(Intro) [Instrumental: A chiming, reverb-drenched guitar arpeggio. A steady, simple drum pattern fades in. A low, warm bass line starts to pulse. Dark synth pad underneath.] (Verse 1) [Vocal: Calm, slightly distant] The gate swings open, metal moans like some old beast, They hand me back my clothes, my silence and release. I step into the daylight, blinking at the glare, But freedom doesn’t feel like it was ever really there. The street is just the same, the city hasn’t changed, But every look I catch now feels a little strange. Whispers at the corner, names under their breath, My face was on their screens – filed under “threat.” (Pre-Chorus) [Vocal: More focused, a bit tighter] Three steps from the prison, the shadows follow near, A parked car at the corner, a presence I can’t clear. The bars are gone, but something still remains, An unseen hand that tugs on hidden chains. (Chorus) [Vocal: Melancholic, strong but not shouted] Invisible chains, wrapped around my name, Out in the open, but it feels the same. They gave me back the street, but not my skin, I walk among the crowd, yet never quite within. Invisible chains, no clatter, no sound, But every move I make is measured, weighed, and bound. (Verse 2) [Vocal: A bit more bitterness] The market’s full of faces that I used to know, Now they turn their heads, pretend they didn’t see me go. “Don’t get involved,” you hear in every cautious glance, Fear has turned their friendship into self-defense. In the paper, on page seven, a small and twisted note, “Released, but still a danger” – that’s the label they promote. They let me out the cage but keep the leash on tight, A phantom record trailing me in every hidden site. (Instrumental Interlude) [Instrumental: Guitar grows more intense, playing a mournful, echoing melody. Bass and drums drive a little harder. Pads swell, creating a sense of wide, empty streets.] (Bridge) [Vocal: Spoken-sung, more intimate, music leicht zurückgenommen] You can change my status, you can change my file, But you won’t change the fact I walked that extra mile. You can’t un-ring the bells that brought me to this place, You can’t un-see the fear behind your smiling face. I wear your brand like scars across my back, But scars are also proof of every last attack. (Chorus) [Vocal: Fuller, emotional] Invisible chains, wrapped around my name, Out in the open, but it feels the same. They gave me back the street, but not my skin, I walk among the crowd, yet never quite within. Invisible chains, no clatter, no sound, But every move I make is measured, weighed, and bound. (Outro) [Instrumental: The drum pattern and bass fade, leaving only the echoing guitar and a low pad. The guitar plays the intro figure one last time.] [Vocal: Quiet, resolute] I’m still here. Still watching. Still awake.
