[Intro – single piano chord, long decay]
[Verse 1]
After the lights go out
And the room feels wide
When the last song fades
And there’s nowhere to hide
[Verse 2 – bass enters softly]
Paper cups, empty plates
Names still hanging in the air
All the joy packed up so neat
Like it wasn’t really there
[Pre-Chorus – almost spoken]
This is the part
I always miss
[Chorus – simple, fragile]
After the lights go out
I feel it most
Not the noise, not the glow
But what stayed close
After the lights go out
When it’s just me
That’s when Christmas
Comes quietly
[Interlude – piano only, breathing space]
[Verse 3 – melodic shift, softer]
Every year I learn again
It’s not the day I hold
It’s the echo in the silence
After all the gold
[Bridge – stripped, voice nearly alone]
If something’s real
It doesn’t leave when the room gets dark
[Final Chorus – gentle resolution]
After the lights go out
I don’t feel small
I carry what mattered
That’s all
After the lights go out
I let it be
That’s when Christmas
Stays with me
[Outro – final piano chord, fades to silence]