serve (amen)
Give me more than I deserve

Verse 2

For the ones who signed up when I had nothing to show
For the ones who stayed late when they could've gone home
For the users with stories that I'll never hear
For the strangers who trusted me year after year
Let the work be a blessing, not a burden or a chain
Let it shelter somebody when it's pouring rain
And if I lose it all, let me lose it with pride
Knowing that I gave it everything I had inside

Bridge

Keep me humble (keep me humble)
Keep me hungry (keep me hungry)
Keep me human

Hook

This is the founder's prayer (amen)
Keep me honest, keep me there (amen)
If I build it, let it serve (amen)
Give me more than I deserve

Outro

Amen

Intro

Page one thousand

Verse 1

Flipped back through the notebook, pages worn and torn
Coffee rings and doodles from the nights I was born
Again and again in a hundred little ways
Every entry is a brick from my yesterdays
Day one I was scared, didn't know what I'd do
Day one thousand, still scared, but I know it's true
The fear never left, I just learned how to walk
With it right next to me like an old friend to talk

Hook

Day one thousand
Still here, still building
Day one thousand
The notebook's almost filling

Verse 2

To the kid on day one with a two-dollar book
You were right to begin, you were right to look
You'll lose some, win some, cry some, learn
But every single page is a page you earned
And when this one's full, I'll buy another
Another two dollars, another cover
The story don't end where the ink runs dry
It's day one again every time you try

Bridge

Turn the page
Start again
Always

Hook

Day one thousand
Still here, still building
Day one thousand
The notebook's almost filling

Outro

Page one