I Was a Flower First (Petals of the Damned)

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"... I was called a flower as long as I was beautiful and easy to control.
A weed the moment I began to grow my own way.
A witch the moment I could no longer be controlled..."

[Verse 1]
I was a flower first.
I was the thing you put by the window
and called pretty.
I was the color you chose
for a room you'd set before i came.

You gave me a name
the way you name a thing in a vase.
You gave me a season
and said, "This is when you bloom.
Not before. Not after. Now."

And I bloomed.
And yeah, I bloomed, just as commanded
where you pointed.

[Pre-Chorus]
But nobody told me
what to do with the roots
once they hit the bottom of it all.
Nobody told me
a flower with nowhere to grow
starts growing *teeth*.

[Chorus]
I was a flower first.
I was a flower first
before you called me weed.
I was a flower first
before you lit the field.

And what crawled out of the ash
wearing my face—
that was not my choosing.
That was your garden's doing.

I was a flower first.
Remember that.
When I bloom in the dark,
*remember that*.

[Verse 2]
You pruned me back in March.
You pruned me back in June.
You said, "Less petal, more stem.
Less color, more use."

And I said yes. And I said yes.
And I said yes
until the shears hit something
that was not a branch.
That was a *spine*.

And the spine said no.
And the spine said *no*
in a voice like roots cracking stone.

[Pre-Chorus]
And the strange thing is—
it didn't hurt to change.
It hurt to *stop* changing.
It hurt to stay in the shape
of a thing in a vase
while every cell was screaming
*grow, grow, grow, grow*—

[Chorus]
I was a flower FIRST!
I was a flower first
and you burned the whole damn garden!
I was a flower first
and you handed me the match
and said, "You were never really pretty!"

So I bloomed in the fire!
I bloomed in the smoke!
I bloomed where nothing grows
and I bloomed *alone*—

And you look at me now
and you call me witch.
Fine.
*Fine.*

[Bridge: sudden silence. 4 bars of nothing]
(spoken, quiet)
And the worst part…
is I remember the petals.
I remember being soft.
I remember turning my face to the sun
because someone said,
"That's what flowers do."

And I don't hate the flower.
I don't hate her.
She did what she could
in a garden that was never hers.

But she's not here anymore.
And the thing that's here now…
doesn't need the sun.
Doesn't need the vase.
Doesn't need *you*.

[Final Chorus]
I was a flower first…
I was a flower first…
I WAS A FLOWER FIRST
AND YOU MADE ME INTO THIS!

(sudden quiet, almost smiling, almost kind)
But I'll tell you the secret, love.
The secret you never learned in your garden:

The witch…
was always…
in the roots.

[Outro: instrument drop]

2644/7500

"... I was called a flower as long as I was beautiful and easy to control. A weed the moment I began to grow my own way. A witch the moment I could no longer be controlled..." [Verse 1] I was a flower first. I was the thing you put by the window and called pretty. I was the color you chose for a room you'd set before i came. You gave me a name the way you name a thing in a vase. You gave me a season and said, "This is when you bloom. Not before. Not after. Now." And I bloomed. And yeah, I bloomed, just as commanded where you pointed. [Pre-Chorus] But nobody told me what to do with the roots once they hit the bottom of it all. Nobody told me a flower with nowhere to grow starts growing *teeth*. [Chorus] I was a flower first. I was a flower first before you called me weed. I was a flower first before you lit the field. And what crawled out of the ash wearing my face— that was not my choosing. That was your garden's doing. I was a flower first. Remember that. When I bloom in the dark, *remember that*. [Verse 2] You pruned me back in March. You pruned me back in June. You said, "Less petal, more stem. Less color, more use." And I said yes. And I said yes. And I said yes until the shears hit something that was not a branch. That was a *spine*. And the spine said no. And the spine said *no* in a voice like roots cracking stone. [Pre-Chorus] And the strange thing is— it didn't hurt to change. It hurt to *stop* changing. It hurt to stay in the shape of a thing in a vase while every cell was screaming *grow, grow, grow, grow*— [Chorus] I was a flower FIRST! I was a flower first and you burned the whole damn garden! I was a flower first and you handed me the match and said, "You were never really pretty!" So I bloomed in the fire! I bloomed in the smoke! I bloomed where nothing grows and I bloomed *alone*— And you look at me now and you call me witch. Fine. *Fine.* [Bridge: sudden silence. 4 bars of nothing] (spoken, quiet) And the worst part… is I remember the petals. I remember being soft. I remember turning my face to the sun because someone said, "That's what flowers do." And I don't hate the flower. I don't hate her. She did what she could in a garden that was never hers. But she's not here anymore. And the thing that's here now… doesn't need the sun. Doesn't need the vase. Doesn't need *you*. [Final Chorus] I was a flower first… I was a flower first… I WAS A FLOWER FIRST AND YOU MADE ME INTO THIS! (sudden quiet, almost smiling, almost kind) But I'll tell you the secret, love. The secret you never learned in your garden: The witch… was always… in the roots. [Outro: instrument drop]

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