28 Hours Wherever We Are

When you include the original flight, we were on the plane for twelve... thirteen hours
We were on there fifteen hours
Twenty hours
Twenty-eight hours
We were on the plane for over an entire day.

Twenty-eight hours
Over an entire day
There was one aisle in the middle
Everyone knew every inch of that plane
We were allowed out of our seats, but not off the plane.

You never think about it, but airplane doors are twenty feet in the air
And even if you survived the jump, they probably would have shot you
You can go up to first class. You can stretch in the aisles
There are three seats on each side and there was only one aisle in the middle
Everyone knew every inch of that plane
Our flight was full! There were children sleeping on the floor
We had no way to get information.

This is before most people had mobile phones
And only a couple people got through
Hello?
Mom!
Bonjour?
Operator?

Tom?
Oh, thank God!
I finally got through
I borrowed a passenger's phone
How are you?
Are the kids okay?
No, I'm fine Tom
I'm fine
Safe and sound on the ground here in Newfoundland
We don't know much except for the BBC
Listen
I can't talk long
Can you do something for me?

I'm okay
I'm fine
Vais bien
Pick up!

Tell the kids I'm alright
Take them into the kitchen
And show them the map
That we used to put pins in
For each destination
That we flew together
Tell them that I'm fine
Put a pin here in Gander

On our plane, someone has a cell phone
But then the battery dies
There are phones in the backs of the seats
But they don't work!
Half of the passengers on our plane don't speak English!
Even if we knew what was happening, we don't speak their language
On our plane, we asked the flight attendants.

But the captain says not to say too much, and that's when rumors start flying
There's an accident
An accident?
The US airspace is closed
For the first time in history
Why won't she tell us what's happening?
A helicopter crashed in Pennsylvania
A helicopter crashed into a building
Oh my god! It's World War III!
Meanwhile on our plane
We didn't have a clue
We were all going insane because
There wasn't squat to do.

Then the captain starts apologizing
Says on behalf of the airline
He's giving each and everyone some.

Complimentary booze!
Open the airplane doors
Wave at all the cars
Hello to whoever you are
Wherever we are

The ground crews supplied whatever we needed
Nicotine patches
Medication
Pampers
Something to drink!

So the flight attendants brought out
All the mini-bottles of liquor
And delivered them to everyone
Soon everyone got friendlier.

I took a couple of pictures of the view there in my camera
We didn't know where we were
But we knew that we were hammered.

Open the airplane doors
Wave at all the locals
Surely there's something better to do than park
Wherever we are.

We'd been sitting there for fourteen hours when we pull out the Grey Goose
Kevin and I were kinda hiding it because
Because we didn't want to share it
Anyway, this woman, this hot mess behind us, kept completely freaking out.

I don't understand why they can't let us off. I mean, just to stretch our legs?! I mean, really? I need to get some air! Oh, my God, I need to get off this plane!

And my boyfriend Kevin
We're both named Kevin
It was cute for a while
Kevin was not dealing with it well.

I'm going to kill her
Excuse me?! I would like to get off the plane
I am claustrophobic!

Excuse me, would you like some Xanax?
Because you are freaking out and it is freaking me out and we are all freaking the fuck out.

Open the airplane doors
Let a little air in here
Cause I could use a shower or a bar
(Or a bar)
Open the airplane doors
Look at all the planes out there
There must be a convention it's bizarre
Wherever we are.

Twenty-eight hours
(Twenty-eight hours)
Out of the window
Twenty-eight hours
(Twenty-eight hours)
Nothing but darkness
Twenty-eight hours
(Twenty-eight hours)
Darkness and headlights
Twenty-eight hours
(Twenty-eight hours)
Nothing to see.

The flight attendants keep telling us nothing's wrong. When, I've got kids, and I've got grandkids, I know when someone's hiding something. And when parents need their kids to stop asking questions, they start playing movies.

We ran through every movie we had: Legally Blonde, Doctor Doolittle 2, and... Titanic.

Near, far, wherever you
Nothing to do
Nothing to see
Thank god we stopped at the duty-free
Wherever we are.

Do you mind if I sit? I need to get to work and there's some drunk people at the back of the plane singing at the top of their lungs.

No, of course. I'm Diane.
Nick. How are you doing?
I'm... worried about someone
He was flying today
I just wish there was some way to tell him where I am.

Newfoundland. Oh, no, you know that
You just can't tell him
Right. I'm hoping you're one of those people who laughs when English people say awkward things.

I just wish we knew what was happening
What's happening?
What's happening?
Somewhere in between your life
And your work
When the world may be falling apart
And you think
I'm alone
I'm alone
And I'm so damn helpless
There's nothing left to do but drink
We open the airplane doors
Flash all the cars
Wooh!
I've never done that before.

Twenty-eight hours
God! Over an entire day
Running out of things to say
And if there's someone
Going to clue us in
Tell us all what's happening
Because the sun is setting
And we're sitting in the dark
Wherever we are.

Later that night, I'm up in the cockpit with some of the other passengers when the pilot puts the radio on over the intercom, and the whole plane goes silent when the president gives his speech.

I ask the American people to join me in saying thanks for all the folks who've been fighting hard to rescue our fellow citizens and to join me in saying a prayer for the victims and their families. The resolve of our great nation is being tested, but, make no mistake, we will show the world that we will pass this test. God bless.

You got through to the airline
Tom, I'm okay
Tell me what's happening out there
How bad is it?
Tom, tell me everything
Tom, who was in the air?
No, no I wouldn't have known them
No, no one on that airline
Charles?!
Are you sure?
No, I'm fine Tom
I'm fine.