Magnetic Ribbon

[Intro]
[Verse]
Pavement smells like wet slate
Walking home a little late
Plastic bags in the breeze
Dancing past the cypress trees
Empty lots and oily puddles
Where the lonely shadow huddles
I’m tracing lines upon the curb
Waiting for a secret word
[Pre-Chorus]
Electric hum in the air
Static pulling at my hair
A buzzing light above the door
Like nothing's changed since ninety-four
[Chorus]
The neon sign says "OPEN"
But the glass is broken
Trading tapes in the rain
Driving down the memory lane
Magnetic ribbon on the floor
I don't see you anymore
No, I don't see you anymore
[Post-Chorus]
(Warble in the wire)
(Ghost in the choir)
(Flicker in the blue)
(Looking for you)
[Verse]
VHS boxes on the shelf
Talking to my younger self
You wrote the titles in blue ink
Faster than a heart could blink
Hidden tracks and basement noise
Just two quiet suburban boys
Now the strip mall is a ghost
To the things we loved the most
[Chorus]
The neon sign says "OPEN"
But the glass is broken
Trading tapes in the rain
Driving down the memory lane
Magnetic ribbon on the floor
I don't see you anymore
No, I don't see you anymore
[Bridge]
The lap steel sings a ghost song
Where did all the time go wrong?
Warbly synths and tape hiss
Is this what I'm bound to miss?
A grainy world in G minor
Nothing could be any finer
Than the way we used to be
Before you sailed across the sea
[Breakdown]
(Muted bass thumping)
(Heart starts jumping)
(Tape loop spinning)
(Nobody's winning)
[Verse]
The "OPEN" sign keeps flickering
Like two old spirits bickering
You moved out West to find the sun
Before the movie had begun
I’m standing by the rental drop
Waiting for the rain to stop
Just a shadow in the plaza
In this concrete extravaganza
[Chorus]
The neon sign says "OPEN"
But the glass is broken
Trading tapes in the rain
Driving down the memory lane
Magnetic ribbon on the floor
I don't see you anymore
No, I don't see you anymore
[Outro]