Before Daybreak

Before daybreak, don't leave me yet
One more small excuse, one more sunset
Gate man calling, but we lose the bet
Before daybreak, don't leave me yet

Tunde held the cracked phone, screen stuck on two
Jollof carton cooling, pepper on your shoe
On the Lagos rooftop, three of us were loud
Generator humming underneath the crowd
You said, "Your ride is waiting"—I said, "Let it wait"
You laughed, checked your lipstick in the camera's broken frame
I passed you my last plantain, you took the bigger share
Then leaned close and asked me why I still stood there

Before daybreak, don't leave me yet
One more small excuse, one more sunset
Gate man calling, but we lose the bet
Before daybreak, don't leave me yet

The ride pulled up, headlights washing through the gate
I said, "That's mine," but you said, "Driver, please wait"
Voice C whispered, "Brother, your battery is low"
I tapped cancel twice, then watched the blue car go
You said your cousin needed you home by four
But you hid the cracked phone face-down on the floor
Three friends took the stairs, laughing at our plan
First danfo horn answered from the road below again

No be traffic, no be rain
We just found one more delay
No be traffic, no be rain
Say it plain, say it plain

That takeaway carton held two spoons inside
One for your jollof, one I kept beside
When the generator coughed, you reached for my hand
We were not looking for a ride—we had already planned
Stay till the morning opens, stay till the morning opens

Before daybreak, don't leave me yet
One more small excuse, we are not done yet
Gate man shouting, let him place his bet
Before daybreak, we chose this step
Before daybreak, don't leave me yet
If the first danfo comes, we can miss it again
Before daybreak, we chose this step

Generator low, morning at the gate
Two spoons in the carton, we can still be late
Before daybreak... don't leave me yet