Doors Closing

Lyrics

[Intro — instrumental only, no vocals]
[a door chime dings, a brake hisses long, a PA crackles; the beat builds]
[Instrumental build — still no singing, let the groove settle in]
[Instrumental — the chime and the strings carry it alone]

[Verse 1 — vocals enter at last]
"Doors are closing, please stand clear,"
the chime rings out and the cab is near;
the operator's hand on the steady throttle,
the brake's long hiss like a breathing bottle.

[Chorus]
Doors closing, doors closing, ding-ding-ding,
the chime and the hiss and the rails that sing;
stand clear, stand clear, mind the gap,
the operator riding the city's map.

[Verse 2]
Eastbound train on the platform edge,
the safety dance on the concrete ledge;
the doors slide shut and the train pulls out,
the operator's voice is the city's shout.

[Chorus]
Doors closing, doors closing, ding-ding-ding,
the chime and the hiss and the rails that sing;
stand clear, stand clear, mind the gap,
the operator riding the city's map.

[Outro — vocals stop here]
[Instrumental — the chime rides out alone, no more singing]
[Long instrumental outro — the groove fades slowly all the way down to silence]