[Intro: Echoing Dark Piano, 417Hz Solfeggio Pad & Rain Sounds]
(Mmm, yeah...)
(How do I accept this...?)
(I've been broken... way too many times to count)
(Listen close now)
[Verse 1: Whispery, Close-Mic, Vulnerable Alto Delivery]
Lately, I've been questioning my everything
How'd I get here to thirty-five, almost done with that ring?
When did my age change its meaning, where do we go from here?
Introspection in the quiet, fighting off the silent fear
Now I feel like I've missed out on it all
Putting all the pieces together, waiting for the fall
I wear a heavy mask on the outside just to survive
To protect the fragile little girl who's struggling to stay alive
A little girl confused, torn from her family in the cold
Trying to run from the past and the stories that were told
And all I feel is terrified that I'll never feel whole
Sinking deeper into myself, losing all control
(Losing control, yeah...)
[Pre-Chorus: Rhythmic Snaps & Deep Heartbeat Bass Build]
How many times have I told you those three words?
Whispering 'em in the dark where they never get heard
I try to show myself off as better, trying to stand tall
Repackaged, refurbished, hoping I won't fall
[Vocal Stutter] (D-D-Damaged goods!)
[Beat Drop: Heavy Slow 808 Drop & Swelling Strings]
[Chorus: Explosive, Gritty Powerhouse Vocal Belt]
But how can I love you when I'm afraid to love myself?!
I've been sitting in the shadows, looking in from the shelf!
What do you see in me when all I see is damaged goods?!
Tearing down the walls where the little girl stood!
I've been to the lowest of lows and the highest of highs
Ashamed and corrupted by all the old lies!
But I'm throwing out the mask, stepping out into the light
Even if I'm terrified of what we're building tonight!
(Stepping out, yeah!)
[Post-Chorus: Catchy Vocal Glitch & Dark R&B Ad-libs]
(Damaged goods, damaged goods, letting go of the fear)
(Ski-bi-di-bop, washing off the pain with a tear)
(Yeah, yeah, the mask is starting to crack)
[Verse 2: Snappy, Rhythmic Dark Soul Pocket]
I've been so afraid, been sitting way too quiet for too long
Wondering if the melody in my chest was always wrong
My children are a blessing, they keep me from utter despair
But I still find myself fumbling, breathing in the cold air
I didn't know it then, but it's a part of being me
The intrinsic, heavy layers of my past that you see
Can I be more than just beauty? Can I let you in?
Letting the walls crack and letting the healing begin
You look at me with patience, and you tell me it's okay
But I'm still waiting for the sky to turn back into gray!
(Back into gray, yeah!)
[Pre-Chorus: Rhythmic Snaps & Deep Heartbeat Bass Build]
How many times have I told you those three words?
Whispering 'em in the dark where they never get heard
I try to show myself off as better, trying to stand tall
Repackaged, refurbished, hoping I won't fall
[Vocal Stutter] (D-D-Damaged goods!)
[Chorus: Explosive, Gritty Powerhouse Vocal Belt]
But how can I love you when I'm afraid to love myself?!
I've been sitting in the shadows, looking in from the shelf!
What do you see in me when all I see is damaged goods?!
Tearing down the walls where the little girl stood!
I've been to the lowest of lows and the highest of highs
Ashamed and corrupted by all the old lies!
But I'm throwing out the mask, stepping out into the light
Even if I'm terrified of what we're building tonight!
[Verse 3: Deep, Intimate Spoken-Word Delivery]
But all that remains... all that remains is my trust
Trusting that I'm not alone, standing in the dust
Only God can hear my secret thoughts, guiding my way
And little by little, I'm watching the night turn to day
My roots are deep, and I'm ready to come out and shine
Reclaiming the life that was always meant to be mine!
(Always meant to be mine, hallelujah!)
[Bridge: Intense, Screaming Natalie Jane Style Climax]
(I am ready! I am ready to be loved!)
(Let the rain fall down from above!)
No more hiding behind the mask, no more living in the dark!
I am letting Your fire touch my broken spark!
(Three, two, one — let the piano bleed!)
[Chorus: Maximum Emotional Energy, Driving Drums & Full Strings]
But how can I love you when I'm afraid to love myself?!
I've been sitting in the shadows, looking in from the shelf!
What do you see in me when all I see is damaged goods?!
Tearing down the walls where the little girl stood!
I've been to the lowest of lows and the highest of highs
Ashamed and corrupted by all the old lies!
But I'm throwing out the mask, stepping out into the light
Even if I'm terrified of what we're building tonight!
[Outro: Heavy piano chords ring out and decay into low, distorted hum]
(Dry vocal, completely raw, close to the mic)
No more masks.
Just me.
Broken pieces... but they're mine.
(A single heavy, final breath)
(The piano suddenly cuts off mid-chord on a sharp stop)
[Cold Stop]
[End]