Music
I’ve always loved music — especially the magic of old records and classic 45s spinning on a turntable. What began as songs written for my stories and characters slowly grew into a creative passion of its own.
Many of these songs were originally imagined as part of the worlds and emotions behind my writing, but over time, songwriting became a side hobby I truly fell in love with. From nostalgic ballads to upbeat dance tracks, each lyric is completely original and written by me.
At the moment, the vocals and singers featured in the demos are AI-generated while I continue exploring future possibilities for collaboration and production.
Thank you for listening, reading, and stepping into these stories through music. I hope you enjoy them.
Tracks
All lyrics are written by Mackenzie K. Wertman. Demo vocals are currently AI-generated.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
I walked in with my high heels dragging
Bad news hanging from my sleeve
Another long day, another heart break
Another reason not to believe
But then the DJ dropped that rhythm
Like a spark into the night
Suddenly my tears stopped falling
And everything felt right
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh-oh, the beat says “keep on living”
Oh-oh, your heart’s still got a light
No use crying in the shadows
When the whole world’s spinning bright
[Chorus]
Turn it around, spin me around
Take all my worries to the middle of town
Hands in the air, feet off the ground
Love’s got a way of turning it around
Round and round and round we go
Laughing like the radio
Tonight the blues are out of style
Turn it around and stay awhile
[Verse 2]
Mirror ball and colored neon
Shining diamonds on the wall
Everybody’s somebody tonight
Doesn’t matter rich or small
And the girl who came in lonely
Now she’s dancing with the crowd
Singing louder than her problems
Like she finally figured out
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh-oh, your soul was made for shining
Oh-oh, don’t hide your heart away
Every little step you’re taking
Pulls you closer to the day
[Chorus]
Turn it around, spin me around
Take all my worries to the middle of town
Hands in the air, feet off the ground
Love’s got a way of turning it around
Round and round and round we go
Laughing like the radio
Tonight the blues are out of style
Turn it around and stay awhile
[Bridge]
Everybody’s got a little hurt inside
Everybody’s trying just to feel alive
So let the music pull you through
Baby, this night belongs to you
[Final Chorus]
Turn it around, spin me around
Turn all the gray skies upside down
Hearts on fire, lost then found
Love’s got a way of turning it around
Round and round and round we go
Like a dream at a disco show
Tonight the whole world feels worthwhile
Turn it around… and dance awhile
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Worked all week, bit my tongue
Smiled sweet when I should’ve run
Everybody wants a piece of me
But tonight I’m finally free
Pulled my favorite records down
Stacked ‘em high and dimmed the house
That little crackle, needle drop
Feels like my heart finally unlocked
[Pre-Chorus]
Dust spins in the living room light
Old songs make the whole world right
One more chorus, one more side
Watch me come back to life
[Chorus]
I’ll put on my 45’s
And forget about the world tonight
Gonna dance in my socks ‘til two a.m.
Like nobody’s watching me again
Turn it up and sing out loud
Shake the hurt right out somehow
Bad days can wait outside
I’m alive with my 45’s tonight
[Verse 2]
Red wine stain, cheap perfume
Kitchen dancing round the room
Every woman’s got a rebel soul
Mine was born for rock and roll
No sad tears, no waiting by the phone
No wondering why I’m all alone
I got Aretha in my blood tonight
And that beat underneath the lights
[Pre-Chorus]
Dust spins in the living room light
Old songs make the whole world right
One more chorus, one more side
Watch me come back to life
[Chorus]
I’ll put on my 45’s
And forget about the world tonight
Gonna dance in my socks ‘til two a.m.
Like nobody’s watching me again
Turn it up and sing out loud
Shake the hurt right out somehow
Bad days can wait outside
I’m alive with my 45’s tonight
[Bridge]
Everybody’s breaking these days
Everybody’s tired and running in place
But the music still knows who I am
Yeah, the music still takes my hand
So spin me round, spin me free
Like those girls in the magazines
Big dreams and blue jeans
And hearts that still believe
[Final Chorus]
I’ll put on my 45’s
And let the whole room come alive
Every scratch and every line
Feels like medicine tonight
So if the world keeps spinning wild
I’ll be right here for a while
Singing every word I know
To the records that saved my soul
With my 45’s tonight
Oh-oh-oh tonight
Me and my 45’s tonight
[Intro]
[Verse]
Yeah, yeah
Come on now
Turn it up
Hey!
[Verse 1]
Little girl dancing in the Tokyo rain
Boy in Detroit on a midnight train
Mama in Rio singing out the door
Everybody searching for a little bit more
Different languages, different skies
Different stories in our eyes
But when the rhythm hits just right
We all move together tonight
[Pre-Chorus]
So throw your hands up high
Let the walls come down
A heartbeat’s a heartbeat
No matter where it’s found
[Chorus]
We got one heartbeat
One fire inside
No matter where you came from
Stand up side by side
Red, yellow, black, white
Every soul shining bright
Turn the darkness into light
Tonight, tonight
We got one heartbeat
One song in the air
If love’s the language
Everybody’s there
Round and round the whole world spins
And in the end
We all begin
The same tonight
[Verse 2]
Kid with headphones walking down the street
Old man tapping to the same old beat
Girl in Memphis, boy in Seoul
Everybody trying to fill that hole
They tell us “different” means divide
But love ain’t got no borderlines
And every shadow disappears
When we start listening instead of fear
[Pre-Chorus]
So throw your hands up high
Let the walls come down
A heartbeat’s a heartbeat
No matter where it’s found
[Chorus]
We got one heartbeat
One fire inside
No matter where you came from
Stand up side by side
Red, yellow, black, white
Every soul shining bright
Turn the darkness into light
Tonight, tonight
We got one heartbeat
One song in the air
If love’s the language
Everybody’s there
Round and round the whole world spins
And in the end
We all begin
The same tonight
[Bridge – breakdown chant]
Hey!
No fear
No hate
No lines to separate
Hey!
One world
One sound
Let the love shake the ground
(Ooh!)
Everybody sing now
(Ooh!)
Let the rhythm ring out
[Final Chorus – bigger]
We got one heartbeat
One fire inside
No matter who you are now
Stand up side by side
Every color, every creed
Every dream we still believe
We’re stronger when we’re unified
Tonight
One heartbeat
One sky above
And maybe all we really need
Is love
Round and round the whole world spins
And in the end
We all begin
As one tonight
Yeah, yeah
One heartbeat
Come together now
Hey!
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Radio’s playin’ but it don’t hit right
Everybody’s singin’ but they ain’t got soul tonight
Too much glitter, not enough heart
Everybody’s loud but nobody’s art
I miss records spinnin’ in a basement room
Big ol’ speakers shakin’ all the dust off the moon
Mama sang Motown in the kitchen light
Now it’s all gone gray on a Friday night
[Pre-Chorus]
Where’d the magic go?
Where’d the fever run?
Where’s the music that could make the whole world one?
[Chorus]
I miss Michael moonwalkin’ across the floor
I miss Elvis shakin’ up the whole front door
I miss Aretha singin’ like heaven was near
Prince on the purple guitar ringin’ in my ear
I miss dancin’ till the streetlights died
Soul train rhythm and the Saturday night
Oh, maybe I’m old fashioned — maybe that’s true
But I miss the music…
Yeah, I miss the music like I miss you
[Verse 2]
I miss vinyl scratches before the beat dropped in
Voices that sounded like they’d really been through somethin’
Songs that made strangers hold each other tight
Under neon stars in the summer night
I miss the jackets, the posters, the bands
Real live drummers and the raised-up hands
You could feel the heartbeat inside every line
Now everybody’s famous for fifteen seconds of shine
[Pre-Chorus]
Where’d the slow jams go?
Where’d the choir fade?
Where’s the fire that Marvin and Whitney made?
[Chorus]
I miss Michael moonwalkin’ across the floor
I miss Elvis shakin’ up the whole front door
I miss Donna Summer ridin’ through the night
Stevie Wonder fillin’ every dark with light
I miss dancin’ till the streetlights died
Mirrorball glow and the Saturday night
Oh, maybe I’m old fashioned — maybe that’s true
But I miss the music…
Yeah, I miss the music like I miss you
[Bridge]
Bring back the horns
Bring back the strings
Bring back the feeling that the whole room sings
Bring back the passion
Bring back the blues
Bring back songs that had somethin’ to lose
Ohhhhhh —
I wanna feel alive again
Like a Motown record spinnin’ in the wind
[Final Chorus]
I miss Michael leanin’ into Billie Jean
Elvis in leather lookin’ seventeen
I miss Tina burnin’ brighter than the sun
Freddie singin’ like the world could still be one
I miss soul, I miss funk, I miss rock and roll
Music that reached down deep into your soul
Maybe the rhythm never really died
Maybe it’s waitin’ for us tonight
So turn it up loud
Let the records move ya
Let the old songs prove ya
The magic still survives
’Cause somewhere in the static and the midnight blue…
The music’s still alive
And it’s missin’ you too.
[Intro]
[Verse]
Turn it on…
Turn it up…
They’re comin’ through the radio tonight…
[Verse 1]
Streetlight flickers on an empty avenue
White moon shinin’ like a spotlight on you
You hear a rhythm from another room
Like somebody’s dancing inside your tomb
Shadow moves when nobody’s there
Cold wind blowin’ through your hair
You try to run but your feet move slow
Something in the darkness already knows
[Pre-Chorus]
You feel it creepin’ closer
Heartbeat takin’ over
No place left to hide
When the midnight comes alive
[Chorus]
It’s the Midnight Radio
Calling out your name real low
Static ghosts and broken souls
Dancin’ where the wild wind blows
Oh-oh — don’t lose control
Oh-oh — once it gets ahold
When the speakers start to scream
You ain’t waking from the dream
[Post-Chorus]
(Hoo-hoo!)
Midnight radiooooo
Whoa-oh-oh-oh!
[Verse 2
Silver zipper, black leather silhouette
Eyes like danger and a cigarette
Footsteps echo down the hall
Then suddenly the power falls
Now the room starts spinnin’ round
Bassline shakin’ through the ground
Hands reach out through the neon haze
Pulling you deeper into the craze
[Pre-Chorus]
You feel it getting stronger
The night keeps gettin’ longer
No chance left to run
When the rhythm’s just begun
[Chorus]
It’s the Midnight Radio
Calling out your name real low
Static ghosts and broken souls
Dancin’ where the wild wind blows
Oh-oh — don’t lose control
Oh-oh — once it gets ahold
When the speakers start to scream
You ain’t waking from the dream
[BRIDGE / SPOKEN SECTION]
(Spoken dramatically over creeping synths and laughter)
And just when you think
The music has ended…
You hear it…
That sound…
The sound of forgotten hearts
Beating beneath the city streets…
Searching for one more soul
To dance… forever…
(evil laugh echoes)
[Final Chorus]
It’s the Midnight Radio
Feel the fever in your bones
Every shadow starts to move
When the darkness finds its groove
Oh-oh — nowhere to go
Oh-oh — the whole world knows
When the speakers start to scream
You become the living dream!
(Whispers fading out)
Turn it off…
Too late…
Hoo-hoo…
[Intro]
[Verse]
Mama danced at the Delta Rose
Feathers, sequins, painted clothes
Men would line up every night
Throwing dollars at the stage lights
I was born in room thirteen
Back behind the slot machines
Raised on smoke and old perfume
And the howl of a jukebox tune
Folks in town talked mean and low
Said we were trouble from the get-go
But Mama’d laugh and flip her hair—
“People fear what shines too bright, chère.”
Then one summer, when I turned sixteen
A riverboat rolled into New Orleans
Captain wore a black silk coat
Gold tooth shining while he smoked
He saw me dancing after dark
Said, “Girl, you got a gypsy heart”
Promised diamonds, promised land
So I slipped away and took his hand
And we sailed—
[Chorus]
Down the Mississippi midnight black
Never once looked back
Trumpets cryin’, engines burnin’
Wheel keeps turnin’
River Queen
River Queen
[Verse]
That’s what they called me on the scene
Every night I wore red lace
People memorized my face
Women whispered from their chairs
Men just sat and stared and stared
Captain Reed got rich real fast
But rich men never finish last
One bad hand and one loud mouth
Brought the whole damn river down south
Sheriff waiting at the dock
Captain runnin’ from the clock
He kissed my cheek and grabbed the cash
Then vanished in the thunder crash
Left me with—
One silver ring and a name I hate
One room and an empty plate
[Chorus]
Band still playin’, crowd still drinkin’
Whole world sinkin’
River Queen
River Queen
[Verse]
Ain’t as glamorous as it seems
Winter came and Mama died
Cold rain falling outside
Preacher preachin’, people cryin’
Half of them had spent years lyin’
I stood there in a black silk veil
Heard the distant train rail
Thought about that riverboat
And every promise Captain told
Then one night near Tennessee
Guess who walked right back to me?
Older now, face worn thin
Still carrying all his sins
Said, “Baby, come away tonight.”
But I just smiled and dimmed the light
Cause some girls learn
And some girls burn
And some do both before they’re thirty-three
[Chorus]
Down the Mississippi midnight black
I finally took my life back
No more runnin’, no more turnin’
stopped burnin’
River Queen
River Queen
Now they only sing of me…**
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
I still know the shortcut through my hometown mall
Where the movie theater stood before they tore it all down
I still hear my mother yelling, “Be back by ten”
Back when forever fit inside a weekend
Now my friends are getting married in white lace gowns
Posting nursery pictures from houses they bought out south
And I’m standing in my kitchen at 2 AM
Eating cereal alone like I’m seventeen again
[Pre-Chorus]
Everybody said it happens slowly
One day you blink and then suddenly
[Chorus]
I didn’t mean to grow up
Didn’t mean to trade midnight drives for waking up
To unpaid bills and “How’ve you been?”
From people who swore they’d never leave again
I thought we had more time
More summers, more cheap wine
More dashboard-light confessions in the dark
Now everybody’s worlds are pulling apart
And sometimes I still feel stuck
Like a kid pretending to know enough
Everybody else makes it look so easy
God, I didn’t mean to grow up
[Verse 2]
I miss getting ready just to go nowhere
Putting on makeup for the county fair
Back when a heartbreak was the worst thing alive
Not watching your parents getting older with time
I thought adults had answers in their back pockets
But we’re all just scared kids driving through the traffic
Trying not to cry in grocery store lines
Trying to survive another Friday night
[Pre-Chorus]
Everybody’s faking like they’re fearless
Meanwhile I’m over here wondering where the years went
[Chorus]
I didn’t mean to grow up
Didn’t mean to lose whole friendships overnight
Or learn some people only love you
When your life fits into theirs just right
I thought we had more time
Before goodbye meant goodbye
Before “let’s hang out soon” became a lie
People say that’s just life
But sometimes I still feel stuck
Like I missed the day they taught us how to become
The people we all swore we’d be
God, growing up happened way too fast for me
[Bridge]
And every year gets shorter somehow
Pictures turn into ghosts now
The songs we screamed in parking lots
Sound different when you’re all grown up
And I still remember
Sneaking out in September
Certain we were infinite hearts
Certain no one could tear us apart
But suddenly we’re tired all the time
Missing people who are still alive
Watching dreams turn into “maybe someday”
Watching childhood slowly fade
And I know this is what life does
But nobody tells you how much it hurts because
[Final Chorus]
I didn’t mean to grow up
Didn’t mean to become somebody scared of love
Scared of losing what I finally found
Scared of letting everybody down
I thought I’d stay the same
Just older with a different name
But somewhere between then and now
The world got heavy somehow
And maybe one day I’ll adjust
Maybe everybody feels like us
Maybe nobody’s really ready
Maybe we all just pretend to be
But tonight I miss who I was
‘Cause I didn’t mean to grow up.
[Intro]
[Verse]
Ba-da-bop, ba-da-bay
There he goes, there he goes
[Verse 1]
He sees a girl at the record store
Drops his change all over the floor
She laughs once, he’s gone too far
Now he’s polishing up his car
Calls his mama, combs his hair
Acts like destiny’s standing there
One little smile, one “hello”
And everybody says—
[Chorus]
Look at him go-go-go
Heartbeat running like a radio
Hey-ya-hey, what do ya know
He’s in love by the second hello
Shimmy-shake, spinning slow
Writing her name where the wild winds blow
One kiss and the whole town knows
Ahhh, look at him go
[Verse 2]
Met another girl at the laundromat
Fell in love over a baseball cap
She said “Honey, that machine’s mine”
He said “Girl, that must be a sign”
Now he’s dancing down Main Street
Brand new rhythm in his heartbeat
Everybody laughing cause they know
How the story goes—
[Chorus]
Look at him go-go-go
Heartbeat running like a radio
Hey-ya-hey, what do ya know
He’s in love by the second hello
Shimmy-shake, spinning slow
Writing her name where the wild winds blow
One kiss and the whole town knows
Ahhh, look at him go
[Bridge]
He falls hard, he falls fast
Swears each time will be the last
But then another pair of eyes
Turns his clouds to summer skies
[Breakdown]
Ba-da-bay, ba-da-boom
Love walks in and fills the room
Snap your fingers, tap your shoes
Ain’t no cure for lovesick fools
[Final Chorus]
Look at him go-go-go
Flying higher than the stereo
Hey-ya-hey, steal the show
He’s a spark in a firework glow
Round and round like dominoes
Every pretty face just steals his soul
And every girl from coast to coast knows—
(Background singers)
There he goes!
There he goes!
Ba-da-bop, ba-da-bay
He’s falling again today.
[Intro]
[Verse]
Ooo!
Come on now!
Hey hey hey!
[Verse 1]
You walked in wearin’ corduroy shoes
Smilin’ like the Sunday news
Bubblegum and roller skates
Girl, you got me stayin’ up late
Radio playin’ Marvin loud
Laughin’ in the middle of the crowd
Everybody stoppin’ to see
What you doin’ to me
[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t need no map
Don’t need no degree
Your kinda love comes naturally
[Chorus]
It’s as easy as
1, 2, 3 — you and me
A, B, C — like a melody
Snap your fingers, stomp your feet
Heart goes boom with the backbeat
Round and round like a vinyl spins
You pull me close and the room caves in
Sweet little thing, can’t you see?
You got the rhythm in me
[Verse 2]
Cherry Coke and neon signs
Summer stars and finish lines
Dancin’ underneath the porch light glow
Nowhere else I wanna go
You got sunshine in your hair
Magic floatin’ through the air
Every little thing you do
Feels brand new
[Bridge]
Everybody sing along!
Na na na na na!
Love don’t gotta be complicated
Just a little soul and celebration!
Hey!
Clap your hands now!
Hey!
Turn the whole world around!
[Final Chorus]
It’s as easy as
1, 2, 3 — you and me
Singin’ loud in harmony
Laugh so hard we can’t sleep
Old jukebox and a midnight drive
Makes you feel so alive
Sweet little thing, can’t you see?
You got the rhythm in me
Ooo yeah!
Just keep dancin’ now!
1, 2, 3!
That’s all you need!
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
I got a jukebox heart in a Bluetooth age
Leather jacket soul in a digital cage
Everybody scrollin’, nobody sways
I’m still dreamin’ in a vinyl haze
I wanna dance where the saxophone cries
Under neon moons and cherry-red lights
Where love songs lived on the radio
And people still slow danced real close
[Pre-Chorus]
They say “kid, you’re late”
But I say maybe the clock’s wrong
[Chorus]
I was born in the wrong time, baby
My soul’s in black and white
I hear Motown in the morning
Disco stars at night
I want Elvis on the TV
Moonwalks under the lights
Everybody says I’m crazy
But maybe this world moved too fast for me
I was born in the wrong time
[Verse 2]
I wear old records like a badge of pride
Forty-fives stacked high in my ride
Everybody’s chasing fifteen seconds
I just want songs that leave a mark
Give me drive-ins, diners, midnight bands
A heartbreak song you can still understand
Not everything needs flashing lights
Sometimes magic sounds better warm
[Pre-Chorus]
They say “move ahead”
But I keep dancing backwards smiling
[Chorus]
I was born in the wrong time, baby
My soul’s in black and white
I hear Aretha through the speakers
Saturday night delight
I want Cher on the radio
And Jackson shaking the lights
Everybody says I’m crazy
But maybe this world moved too fast for me
I was born in the wrong time
[Bridge]
But maybe every generation
Needs somebody keeping rhythm alive
A little glitter, little heartbreak
Little magic in their eyes
So I’ll keep spinning old memories
Like they never really died
[Final Chorus]
I was born in the wrong time, darling
But I’m still doing alright
Mixing yesterday’s fire
With a brand-new night
I got old-school dreams in a modern world
And I’m holding them tight
Everybody says I’m different
Yeah maybe that’s exactly what I’m meant to be
I wasn’t born in the wrong time…
I just brought the good stuff back with me.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Your friends said I was trouble in a leather jacket
My friends said you were born for the dramatic
We met outside a party in the pouring rain
You said, “Wanna disappear?” — I said, “Okay”
Red light, green light, running every yellow
You laughed like heaven, talked like the devil
Cigarette smoke and a motel key
You looked so good making bad look sweet
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh no —
We were dancing with the doors unlocked
No brakes, no map, no second thoughts
You kissed me once and the whole world swerved
[Chorus]
Fell in love in the backseat of a bad idea
Heart racing faster than the tires were
You said forever like you almost meant it
We were sparks in a can of gasoline, reckless
Lipstick on your collar, hands all over my heart
Should’ve seen the ending from the start
But oh my God, baby, I’d go right back there
Fell in love in the backseat of a bad idea
[Verse 2]
We stole a weekend from the state line
Burned through cash and a couple stop signs
Your blue jeans hanging from the chandelier
We made a mess like we’d never disappear
Your ex kept calling, my mom kept warning
But we were too busy turning midnight into morning
Every “don’t do it” just sounded funnier
You pulled me closer and the radio got louder
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh no —
Your hand sliding up my knee
Singing words off-key at 2:15
You kissed me twice and the whole world blurred
[Chorus]
Fell in love in the backseat of a bad idea
Heart racing faster than the tires were
You said forever like you almost meant it
We were sparks in a can of gasoline, reckless
Lipstick on your collar, hands all over my heart
Should’ve seen the ending from the start
But oh my God, baby, I’d go right back there
Fell in love in the backseat of a bad idea
[Bridge]
Everybody wants a safe bet
White fence, front porch, no regrets
But you tasted like danger and summer heat
Like breaking every rule beautifully
And maybe we were doomed from the first night
But damn if it didn’t feel right
Flying too fast with your name on my lips
Half in love, half apocalypse
[Final Chorus]
Yeah, I fell in love in the backseat of a bad idea
With your wild eyes and your hands in my hair
You said forever and I actually believed it
Even with the whole world screaming don’t mean it
Now I laugh every time that song comes on
‘Cause for a minute there we burned so strong
And if crashing was the price to get us here
I’d still fall in love in the backseat of a bad idea
Backseat… bad idea…
Yeah, you were my favorite bad idea.
[Intro]
[Verse]
Ooo!
Come on now!
Hey hey hey!
[Verse 1]
You walked in wearin’ corduroy shoes
Smilin’ like the Sunday news
Bubblegum and roller skates
Girl, you got me stayin’ up late
Radio playin’ Marvin loud
Laughin’ in the middle of the crowd
Everybody stoppin’ to see
What you doin’ to me
[Pre-Chorus]
I don’t need no map
Don’t need no degree
Your kinda love comes naturally
[Chorus]
It’s as easy as
1, 2, 3 — you and me
A, B, C — like a melody
Snap your fingers, stomp your feet
Heart goes boom with the backbeat
Round and round like a vinyl spins
You pull me close and the room caves in
Sweet little thing, can’t you see?
You got the rhythm in me
[Verse 2]
Cherry Coke and neon signs
Summer stars and finish lines
Dancin’ underneath the porch light glow
Nowhere else I wanna go
You got sunshine in your hair
Magic floatin’ through the air
Every little thing you do
Feels brand new
[Bridge]
Everybody sing along!
Na na na na na!
Love don’t gotta be complicated
Just a little soul and celebration!
Hey!
Clap your hands now!
Hey!
Turn the whole world around!
[Final Chorus]
It’s as easy as
1, 2, 3 — you and me
Singin’ loud in harmony
Laugh so hard we can’t sleep
Old jukebox and a midnight drive
Makes you feel so alive
Sweet little thing, can’t you see?
You got the rhythm in meOoo yeah!
Just keep dancin’ now!
1, 2, 3!
That’s all you need!
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
It’s 2 AM, your truck outside
You always pull up without warning
Porch light cutting through the dark
Like you already know I’m waiting
You lean against the kitchen counter
Like you’ve done a hundred times
Acting like you just stopped by
But your eyes don’t know how to lie
[Pre-Chorus]
Your jacket lands beside me
You barely close the door
The silence saying everything
We don’t need words for anymore
[Chorus]
Don’t say it with your mouth tonight
Say it with your hands
Your eyes already told me everything
Before the night even began
No need for careful little sentences
Or pretending this is planned
Baby, if you really want me
Say it with your hands
Oh-oh
Say it with your hands
Oh-oh
Say it with your hands
[Verse 2]
There’s a movie playing in the background
Neither one of us could name
Your hand keeps brushing up against mine
Like it’s all some kind of accident
And every inch between our bodies
Feels electric in this room
You move closer on the couch slow
Like you’re scared I might move too
[Pre-Chorus]
Your fingers tracing circles
Up and down my arm
Like you already know exactly
How to pull me into your heart
[Chorus]
Don’t say it with your mouth tonight
Say it with your hands
Your eyes already told me everything
Before the night even began
No need for careful little sentences
Or pretending this is planned
Baby, if you really want me
Say it with your hands
Oh-oh
Say it with your hands
Oh-oh
Say it with your hands
[Bridge]
You don’t gotta call it love
Don’t gotta give it a name
But the way you pull me closer
Makes it hard to play it safe
And every little touch tonight
Feels more honest than we planned
Some things sound better in silence
Said through your hands
[Final Chorus]
Don’t say it with your mouth tonight
Say it with your hands
You had me the second that you looked at me
Like nobody else in here can
No more nervous little half-truths
No more “just friends”
Baby, if you really mean it
Say it with your hands
Oh-oh
Say it with your hands
Oh-oh
Say it with your hands
Front porch light
Middle of the night
No words this time
Just say it with your hands.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
She walked in like midnight smoke
Red lips, black boots, heart of gold-plated jokes
Every eye in the room went still
Like she knew exactly how to bend free will
She called my name like a loaded gun
Said, “Baby, you ain’t the only one”
Had me tangled in her spotlight game
Now I taste trouble every time she says my name
[Pre-Chorus]
Mama warned me ‘bout girls like that
Silk gloves hiding razor traps
One kiss and the room goes black
Too far gone to take it back
[Chorus]
Oh, Velvet Alibi
Why you gotta haunt my nights?
You keep knocking at my door
Like you still own my life
You pull me under with those eyes
Sweet poison in disguise
I tried running, but your shadow keeps on following me
Velvet Alibi
Won’t let me breathe
[Verse 2]
Every downtown neon burns her face
Every slow dance feels like a chase
She got my leather jacket on
Like she knew she’d keep it when the love was gone
Friends say, “Man, just let her go”
But they never felt that hurricane soul
She don’t love me — she loves the game
But I still ignite when she fans the flame
[Pre-Chorus]
She’s danger dressed in perfume black
One touch and my heart attacks
I know better — still want that
That kind of fire don’t fade fast
[Chorus]
Oh, Velvet Alibi
Why you gotta haunt my nights?
You keep knocking at my door
Like you still own my life
You pull me under with those eyes
Sweet poison in disguise
I tried running, but your shadow keeps on following me
Velvet Alibi
Won’t let me breathe
[Bridge]
She moves like smoke through a backlit room
Like Elvis Presley hips and a bad tattoo
Talks real soft but cuts real deep
Leaves her fingerprints all over me
And every time I break away
I hear high heels down the hallway
Like a ghost with a cigarette flame
Calling me back again…
[Final Chorus]
Oh, Velvet Alibi
You keep killing every light
You got your hands around my heart
And you squeeze it every night
Everybody says goodbye
But you never really leave my mind
I keep running but your shadow keeps on following me
Velvet Alibi
Won’t let me be
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
You walk in cool like you own the night
Leather jacket underneath neon lights
Whole room turns when you start to move
Girl, you got me with that attitude
One little smile and I lose my head
You ain’t even gotta leave your friends
I’m across the room, but I feel that pull
Like the moon got gravity over the ocean blue
[Pre-Chorus]
No stop signs
No red lights
Just your shadow crossing mine
[Chorus]
Up and down, side to side
You got me spinning like a midnight ride
Pull me close then move away
Girl, you got me begging you to stay
Up and down, slow then fast
Like we’re tryna make forever last
Heartbeat jumping with the sound
Every time you move me
Up and down
[Verse 2]
Midnight shadows on the wall
Your silhouette says it all
Smoke and mirrors, flashing gold
You’re the story everybody told
DJ playing something smooth and low
You lean in close and the whole world slows
One more touch and I’m gone again
Like a vinyl record spinning to the very end
[Pre-Chorus
No goodbyes
No rewind
Just your body next to mine
[Chorus]
Up and down, side to side
You got me spinning like a midnight ride
Pull me close then move away
Girl, you got me begging you to stay
Up and down, slow then fast
Like we’re tryna make forever last
Heartbeat jumping with the sound
Every time you move me
Up and down
[Bridge]
Streetlights shining on your hair
Everybody watching but I don’t care
One more dance before the morning comes
Baby, we ain’t gotta fall in love
But if you keep moving like you do—
I might not have a choice to choose
[Final Chorus]
Up and down, all night long
Like the radio turned into a song
Hands in the air, feet off the ground
Baby, turn this whole thing around
Up and down, black and white
Like an old-school movie brought to life
One more kiss before the lights go down—
Keep moving me
Up and down.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
I woke up with a spark in my shoes
Sun in my hair, got nothing to lose
World said, “Quiet, keep it polite”
But my heart came dressed in dynamite
They said, “Don’t laugh so loud”
“Don’t shine like that”
“Don’t dance in the middle of the cul-de-sac”
But I got a little lightning in my bloodstream now
And I ain’t here to whisper, I’m here to wow
[Pre-Chorus]
So let the bass hit harder
Let the whole room know
I was born with color
And I’m done laying low
[Chorus]
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
I came alive when the speakers shook
Let the roof fly off
Let the whole town see
I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be
Don’t dim my fire
Don’t hush my sound
I was made to be loud and proud
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
Turn me up, up, up
[Verse 2]
I got glitter in my grin, gold in my walk
A little too much magic when I talk
I’m the laugh in the back of a serious room
The flower growing through the crack in the gloom
I don’t need permission
I don’t need a crown
I bring the sunshine when the rain comes down
Call me too much, baby, that’s alright
Too much is perfect under these lights
Pre-Chorus
So let the bass hit harder
Let the whole world know
I was born with thunder
And I’m done laying low
[Chorus]
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
I came alive when the speakers shook
Let the roof fly off
Let the whole town see
I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be
Don’t dim my fire
Don’t hush my sound
I was made to be loud and proud
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
Turn me up, up, up
[Bridge]
If I’m too bright, get shades
If I’m too loud, make space
If I’m too much, good news
There’s more where that came from
Hands high, heart wide
No brakes on this joyride
I found my voice and it’s got a kick drum
Final Chorus
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
I came alive when the speakers shook
Let the roof fly off
Let the whole town see
I’m exactly who I’m supposed to be
Don’t dim my fire
Don’t hush my sound
I was made to be loud and proud
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
Turn me up, up, upTurn me up
Turn me up
I came alive when the speakers shook
Don’t turn me down
Turn me up
Turn me up, up, up!
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
You were white knuckles on the steering wheel
Red light bleeding through the windshield
Your jaw locked tight like a loaded gun
And I kept counting mile markers one by one
Summer rain was hitting Tennessee
You said, “Baby, this is killing me”
But you never looked me in the eye
Just turned the station when I started to cry
And the dashboard glow turned your skin gold
Funny how silence can feel so cold
[Pre-Chorus]
Every song was saying what we couldn’t say
Love dying slowly in the U.S.A.
[Chorus]
There was static on the radio
Your hand slipping from mine slow
We kept driving like we didn’t know
Some roads only lead to ghosts
Headlights cutting through the dark
Like a match trying to fight the sparks
You were somewhere I could almost hold
But the signal faded miles ago
There was static on the radio
[Verse 2]
You stopped for gas in a nowhere town
Wouldn’t even put the windows down
I watched your shadow by the cigarette light
And wondered when we started saying “goodnight”
Without saying it
And I remembered your parents’ lake house dock
Dancing barefoot to an old tick-tock
FM station playing Springsteen songs
Back when forever didn’t feel this long
You came back smelling like the cold night air
Like somebody already halfway there
[Pre-Chorus]
I said, “Are we gonna talk this through?”
You just said, “There’s nothing left to lose”
[Chorus]
There was static on the radio
Your hand slipping from mine slow
We kept driving like we didn’t know
Some roads only lead to ghosts
Street signs blurring in the rain
Trying to outrun what we became
You were right beside me all night long
But I swear you’d already gone
There was static on the radio
[Bridge]
And every station sounded broken
Half-finished words and bad devotion
You kept your eyes out on the interstate
Like love was something you could simply drive away
And I hate that part of me still hopes
You’ll turn around at the next exit road
Say, “Baby, I was scared to death”
Instead of leaving me with what was left
[Final Chorus]
There was static on the radio
But I still hear you whisper low
“We were young, we were beautiful”
Before the silence took control
Now every midnight highway line
Feels like another version of goodbye
And every song that used to feel like home
Sounds like two hearts losing hope
There was static on the radio
And that was the last night I held you close
Just static on the radio
Static on the radio
Some roads only lead to ghosts
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
You can hide your tears behind your sunglasses
Paint a smile on while the whole world passes
Radio’s playin’ somebody’s heartbreak again
But tonight ain’t the night we give in
Everybody’s carrying some kind of scar
Somebody praying underneath the stars
Waiting for a sign, a reason to believe
Baby, maybe that’s you and me
[Pre-Chorus]
When the world gets cold
And your fire feels low
You don’t gotta stand alone
[Chorus]
So put your lights on in the dark
Hold your head high through the hard
Even broken hearts can shine like gold
When they beat together, they don’t feel alone
Oh-oh-oh
Sing it loud enough to heal
Oh-oh-oh
Let ‘em know the hurt gets real
But the night don’t win
No, the night don’t win
When we’re dancing through the dark again
[Verse 2]
There’s a girl downtown in a cheap motel
Trying hard not to hate herself
And a boy in a car at the edge of town
Thinking nobody would miss him now
If they could hear this song on the radio
Maybe they’d finally know
There’s a million souls out there just like them
Waiting for the hurt to end
[Pre-Chorus]
When your hope hangs thin
And the fear kicks in
Baby, let the music in
[Chorus]
Put your lights on in the dark
Hold your head high through the hard
Even broken hearts can shine like gold
When they beat together, they don’t feel alone
Oh-oh-oh
Sing it loud enough to heal
Oh-oh-oh
Let ‘em know the hurt gets real
But the night don’t win
No, the night don’t win
When we’re dancing through the dark again
[Bridge]
Hands up to the sky tonight
We survived, we survived
No more hiding who we are
We’re the fire, we’re the sparks
And if your world’s falling apart
Come stand with us inside these lights
[Final Chorus]
Put your lights on in the dark
We were born to leave a mark
Every lonely soul’s a shooting star
And together we can light up where we are
Oh-oh-oh
Hear the whole world sing tonight
Oh-oh-oh
Like a thousand little satellites
No, the night won’t win
No, the night won’t win
When we’re dancing through the dark again
Yeah, the night won’t win
Not tonight
We got our lights on in the dark tonight.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
My daddy kept a shoebox underneath the bed
Stuffed full of summers and the words we never said
A backstage pass from ‘92
A coaster stained with cheap perfume
A postcard from a girl who swore she’d make LA instead
Mama saved our birthday cards in kitchen drawers
Every folded crease still smelled like old drugstores
Ink bleeding blue across the page
Little hearts and teenage rage
Now every “thinking of you” just disappears in cloud storage
[Pre-Chorus]
We traded fingerprints for touchscreens
Saturday nights for small screens
And somewhere in the noise
The world stopped leaving proof behind
[Chorus]
We used to hold our memories
Now they disappear with passwords
Used to press our lives in paper
Now they vanish even faster
Ticket stubs and Polaroids
Letters written just because
Now a whole damn lifetime’s living
Inside phones that barely love us
Yeah, the good old days weren’t perfect
But they felt a little truer
Back when hearts left stains on everything
And every scar went through ya
We used to hold our memories
Now they disappear with passwords
[Verse 2]
There was a record shop on Third beside the movie screen
You could learn a person’s soul from what they bought at seventeen
Springsteen, Prince, and Marvin Gaye
Madonna spinning Saturday
Now an algorithm tells us what we’re supposed to feel this week
Jenny worked the counter there with safety pins and curls
Knew every local band and all the lonely boys and girls
She’d slip me burned CDs for free
And write “Don’t let this town kill dreams”
I wonder if she’s still alive somewhere behind a username
[Pre-Chorus]
We traded mixtapes for playlists
First kisses for clickbait
Everybody’s screaming loud
But no one leaves a mark somehow
[Chorus]
We used to hold our memories
Now they disappear with passwords
Used to keep our secrets hidden
Inside jackets, books, and lockers
Movie tickets in our wallets
Phone booth numbers written down
Now if the battery dies tonight
Half our lives are gone somehow
Yeah, the world got faster, bigger
Maybe smarter, maybe sadder
But nobody hangs goodbye notes
On refrigerators after
We used to hold our memories
Now they disappear with passwords
[Bridge]
And maybe every generation says
The good old days are gone
But tell me why I miss the weight
Of everything we lost
The crackle of a vinyl
The camera flash delay
Waiting three whole weeks
To see how summer looked that day
Your handwriting on notebook paper
Folded up inside my coat
Now “I love you” floats like static
In a thousand unread posts
[Breakdown]
One day some kid’ll find an iPhone in a secondhand store
Scroll through ghosts he never knew existed anymore
No fingerprints
No faded ink
No lipstick marks
No coffee rings
Just passwords no one can remember anymore
[Final Chorus]
We used to hold our memories
Like they were made of gold dust
Now they fade behind a login
If the server ever blows up
Grandpa danced with Grandma’s picture
Kept inside his leather coat
Now we leave our whole hearts buried
Inside apps nobody owns
Yeah, maybe I’m just getting older
Maybe that’s the way it goes
But I still keep one paper ticket
From a girl I used to know
To remind me we were really here
Before the world went digital
We used to hold our memories…
Now they disappear with passwords So print your pictures while you can
Write your name with your own hand
Leave a little proof behind
That you were more than online…
We used to hold our memories…
Now they disappear with passwords
So print your pictures while you can
Write your name with your own hand
Leave a little proof behind
That you were more than online…
Write your name with your own hand
Leave a little proof behind
That you were more than online…
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
You walked in late with that crooked smile
Boots hit hard on the hardwood floor
Every girl looked up when you walked through the door
Lord have mercy, I’m done for,
You got hands that don’t play fair
One kiss and I’m tangled there
And my lipstick’s all over your mouth by now
Yeah, tonight’s already getting wild
[Pre-Chorus]
You pull me close like a midnight spark
Boy, go wild—but know your part
[Chorus]
Break, my headboard, not my heart
Mess up the sheets, don’t tear me apart
Leave your fingerprints all over my skin
But don’t disappear when the lights go dim
Knock pictures off the bedroom wall
Make me lose my mind, lose it all
Love me hard when the night gets dark
Break, my headboard… not my heart
[Verse 2]
You got that “stay till sunrise” touch
Dangerous eyes that say too much
Half my friends think you’re bad news
But bad news never felt this good
You laugh when I say “take it slow”
Then pull me closer like you already know
I can survive a wild Saturday night
Just don’t leave me by Sunday light
[Pre-Chorus]
Baby, I can handle rough around the edges
Just don’t turn this into another lesson
[Chorus]
Break, my headboard, not my heart
Mess up the sheets, don’t tear me apart
Leave your fingerprints all over my skin
But don’t disappear when the lights go dim
Knock pictures off the bedroom wall
Make me lose my mind, lose it all
Love me hard when the night gets dark
Break, my headboard… not my heart
[Bridge]
I ain’t scared of a little chaos
Or waking up tangled in us
But baby if you’re gonna wreck something tonight
Make it the bed—don’t wreck my life
[Breakdown]
Uh-oh—there goes the lamp again
Your chain on my neck, my dress on the fan
Laughing while the neighbors bang the wall
Yeah, we’re probably gonna break it all
[Final Chorus]
Break, my headboard, baby go too far
Give me your fire, don’t leave your scars
Spin me around till we lose the dark
But don’t you dare leave me in pieces after
Break, my headboard, not my heart
Love me loud, love me reckless in the dark
You can wreck this room like a work of art
Break, my headboard… not my heart.
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Friday night on the boulevard,
Radio loud in my brother’s car,
Leather boots and a silver chain,
Tryna act cool but I lost my brain—
She walked by in a flash of red,
Lipstick smile and my knees went dead,
Everybody else disappeared,
Then she leaned in my atmosphere—
[Pre-Chorus]
I said “hey” but my voice cracked twice,
She laughed like paradise,
One little look and I came undone—
[Chorus]
And my heart went—
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
Lightning running through my veins!
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
Every time she looks my way!
Girl, you hit me like a midnight drum,
Like the whole wide world weighs a ton—
Then suddenly it floats away…
When my heart goes
SHA-DA DUM!
[Verse 2]
Saw her dancing underneath the lights,
Hair blowing wild in the summer night,
She moved smooth like a movie scene,
Too cool to ever notice me—
Tried to play it sophisticated,
But my cool evaporated,
She said “boy, why you staring so hard?”
I nearly died beside the parked cars—
[Pre-Chorus]
Every word turns my brain to smoke,
Every touch is a little joke,
I don’t stand a fighting chance—
[Chorus]
And my heart went—
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
Like a train jumping off the rails!
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
Girl, you got me wide awake!
Everybody in the whole downtown
Knows exactly what’s going down—
I’m a fool and I can’t behave…
When my heart goes
SHA-DA DUM!
[Bridge]
(bassline + finger snaps)
One look —
I lose control.
One smile —
Right through my soul.
Ain’t no doctor,
Ain’t no cure,
Every pretty girl just makes it worse—
HEY!
FINAL CHORUS
And my heart went—
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
Like a firework in outer space!
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
Every pretty face, every little taste—
Girl, you turn my whole world upside down,
Make me spin when you come around—
I don’t think I’ll ever change…
My heart goes—
SHA-DA DUM! SHA-DA DEY!
SHA-DA DUM!
SHA-DA DEY!
OOH!
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
You keep talking, talking, talking
Like your mouth got stage fright
Hands in your pockets
But your eyes saying “stay the night”
Boy, I did my hair for nothing?
Wore these heels this high for free?
If you want me, better want me
‘Fore the door slams dramatically
Snap my purse up off the chair
One last look like “do you dare?”
Whole room watching, tension thick
Tick-tock, baby, make it quick—
[Chorus]
Boy, kiss me or miss me
I’m halfway out the door
One second longer
I won’t be here anymore
Heartbeat racing
Lipstick dangerous cherry
You keep hesitating
Boy, that’s kinda scary
Three… two… one…
Better move your feet
Either kiss me right now
Or miss me on repeat
[Verse 2]
DJ switching records fast
My patience running even faster
You keep acting cool and smooth
While this whole thing’s a disaster
Your friends staring at you like
“Man, don’t blow this chance”
And my girls already grabbing
My coat to leave this dance
I’m a movie ending walking
Credits rolling down the hall
Last train leaving midnight station
Final curtain call
[Pre-Chorus]
Ain’t gonna beg
Ain’t gonna wait
Baby, indecision
Is a terrible trait
[Chorus]
Boy, kiss me or miss me
I’m halfway out the door
One second longer
I won’t be here anymore
Heartbeat racing
Lipstick dangerous cherry
You keep hesitating
Boy, that’s kinda scary
Three… two… one…
Better move your feet
Either kiss me right now
Or miss me on repeat
[Bridge]
Oh—
There I go down the hallway
High heels echo like a getaway
Oh—
You got one shot, one minute
If you love me, boy, get in it
[Breakdown]
Wait—
Was that your hand on mine?
Too late—
Nope, maybe right on time
[Final Chorus]
Boy, kiss me or miss me
I’m laughing in the rain
You only get one moment
Don’t let it slip away
Whole world spinning
Taxi lights and city heat
You either run and catch me
Or dream about me when you sleep
Three… two… one…
Now you finally moved
And the whole room cheering
When you pulled me to you
Three… two… one…