[Intro – Piano and Trumpet, Barely There] (Jon’s voice, half sung, half prayer) They said the saints go marchin’ in… But maybe, maybe they never left. Maybe they just changed their beat — from the streets to the stars. 🎶 La nuit douce, la foi claire, soft night, clear faith. Le vent porte leurs pas, the wind carries their steps. 🎶 ⸻ [Verse 1 – Gentle Melody] 🎶 The candles melt where the river bends, Their light drift home on the water again. Voices hum through the cypress trees, Whisperin’ “child, remember me.” They walk in rhythm, slow and kind, Not ahead, just half a step behind. Every note I play, I feel them near, The saints return — they always here. 🎶 ⸻ [Chorus – Choir Softly Joins] 🎶 When the saints return, the air gon’ shine, Every sorrow turns to time. We don’t say goodbye, we just turn the key, And open the door to harmony. Quand les saints reviennent, we dance again, Under heaven’s streetlamps, hand in hand. 🎶 ⸻ [Verse 2 – Spoken-Sung / Jon Batiste Style] I hear Mama Odette hummin’ in the thunder. I see the River King smilin’ through the rain. Rue Charbonnet still swingin’. The Water King still marchin’. And all of us — we still here, walkin’ in that second line between heaven and home. (A soft brass refrain echoes “Le Soleil Se Lève Encore.”) ⸻ [Bridge – French Requiem Moment] 🎶 Le ciel descend, la joie s’élève, Heaven descends, joy ascends. La musique ne finit jamais, The music never ends. 🎶 (Quiet trumpet solo floats above wordless choir.) ⸻ [Final Chorus – Gentle Gospel Fade] 🎶 When the saints return, they don’t march away, They dance through our hearts, they stay. Every horn that blows, every hand that claps, It’s love comin’ back through the gaps. Quand les saints reviennent, la ville sourit, When the saints return, the city breathes. And the river hums our endless tune — The sun still rises, the saints still move. 🎶 ⸻ [Outro – Spoken / Solo Piano] So if you ever walk these streets and hear somethin’ faint — a hum, a rhythm, a laughter on the breeze — don’t be afraid. That’s just the saints returnin’. That’s just New Orleans rememberin’ herself. (Piano plays a final major chord; a trumpet echoes a single, golden note. Then silence — except for distant street sounds and the whisper of the river.)

Coda: When the Saints Return