The House That Kept the Light

[Intro - one bar, fingerpicked guitar] [Verse 1] At nine-oh-three the window blooms Above the crooked garden gate A yellow square across the road Where I stop short and hesitate The same blue cup beside the sink A cardigan across a chair The upstairs curtains never move I haven't seen you anywhere You used to turn the latch twice round And pull the handle just to check Now every evening, rain or clear That little lamp comes on instead [Chorus] The house keeps the light on It doesn't know you're away It lays a little gold across The pavement where I wait The house keeps the light on With nothing kind to say But I walk home a little slower When it turns night into day [Verse 2] Your climbing rose has caught the rail The bins are tucked behind the wall A parcel van goes creeping past And doesn't stop here after all I watch the kettle's silver side Catch the passing headlights twice There's something almost welcoming About that badly folded blind I couldn't tell you where you've gone Or if you're somewhere watching rain I only know which window wakes Before the street goes dark again [Chorus] The house keeps the light on It doesn't know you're away It lays a little gold across The pavement where I wait The house keeps the light on With nothing kind to say But I walk home a little slower When it turns night into day [Bridge - brushed drums pull back, oboe answers] A timer at the socket A little wheel of teeth You set it once before you left To let the house pretend to breathe No message in the window No signal meant for me Just something you remembered Doing more than you could see [Final Chorus - chamber strings open gently] The house keeps the light on It doesn't know you're away It lays a little gold across The pavement where I wait The house keeps the light on And I have learned its time At nine-oh-three I turn the corner And step across that line [Outro - guitar and cello, brief ending] I leave the gate the way I found it I let the window shine