[Style: dark alt-pop / rap fusion, 4/4, 90 BPM, D minor. Female alto/mezzo lead. Verses delivered as close-mic whisper-rap with breathy, anxious, emotionally restrained phrasing; no swagger, no aggression. Pre-choruses sung and tense. Choruses dark, melodic, aching, and intimate rather than huge. Sparse piano pulse, low sub heartbeat, dry kick/snare, faint static/room tone, subtle glitch texture, no bright hats, no EDM drop.] [Intro] [Low room tone, sparse piano notes, faint sub pulse, no drums] The room won’t settle The dark won’t leave And my own lungs sound strange to me [Verse 1 – FEMALE RAP] [Close-mic whisper-rap, intimate, pinned-down, breath-forward] The room is dark, but it won’t go still Walls lean in like they know I will Come undone if I breathe too deep So I count the cracks, try to fake some peace Hands cold, but my face runs hot One bad thought and I lose my spot Every little sound got a blade to it Every nerve in my skin got a name to it Clock on the dresser chewin’ through the night Streetlight cuttin’ up the blinds in white Turn the pillow to the cooler side Like that’s gonna fix what’s burning alive [Pre-Chorus 1 – FEMALE SUNG] [Tense, breathy, low lift; heartbeat kick enters softly] I tell myself, “Just make it through” But the night keeps talking over You [Chorus – FEMALE SUNG] [Dark melodic chorus, intimate but wider, aching not belted] There’s dead air in my lungs tonight I’m trying to pray, but the words won’t rise My chest caves in like a house on fire And I can’t get out of my own mind If You are near, then stay right here Don’t let me drown where no one sees There’s dead air in my lungs tonight Breathe for me [Verse 2 – FEMALE RAP] [Slightly more urgent, still controlled and close] Mirror blur when I pass it by Even glass can’t hold my eyes I laugh too hard, say I’m alright Then fold in half when it gets too quiet House at rest, but I’m wired thin Like the dark found a way back in Pulse in my throat like a fist on a door And I don’t know what I’m bracing for I know the lines, I know the pose How to keep it nice, how to keep it closed But the mask slips bad when the midnight hits And the air goes missing inside my ribs [Pre-Chorus 2 – FEMALE SUNG] [Wider pad, more tension] I say, “I’m fine,” like that still works But the lie gets thinner with every hurt [Chorus – FEMALE SUNG] [Same melody, slightly fuller female doubles] There’s dead air in my lungs tonight I’m trying to pray, but the words won’t rise My chest caves in like a house on fire And I can’t get out of my own mind If You are near, then stay right here Don’t let me drown where no one sees There’s dead air in my lungs tonight Breathe for me [Bridge – FEMALE SPOKEN / SUNG] [Strip back to piano, low sub, faint static; nearly whispered prayer] I don’t need thunder I don’t need signs I need Your hand In the middle of mine I need the panic To lose its throne I need to know I’m not alone If all I’ve got Is one cracked plea Let that be enough For You to reach me [Final Chorus – FEMALE SUNG] [Fullest section, still restrained, layered female harmonies only] There’s dead air in my lungs tonight I’m trying to pray, but the words won’t rise My chest caves in like a house on fire And I can’t get out of my own mind If You are near, then stay right here Don’t let me drown where no one sees There’s dead air in my lungs tonight Breathe for me Breathe for me Breathe for me [Outro – FEMALE WHISPER] [Drop back to piano and room tone only] Till morning comes Breathe for me
