Track 2 of the EP Last Ferry, Everybody Sing · 2024
Corner Shop Keeps the Light On
“Mister Osei flips the sign and greets us all again. This one's a thank-you to every corner shop that keeps a light on.”
hip hop · warm hip hop · neighborhood groove · 2:58
Lyrics
Bell above the door goes ding at six a.m. Mister Osei flips the sign and he greets us all again Milk and bread and lottery dreams on the shelf He knows my name, my order, and he knows how I felt Rain on the awning, I'm running in for a snack He says pay me later kid, don't worry about that Chips in my hoodie, penny candy in my hand Every block needs a landmark, this one's where I stand Open when it's cold, open when it's late Open for the neighbors at the corner of the gate Corner shop keeps the light on, light on Neon in the window when the night is long Corner shop keeps the light on, light on Everybody's welcome, come on in, sing along Ding, ding, we all belong Auntie with the stroller needs a bag of rice He slides a little extra in, never asks the price Kids at the counter counting coins in a row He rounds it down and winks, says go on, go Night shift nurses grabbing coffee on the run Taxi drivers trading tales until the sun Fridge hum humming like a bass line low Sixty years of stories in a store this small, you know Open when it's cold, open when it's late Open for the neighbors at the corner of the gate Corner shop keeps the light on, light on Neon in the window when the night is long Corner shop keeps the light on, light on Everybody's welcome, come on in, sing along Ding, ding, we all belong Years go by and the prices climb a bit But he still saves the paper for the old man who sits Daughter's at the register, learning every name Same bell above the door, the legacy the same Big stores come with their glossy parking lots But we know where we're going when we've forgotten what we got Little shop, big heart, that's the math Light a little candle on a long dark path Thank you for the bread, thank you for the smile Thank you for the hundred times you walked the extra mile Lights go down but yours stay on Home is where they know your name at dawn Corner shop keeps the light on, light on Neon in the window when the night is long Corner shop keeps the light on, light on Everybody's welcome, come on in, sing along Ding, ding, we all belong Ding, ding, we all belong Corner shop keeps the light on