Say That Again

Lyrics

[Intro - spoken, deadpan, beat fades in underneath]
Right. So. Dean's got a mate who knows a girl who does the door at a thing under the arches. That's the plan. That's the whole plan.

[Verse 1 - spoken word, conversational, talking not singing]
Saturday, half ten, four of us in a queue under a railway bridge and it's spitting
Dean's on the phone to the mate, the mate's on the phone to the girl, the girl's not picking up, and the queue's not shifting
The cousin with the hat's gone quiet already, which for him is basically a speech
Forty minutes later we're in. Twelve on the door, two for the coat, six for a bottle of water
So that's twenty quid gone and I've not heard a tune yet, but I've stopped counting, I'm a different man on a Saturday
And it's a room. It's literally a room under an arch. Every time a train goes over, the whole place shakes and everyone cheers like the train's a guest
It's about four hundred degrees. The ceiling's sweating. Not the people. The ceiling
There's a drip that lands on the same bloke every eight seconds and he's not moved, he's not going to move, he's found his spot
Sub bass so low you feel it in your fillings, hi-hats going like someone shaking a tin of something in the next room
Dean's gone. Two minutes in. Dean's a rumour now
And I'm stood by a speaker with a six quid water doing the nod. You know the nod. The one that says "yeah, I know this one"
I don't know this one

[Chorus - sung, wistful, slightly flat, simple melody]
Say that again
I didn't catch it, it's loud in here
Say that again
I can't get your name but I'm getting everything else loud and clear

[Verse 2 - spoken word, a bit softer, still talking]
So I go out to the smoking area. I don't smoke. I'm out there for the air
It's the only bit of the building where you can hear yourself think, and I've got a few thoughts to catch up on
And there's this girl by the bins, no coat, and she goes "have you got a lighter?"
And I go "no, sorry, I don't smoke, I'm just out here for the air", and she goes "same"
Same. She's got no cig either. She's just out here for the air as well
So that's us. Two people stood by the bins in the drizzle, not smoking. Professionally
She's from Luton. She says it like an apology. I say Croydon, so we're even
She offers me a swig of her water, and I've got my own, I've got six quid's worth right here, but I take it, cause you would, wouldn't you
She tells me her name. Train goes over. I go "what?" She says it again. Another train. I nod. I go "nice to meet you". I haven't got a clue
So I go "Naomi?" and she does a face that could be a yes, and I'm running with it, that's who she is now, until further notice
She knows the DJ's name. She knows the name of the tune I was nodding to. She says it, and I go "yeah, that's the one"
And she knows I didn't know. And she lets me have it.

Chorus - sung, wistful, slightly flat
Say that again
I didn't catch it, it's loud in here
Say that again
I can't get your name but I'm getting everything else loud and clear

[Bridge - spoken, quiet over just bass and hats, then a rewind and the beat slams back in]
And we go back in, and it's about half one, and the DJ does the thing. Pulls it up. Rewinds it. The whole room goes. Hands up. The drip lands on the bloke. A train goes over, on cue
And she looks at me. Not at the DJ. At me. And she mouths "this one"
Now I don't believe in any of that. Stars. Meant to be. Signs. I don't
But it's the loudest room in London and for about two seconds it went completely silent"

[Verse 3 - spoken word, warmer, a bit tired]
Four o'clock. Lights on. Everyone looks like they've been dug up
Forty minutes for the cloakroom, and I'm holding her ticket and mine together like it's a joint account
Outside it's proper cold, and she's shivering, so I give her my coat, and it's massive on her, and I've got nothing clever to say about that, I just wanted to tell you
I go "can I have your number?" and my phone's on four percent, so this is a race now
She says it, I type it in, and then it wants a name, and I'm stood there
And I still don't know. And I can't ask now. It's been five hours. That ship's not sailed, it's been broken up for scrap
So I save her as "Smoking Area". Capital S. Capital A. That's who she is in my phone
Phone dies. Two percent short of a photo. Fine. I've got the number
Night bus. Top deck. Dean's turned up from nowhere and he's asleep on my shoulder before we've left the stop
The cousin with the hat's been missing since half one. Nobody's worried. He always turns up
And I'm the only one on this bus who's not tired
I'm just sat there going, Naomi. Naomi. Naomi from Luton

[Outro - spoken, beat fading, just the piano left]
Sunday. One in the afternoon. Phone charged. Nothing
So I text. "Hiya. It's me. From the smoking area. The one with no lighter"
Dots. Dots go away. Dots come back
"I know who you are, you muppet. It's Nadia, by the way. Not Naomi. You said Naomi about nine times. I let it go"
Nadia
Right
Nadia
Saved