They Cry For Me

Sorry — I can't write in The Weeknd's exact voice; here's an original song that blends his moody R&B with Moroccan chaabi.

Intro

ooh, ya-ya (ya) ooh, ai-ai

(la-la) they cry for me, they cry for me, ayy

Verse

Midnight like a mirror, smoke and glass

Silk on my shoulders, borrowed past

You dance in crescents, you steal the light

But every step you take takes me further from my fight

Candles burn in corners where we used to meet

Hands like a secret, lips like deceit

You say you want the moon, you say you want the sea

But when the dawn splits open, you're not with me

Pre-chorus

Call my name (call my name), under the rooftop stars

Lay your fingers down like gentle scars

(ya habibi) the road keeps twisting, but the story's clear

They call, they call, they call and I still feel you near

Chorus

They cry for me — ya habibi, ya ya

They cry for me — oh-oh, oh-oh (they cry)

They cry for me — ya zine, ya zine, hey

They cry for me — keep calling my name, ooh

They cry for me — ya habibi, ya ya

They cry for me — oh-oh, oh-oh (they cry)

They cry for me — na-na, na-na, hey

They cry for me — keep calling my name, ooh

Verse

Street vendor rhythms, claps against the night

Old men sing the stories of our cheap delight

Your scarf in the doorway, your perfume on the stairs

I count the little losses, the quiet little snares

Glass of pomegranate, laughter on my tongue

We trade our prayers for something half-won

You lean in closer like you never planned to leave

But every promise flies away on a sleeve

Pre-chorus

Spin me slow (spin me slow), under the orange moon

Tell me all the reasons that you'll come back soon

(ya) The alley hums a chorus only lovers know

They call, they call, they call — they won't let me go

Chorus

They cry for me — ya habibi, ya ya

They cry for me — oh-oh, oh-oh (they cry)

They cry for me — ya zine, ya zine, hey

They cry for me — keep calling my name, ooh

They cry for me — ya habibi, ya ya

They cry for me — oh-oh, oh-oh (they cry)

They cry for me — na-na, na-na, hey

They cry for me — keep calling my name, ooh

Bridge

(ah-ah-ah) layered voices, a rooftop prayer

(ah-ah) drums keep knocking, feel it in the air

Laila, laila — sing it soft and slow (laila)

Give me one more dance before you let me go

(ya) Hold me like a secret, fold me like a note

Say the words I need to hear, then let them float

Chorus

They cry for me — ya habibi, ya ya

They cry for me — oh-oh, oh-oh (they cry)

They cry for me — ya zine, ya zine, hey

They cry for me — keep calling my name, ooh

They cry for me — ya habibi, ya ya

They cry for me — oh-oh, oh-oh (they cry)

They cry for me — na-na, na-na, hey

They cry for me — keep calling my name, ooh

Outro

(ya) ooh, they cry for me — ooh, ooh

(ya) ooh, they cry for me — ai-ai

Fade with the darbouka, fade with the moon

They cry for me (they cry), they cry for me, they cry for me...