
Scathed
[Intro – 28 sec dripping tremolo guitar + sparse reverb piano notes, night insects, thick tape hiss, distant coyote howl, subtle feedback swell like held breath, no vocals] [Verse 1 – whispered fragile rasp, stripped detuned guitar + reverb hum, breath heavy with long pauses] The scars I thought Were only on the skin The noise had stopped The rush had ended The weight was gone [Refrain – even quieter, almost spoken, cracked falsetto on “left” and “was”] What was left What I was [Verse 2 – slurred and stumbling, heavier tape hiss, voice cracking with realization] The noise always there The rush a night sweat The weight on my eyes [Final Refrain / Outro – strained whisper building to broken rasp, then total collapse] The scars I know Now on nerve and bone [90+ sec outro – instruments fade to single detuned guitar sustain + ambient pads, vocals shift to exhausted half-whisper repeats with long pauses] Now on nerve… and bone… nerve… and bone… [long pauses between repeats] …bone… [extended quiet after last word, faint distant train whistle, tape hiss lingers then swallows everything into dead silence]

