White powder drifts on a steel tray
Cold blue light turns the dark to gray
He kneads the dough with a heavy hand
The only soul in a sleeping land
Tide of the street in a velvet glow
Cold metal beats and the rhythms flow
Chasing the sun while the city sleeps
The secret rhythm the alley keeps
Drizzle hits the black asphalt floor
A rusty hinge on a sliding door
He smells the yeast and the bitter bean
A ghost inside of a chrome machine
Steam rises high from a boiling pot
The oven air is a fever hot
Clock on the wall ticks a steady line
Counting the seconds of borrowed time
Tide of the street in a velvet glow
Cold metal beats and the rhythms flow
Chasing the sun while the city sleeps
The secret rhythm the alley keeps
Glass shards glitter in a puddle deep
While the million tired workers sleep
Cold wind cutting through a cotton sleeve
A lonely magic he must believe
Fresh loaves rise in a golden row
Wait for the morning traffic flow
Sifting the salt in a steady stream
Waking up fast from a heavy dream
Tide of the street in a velvet glow
Cold metal beats and the rhythms flow
Chasing the sun while the city sleeps
The secret rhythm the alley keeps
Sifting the gold, chasing the light
Winning the war against the night
