It's Just the House

Lyrics

[Intro: low fridge hum, clock ticking, no music]

Spoken: quiet, to herself
Okay. Just you tonight.

[Verse 1: half-sung, almost bored, close to the mic]
Half past eleven and everyone's gone,
The heating's clicked off and the house clears its throat.
You mute the TV. There. Did you hear that?
It's the fridge. It's the pipes. It's the kettle. It's nothing.

Pre-Chorus: steady, a breathing exercise
In for four. Hold for four. Out for four.
You've done this before. You've done this before.

[Chorus: soft, self-soothing, heartbeat kick enters]
It's just the house, it's just the house,
Old houses talk, it's what they do.
It's just the house, it's just the house,
There's no one there. There's no one but you.

[Verse 2: tighter, a little faster, strings creep in]
Ten to twelve, and that wasn't the fridge.
That was the stair. The third one. The one that complains.
You've made that sound a thousand times going up —
But you're already up. So who's making it now?

Pre-Chorus: breath catching
In for four. Hold for four. Out for— (was that the hall?)
In for four. Hold for four. You've done this before.

[Chorus: faster, string tremolo, less convinced]
It's just the house, it's just the house,
Old houses talk, it's what they do.
It's just the house, it's just the house,
There's no one there. There's no one but you.
(there's no one there) (there's no one there)

[Verse 3: urgent, half-whispered, tempo rising]
Twenty past twelve, you're behind the bedroom door.
The lock is for show. Four percent, and it rings, and it rings out.
The landing light's on — thank God you left it on —
There's a line of it under the door, and it's whole. It's whole. It's—

Pre-Chorus: whispered, panicked
In for four. Hold for four. Out for—
Two shapes in the light. Two shapes in the light.
Hold. Hold. Hold. Don't breathe.

[Bridge: whispered right against the mic, no music, only breath]
I know you can't do anything. I know. I know.
Just stay. Just stay with me. Please don't go.
The handle's turning. It's so slow. It's so slow. Like it's got all night.
Please. Please. Please. Please—

[Final Chorus: full band, distorted, sung through tears then screamed]
It's just the house — it's just the— it's just the—
It's just the house — it's not the house —
IT'S NOT THE HOUSE. IT'S NOT THE HOUSE.
THERE'S SOMEONE THERE. THERE'S SOMEONE—

Outro: screamed, raw, breaking
No— no— no no no NO—
AAAAAAAAH— AAAAH—
abrupt cut to silence

[Outro: the fridge hum and the ticking from the intro return, quiet, unchanged, long fade]