Track 8 of the album Give the Morning Another Try · 2022
Everybody in the Back Row Is Waving
“Squeeze in tight, the tripod's set, the timer's blinking. We took the group photo on the cover during the recording of this one.”
classical crossover · anthemic choir · nostalgic pop · 3:51
Lyrics
Squeeze in tight, the tripod's set The timer's blinking, wait, not yet Aunties, cousins, neighbours, all Pressed against the garden wall Grandpa's hat is on askew The baby's got a shoe or two Someone's running, someone's late Ten seconds left, hold the gate Count it down and lean in near Everyone we love is here Everybody in the back row is waving Everybody in the front is holding on One flash of light and we are saving Every voice before the day is gone Smile, smile, even if you're blinking Smile, smile, even if you're wrong Some day we will be the ones thinking How we sang this photograph along Years from now it hangs up high Above the stairs where we go by And someone small will point and say Who is that laughing, who are they And we will tell them, one by one Of every name and every sun Everybody in the back row is waving Everybody in the front is holding on One flash of light and we are saving Every voice before the day is gone Smile, smile, even if you're blinking Smile, smile, even if you're wrong Some day we will be the ones thinking How we sang this photograph along Hold the shutter, hold the sky Hold the ones who wander by Let the click be loud and long Let it carry all this song Everybody in the back row is waving Everybody in the front is holding on One flash of light and we are saving Every voice before the day is gone Smile, smile, even if you're blinking Smile, smile, even if you're wrong Some day we will be the ones thinking How we sang this photograph along Ten, nine, eight, we're all in frame Seven, six, and call each name Hold it, hold it, one more breath Click, and we are saved from death