The Joke's On Me

[Verse 1] Bow before the king and queen’s grace Laugh at your unworthy jester Make sure she knows her place Pull my strings with careful hands Teach me how the fool should stand Be a good girl or be a waste If I don’t perform it right Every flaw becomes a spectacle Under their scrutinizing light I used to laugh a little louder Used to speak before I thought Now I measure every movement Like a product being bought [Pre-Chorus] Cap and bells, pretty little prison Everybody loves a girl who listens Truth is only tolerated When it’s wrapped up all entertaining [Chorus] So dance, little court fool, dance Spin yourself sick for that second glance Everyone’s laughing from their balcony seats Watching while the joke’s on me Yeah, the joke’s on me [Post-Chorus] Smile with your teeth Cry where nobody sees They’ll clap for the tragedy So long as it’s pretty [Verse 2] Learned to pose before I was even grown How to blur the parts that feel alone If I’m quiet, I’m irrelevant If I crack, I’m oversensitive Sit up straight, don’t talk too loud Smile nice when you’re in a crowd Just be the tool, don’t overshare Don’t let anybody know you care Too much heart, too many thoughts That’s how girls like me get lost [Pre-Chorus] Every version of me they choose Feels like another like another noose [Chorus] So dance, little court fool, dance Twist yourself thin for a cheap romance Everyone’s cheering while you can’t breathe And the joke’s still on me Yeah, the joke’s on me [Post-Chorus] Smile with your teeth Cry where nobody sees They’ll clap for the tragedy So long as it’s pretty [Bridge] That girl can’t speak unless she’s faking Only smiling, never breaking Say it wrong and they’ll destroy you Say it sweetly and employ you Every mirror’s now a courtroom Every stranger holds the verdict And the girl under costume surface Can’t remember how this started [Breakdown] Ha-ha, laugh while I decay Turn my breakdown into cabaret You love me most when I’m unraveling And you will see—the punchline’s always me!! [Final Chorus] Dance, little court fool, dance Make myself smaller with every chance They love my mask And hate my rage Just another performer collapsing onstage— The jokes on me! [Post Chorus] Smile with my teeth Cry where nobody sees They’ll clap for the tragedy So long as it’s pretty And while I’m jingling these people pleasing bells Under all this skin and bone I’m wondering… If I stop performing the show— Am I still someone at all!!?— Someone… Anyone?