serge gainsbourg

[Intro – soft piano arpeggios, distant cigarette lighter flick] (Instrumental Solo) [Verse 1 – slow upright bass, smoky bar atmosphere] The clock ticks thin through the velvet haze Your glass holds secrets it won't raise I trace the curve of your half-smile Words hang heavy, out of style [Pre-Chorus – muted trumpet trill, lazy snare brush] The night leans in like an old regret We dance around what we won't forget No need to lie, no need to try The silence here knows why [Chorus 1 – warm accordion undercurrent, intimate vocal delivery] Smoke curls slow like a lullaby Absinthe tastes of goodbye We're just ghosts in this neon glow No one has to know [Post-Chorus – wordless hum, fading trumpet] (Instrumental Solo) [Verse 2 – whispered vocal, soft piano chords] Your fingers brush the edge of my sleeve A promise that we won't believe The jukebox moans a tired tune We're just two fools beneath the moon [Pre-Chorus 2 – slightly more urgent bass, snare brush pick-up] The morning creeps through the window pane We both know this can't remain No need to beg, no need to stay The dark will wash it away [Chorus 2 – layered accordion, richer vocal harmony] Smoke fades fast like a memory Absinthe burns, but it sets me free We're just shadows in this late-night show No one has to know [Bridge – sparse piano, isolated vocal] I'll keep your laugh in a locked-up drawer You'll keep my name behind your door We'll never speak of this again Just let the dark become our friend [Solo – muted trumpet solo, slow and mournful] (Instrumental Solo) [Final Chorus – full lounge ensemble, slightly more intense] Smoke clears out with the morning light Absinthe fades, but the ache stays bright We're just strangers who once dared to know Now no one has to know [Outro – fading piano, final cigarette exhale] The clock strikes three, the bar goes dark We leave our secrets in the park