Save Me a Seat

Save Me a Seat is a love letter sent after goodbye. It follows one man across a lifetime: the boy with scraped-up knees and dreams too big for his pockets, the man who grew tall as an oak and gave his family shade, the husband who said “I do” and meant it every day. Through the voice of the one who loved him, we see the small things that made him who he was: work boots by the door, a prayer at supper, a hand on every shoulder, and the nightly ritual of checking the locks, as if love could be stolen.

When the Lord finally calls his name, soft as a Sunday bell, there are no tears, only a song. And in the bridge, the voice lets itself wish for just one thing: to have held his hand a little longer, and said it more, not on Sundays or anniversaries, but on plain old Tuesdays, when we all believe we have all the time in the world.

It is a song about gratitude in the middle of grief, and about a promise: keep my seat warm, I’ll see you by and by.

Intro
Mmm…
oh, Lord…
look at this life…
look at all of it…

Verse 1
A boy…
scraped-up knees…
dreams too big
for his pockets…
Then he grew…
tall as an oak…
and he gave us
shade…

Pre-Chorus
He said “I do”…
and he did…
every day…

Chorus
Save me a seat…
by the window…
(Save me a seat…)
You went on home…
but I’m not alone…
(Thank you, Lord…)
I’m not crying…
I’m singing…
see you by and by…

Verse 2
Then the babies came…
and that strong man
turned to putty…
in their hands…
Work boots by the door…
a prayer at supper…
a hand on every shoulder…
Every night
he checked the locks…
like love
could be stolen…

Pre-Chorus
Then one evening…
the Lord called his name…
soft as a Sunday bell…
and he smiled…
like supper
was ready…

Chorus
Save me a seat…
by the window…
(Save me a seat…)
You’re still here…
I feel you near…
(Thank you, Lord…)
in the kitchen light…
I’m not crying…
I’m singing…
see you by and by…

Bridge
If I could change
one thing…
just one…
I’d hold your hand
a little longer…
I’d say it more…
(Say it more…)
Not on Sundays…
not on anniversaries…
on plain old Tuesdays…
when we thought
we had all the time…
Time is a borrowed coat…
it never fits
how we think…
But you knew…
(You knew…)
you always knew…

Break
Mmm…
(Yes, you did…)

Final Chorus
Save me a seat…
by the window…
(Save me a seat…)
You went on home…
but I’m not alone…
(Thank you, Lord!)
I’m coming…
in my own sweet time…
oh, but I can’t wait…

Outro
Mmm… hallelujah…
keep my seat warm, my love…
see you soon…
Mm-hmm…

A Southern soul ballad with a warm, clear, upfront female lead vocal, balanced with the band and full of soulful warmth, wide melodic intervals, sustained notes and expressive melisma, intimate from the very first line. The slow, relaxed groove sits around 70 BPM, carried by warm electric piano, soft Hammond organ, brushed drums, deep melodic bass and gentle handclaps. Answering gospel vocals, warm horns and a full choir swell the song to a full mid-song peak before it eases into an organ-and-voice fade.