1989 from dreamcicle by Dreamcicle

In the 1980s, I worked at a McDonald's and, while working there, met a bunch of public high school kids. I attended a Christian private school. Some years ago, I wrote a script for "1989 ... the musical" about some of my experiences working at McDonald's and working with kids who attended other schools. You can find out more about this at: www.1989themusical.com It's a jukebox musical. Also, I plan to make it interactive, where everyone in the audience dresses 1980s style and, during the music, allowing the audience to dance and interact.

For this song, I prompted one of the Ai websites, maybe ChatGPT or Abacus.ai, to generate a song about the last year or weeks of 1989 when a guy who attends a private school meets a girl who attends a public school and they go on adventures together. It's a nostalgic look at a time that was less constrained, a lot more free, where teenagers roamed around like cats, exploring their world and learning how to live by experiencing life itself. It was a world without smart phones and social media, where people actually spoke to each other. In short, it was an amazing time.

Kris Kemp
bicycledays@yahoo.com
347-557-5487

dreamciclemusic@gmail.com
https://www.dreamcicle.net
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Tracklist

6.	1989	3:34

Lyrics

1989

Lyrics:

[Verse 1]
Neon lights on a Friday night,
Clocking out at the golden arches sign,
Tie’s undone, I’m seventeen,
Dreaming big in a small town scene.
Private halls and chapel bells,
Uniforms and whispered tales,
But I saw you in the parking lot,
Public school smile, and my heart just stopped.

[Pre-Chorus]
You said, “Hey, do you wanna get away?”
I said, “Yeah, let’s drive until the night turns gray.”
Cassette tapes spinning, windows down,
We’re chasing something we haven’t found.

[Chorus]
This is 1989,
Underneath the city lights,
We’re just kids on borrowed time,
Dancing through the end of the line.
You and me, we’re neon dreams,
Lost between the in-betweens,
Hold my hand, don’t say goodbye—
We’re the last light of ‘89.

[Verse 2]
French fries and secret plans,
You laugh and steal my McDonald’s hat,
You talk about your world so wide,
I tell you mine, you say, “Let’s collide.”
Sneaking out past curfew calls,
Praying we don’t get caught at all,
You paint my world in technicolor,
I never knew I could feel this wonder.

[Pre-Chorus]
You said, “Promise me you’ll never change,”
I said, “Not as long as we’re the same.”
Synths are playing on the radio,
We’re spinning fast, don’t wanna let go.

[Chorus]
This is 1989,
Underneath the city lights,
We’re just kids on borrowed time,
Dancing through the end of the line.
You and me, we’re neon dreams,
Lost between the in-betweens,
Hold my hand, don’t say goodbye—
We’re the last light of ‘89.

[Bridge]
Countdown on New Year’s Eve,
Fireworks and make-believe,
You kiss me as the ball drops down,
The world is changing all around.
But in your eyes, I see the past,
A decade gone, but hope will last,
We’re holding on to what we’ve found,
As the 80s fade without a sound.

[Final Chorus]
This is 1989,
One last time, the stars align,
We’re just kids on borrowed time,
Dancing through the end of the line.
You and me, we’re neon dreams,
Lost between the in-betweens,
Hold my hand, don’t say goodbye—
We’re the last light of ‘89.

[Outro]
Don’t say goodbye—
We’re the last light of ‘89.

Credits

from dreamcicle, released October 5, 2025

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