Song notes · AI-assisted
THE BEFORE
UK garage soul about the last good night
About the song
The ordinary Tuesday you'd give anything to get back, and never knew was the good part while you were standing in it.
We called that Tuesday ordinary. God, it was complete.
About these notes
AI-assisted song notes, based on the sources shown here. Not yet human-reviewed.
Words from the artist’s archive
THE BEFORE lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Years from now, this room was gold. We did not know. We just got cold.
Verse 1
The fan above the bar just clicked and pushed warm air around. Your shirt was stuck between your shoulders. Mine was damp against my back. You checked the time, said, "Work at seven." I said, "I might not make the train." Someone dropped a tray behind us. We cheered before we knew their name.
Pre-chorus
We thought the night was in the way of someplace we had yet to reach. We did not hear the future say, "Please leave one Tuesday here for me."
Chorus
We were young in the before We complained about the heat We called that Tuesday ordinary God, it was complete We had rent and work at seven We had nowhere else to be We kept waiting for our lives This was the life we'd grieve
Post-chorus
In the before, in the before We did not know what it was for
Verse 2
Your phone had one cracked corner. My shoe came loose again. A stranger held the bathroom door as if we'd long been friends. We cursed the price of watered drinks. The bad news filled a far-off screen. We had everyone we came with, so no one thought to count the seats.
Pre-chorus
We thought the ache was waiting out beyond the closing door. But memory was in the room and choosing what to store.
Chorus
We were young in the before We complained about the heat We called that Tuesday ordinary God, it was complete We had rent and work at seven We had nowhere else to be We kept waiting for our lives This was the life we'd grieve What will you miss about right now? Your hand. This sweat. That crooked sound. Your friend beside you, safe and loud. Right now will have another name: the before, the before.
Chorus
We were young in the before We complained about the heat We called that Tuesday ordinary God, it was complete We had rent and work at seven We had nowhere else to be We kept waiting for our lives This was the life we'd grieve
Bridge
Years would sand the edges off: the prices and the heat. All we'd keep was how it felt before the next thing had a name.
Chorus
We were young in the before We complained about the heat We called that Tuesday ordinary God, it was complete We had rent and work at seven We had nowhere else to be We kept waiting for our lives This was the life we'd grieve
Outro
"Did somebody get my coat?" A glass breaks. Everybody laughs. "Nia! We are over here!" "Hold on. Do not stop recording."
Inside the recording
Years from now, this room was gold. We did not know. We just got cold.
We thought the night was in the way of someplace we had yet to reach.
"Did somebody get my coat?" A glass breaks.
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.