[OPENING — LIVE STUDIO ATMOSPHERE]
[No polished intro. Faint room tone, low amp hum, subtle microphone noise. Vocalist is already at the mic. Close, breathy soft soprano.]
[soft breath]
Is now…
[a long pause]
a good time to talk…
[Silence. Let the room remain audible.]
[A distant electric guitar is plugged in. Faint string noise. One soft guitar note.]
We agreed that we would,
After you get some air
And clear your head,
Are you well enough
To hear what I have to say?
[guitar quietly answers]
'Cause I've been sitting with these words
Longer than I should,
Trying to find a way to say them
Like I know I could.
[CONVERSATIONAL — almost speaking]
I don't want to sound rude—
Or disrespectful, baby…
Unkind—
Or insensitive to you…
Is now a good time to talk?
I don't want to sound correct—
Or mean to you, baby…
[Music nearly disappears]
Is now…
A good time…
To talk?
[The groove slowly enters: deep warm bass, dry minimal kick/rim, faint Rhodes. Sparse dreamy electric guitar.]
See, I ain't trying
To come at you wrong,
I'm just trying to understand—
Where we've been going wrong…
Where we've been going wrong…
I think it's you—
Oh yea,
I think it’s you—
It’s in The way you hesitate
Before you say my name…
[whispered background]
Say my name…
[guitar bends]
Is now a good time to talk?
The way you hold me
The way you hold me feels like I’ll disappear…
Then leave me standing
By myself
When I need you near.
Baby…
I'm not asking you
To tell me what I wanna hear.
I'm asking you
To tell me something-
[guitar lick]
So tell me…
Is now a good time to talk?
[background: “Talk to me…”]
Is now a good time to talk?
I've been holding
All these questions
In the back of my mind.
And every time I ask you,
You say,
“Baby, I'm fine…”
[beat drops]
But I know you.
[pause]
Oh I—
I know you.
[soft soprano lift]
I know when you're here
But your heart is somewhere else.
And I don't wanna compete
With somebody
I can't see.
[guitar sustains]
So tell me, baby…
Is there still a place
For me—
Is there still a place
For me…
Is there still a place
For me—
So tell me, baby…
Is there still a place
For me—
Is there still a place
For me…
Is there still a place
For me…
[OUTRO — DREAMY LIVE STUDIO]
[Drums disappear. Bass, Rhodes and psychedelic guitar remain. Let the guitar feel spontaneous and imperfect.]
Mmm…
Is now…
A good time…
To talk?
[background: “Talk to me…”]
Don't let me find out
From somebody else…
Don't let me hear it
In the way you say goodbye…
Don't let me feel it
In the way you kiss me…
[guitar swells]
If we're gonna lose this…
Let me hear it from you.
[whispered]
Baby…
Let me hear it from you.
[8–12 second instrumental break]
[room tone returns]
[stop]
Is now…
A good time…
[pause]
…to talk?
[Final guitar note rings naturally into room silence end.]
[sax]
[change jazz-freestyle raw outro repeat adlib]
The engagement ring is on the dresser baby…
Don’t forget it-
The next time you need air baby….