Lyric

The hallway held its breathing

Under one weak strip of light

Your number on the doorframe

Looked almost too alive

My sleeve brushed against the handle

My hand forgot its weight

I knew the room behind it

I knew I was too late

Nothing stood between us

But a lock I would not try

No storm, no hard refusal

No good reason I could hide

You were only one room over

Close enough to hear

I made a whole distance

Out of standing near

The door stayed quiet

As if it understood

My hand knew where to rise

But never did what it should

A floorboard answered softly

From somewhere down the hall

Someone laughed behind a wall

Then nothing moved at all

I thought I heard your water

Running through the pipes

A life still going on

On the other side

I could have made one sound

And changed the shape of night

One small knock between us

One chance to step inside

But love inside my body

Never reached my hand

I stood there with the feeling

And failed where I should stand

The door I never knocked

Kept all your light inside

You were close enough to reach

I was close enough to hide

The door I never knocked

Said nothing back to me

I had love enough to find you

Not enough to set it free

Later on the stairwell

My breath came back too late

The street below was shining

Like it had no part to take

I did not leave in anger

I did not leave in pride

But silence has a damage

Even gentle men can hide

The door I never knocked

Still opens in my head

Not to let me enter

But to show me what I left

The door I never knocked

Was quiet as my hand

You were waiting in a room

I never let myself withstand

No brave last second

No turning back around

Just the hallway getting longer

Without making any sound