Tapers

[Verse 1]
I am an image on your wall
Painted over and dissolved
By an empty ring of dial tones
In a chorus of unanswered phones

A blinding light covers the scene
A flash that forces you to freeze
And stay captured on a piece of film
Unbothered and completely still

[Pre-Chorus]
And it's in my mind
And it's you I find
In a place to hide
And it's gone--

[Chorus]
And it's only when you're with me that I cannot see your face
If words could come out clearer you'd be nowhere near this place
But you're right here on tape
And it'll nevеr get away

[Verse 2]
The cold harsh lights fill the room
An opеn chasm straight to you
If you fall you won't be coming back
Inside here is completely black

Fixture hung above your bed
The shattered glass, the light goes dead
And the room is empty once again
It's quiet on the other end

Nothing's different, nothing's changed
I am here, I am the same
And the walls are slowly closing in
The room is getting dark again

Eyes that tremble, eyes that stare
And cut through every painted layer
She sees you as you really are
She's looking for an open door

In all the sounds, you disappear
An empty smile feels more sincere
A shadow cast from end to end
The words are sounding clear again

It slowly drips until it dries
A photo left for me to find
And now it's hung up on the wall
Forever hung up on my wall

[Pre-Chorus]
And it's hard to find
Cause it's dark inside
Every word you cried
It's still here

[Chorus]
And it only felt this empty cause you're gone with out a trace
Was it worth the years of waiting, just to wilt and suffocate?
It feels so cold and icy, they will stare at you, appalled
It wasn't mine to take, but it was a gift to us all
And she's right here on tape
Yeah, she's right here on tape

[Instrumental]

[Outro, Clive Wearing and Deborah Wearing]
You're the first human beings I've seen, the three of you. Two men and one lady. The first pe– people I've seen since I've been ill. No difference between day and night. No thoughts at all. No dreams. Day and night, the same – blank. Precisely like death

Is it very hard?

No. It's exactly the same as being dead, which is not difficult, is it? To be dead is easy. You don't do anything at all. You can't do anything when you are dead. It's been the same. Exactly

Do you miss your old life?

Yes. But I've never been conscious to think that. So I've never been bored or upset. I've never been anything at all, it's exactly the same as death. No dreams, even. Day and night, the same

When you miss your old life, you say "Yes, I miss my old life," what do you miss?

The fact that I was a musician. And in love