Midnight Piano, Your Name

Lyrics

[Verse 1] Late shift sirens in my head Coffee stains on an old blue jacket Met you wiping down that bar Neon tips in a chipped glass bucket You laughed at every dark joke Poured me water when my hands would shake Somehow your tiny corner Felt safer than the calls I’d take [Chorus] Frankie I was running on empty You were singing over the noise I mistook your kindness For a choice Frankie When I finally told you Heart in my mouth Hands cold You said you cared But not like that And my world just folded [Verse 2] Back at the walk-up Shared rent Shared fridge Two beds Thin wall Same window view You hummed along to records I memorized the sound of you Holding razor blade in hand teary eyes, perfect cuts A spinning room Woke up to hospital ceiling tiles And my mother’s eyes Full of doom [Chorus] Frankie I was running on empty You were singing over the noise I mistook my drowning For a choice Frankie When the sirens were for me I thought I’d reached the end But the only name On my broken lips Was yours again [Verse 3] Upstate house with the plastic on chairs Sleeping in my brother’s old twin bed My father spoke in weather reports Never asked what went through my head We fought about the city The job The rent My shame He said “You almost killed your mother” Never once dared say your name [Bridge] Still I saw you in the porch light In the late news glow In the snow on the mailbox In every song on the radio I tried to forget your laughter But it sat in my chest like a stone Till the night Mom said “She’s on a flyer here Singing down where you used to go” [Chorus] Frankie I got back on the highway Every mile a heartbeat loud Hands tight on the wheel As the skyline slid through the clouds Frankie I stood in that doorway Whole room turned to gold You on that tiny stage Shaking Brave Finding your notes [Verse 4] You saw me through the shaky light Stopped mid-line One breath Then two The whole place blurred and parted Like it was built to lead me to you You stepped down Still holding the mic Whispered “Jamie Are you alright?” I said “I’ve been trying to be Ever since that night” [Outro] You said “I got scared I ran Didn’t know how deep you fell” I said “I thought I loved you once But I’ve been in love with you through hell” You took my hand like a promise Pressed your forehead into mine Said “Let’s start from right now Leave the rest behind” Frankie This is our first song We’ll get the words wrong It’s okay Paramedic heart still racing But it’s beating Here to stay