BORN TO TURN

BORN TO TURN [Soft, intimate male vocal. Unhurried phrasing. Natural breaths between lines. Leave space between phrases. No rushed delivery.] [Verse 1] I left the flowers Dying by your bed, Took a wooden lyre Where the living never tread. [Brief Instrumental Pause] Sang until the river Let me through, Till the dead forgot their hunger, Till the dark gave back you. [Brief Instrumental Pause] He said, “Walk on. She’ll follow where you go. But you must leave her face behind Until you reach the world you know.” [Brief Instrumental Pause] I swore it like a man Who had a choice. Then I walked into the silence, Listening for your voice. [Instrumental Break] [Pre-Chorus] No footsteps on the stone, No fingers in my coat. [Brief Pause] Just everything I couldn’t ask Still burning in my throat. [Instrumental Lift] [Chorus] I was always gonna Turn around. Love don’t learn to leave things In the ground. [Brief Instrumental Pause] If I could make My heart obey, I’d have stayed Beside your grave. [Brief Instrumental Pause] You knew what brought me Underground. You knew I’d need To know somehow. [Brief Instrumental Pause] The heart that came To bring you home Could never leave That dark alone. [Brief Pause] I was always gonna Turn around. [Instrumental Break] [Verse 2] I kept a thousand things To tell you, Saved them for the sun: [Brief Pause] How the house forgot its music, How I slept with candles on. [Brief Instrumental Pause] Then daylight touched my shoulder. I almost called your name. [Brief Pause] Were you close enough to see it? Had you fallen on the way? [Brief Instrumental Pause] I could hear the world above us, Water running, something green. [Brief Pause] But I couldn’t hear you breathing In the space between. [Instrumental Break] [Pre-Chorus] One more step to morning. One more breath of doubt. [Brief Pause] I had faced the lord of darkness. I couldn’t face you fading out. [Instrumental Lift] [Chorus] I was always gonna Turn around. Love don’t learn to leave things In the ground. [Brief Instrumental Pause] If I could make My heart obey, I’d have stayed Beside your grave. [Brief Instrumental Pause] You knew what brought me Underground. You knew I’d need To know somehow. [Brief Instrumental Pause] The heart that came To bring you home Could never leave That dark alone. [Brief Pause] I was always gonna Turn around. [Instrumental Break] [Bridge - Stripped Back, Fragile Vocal] You were there. [Pause] That’s what breaks me. You were there The whole way through. [Brief Instrumental Pause] All that silence, You were in it. [Pause] I was walking home with you. [Instrumental Pause] Then your lips began a word I will never get to hear. [Brief Pause] I reached into the distance. [Pause] You were gone. [Pause] My hand was here. [Instrumental Build] [Final Chorus - Emotional, Open Phrasing] I was always gonna Turn around. Now your name’s The only sound. [Brief Instrumental Pause] I can sing The river still. I can’t make it Change its will. [Brief Instrumental Pause] If I could make My heart obey, I’d have stayed Beside your grave. [Brief Instrumental Pause] But I loved you Coming down. And I loved you Turning round. [Instrumental Fade] [Outro - Almost Spoken] They said, “You only had to wait.” [Long Pause] I know. [Instrumental Pause] You were there. [Pause] I know.