[Verse 1 - Immediate heavy bouncing riff, aggressive rhythmic rap] You set the table with a smile and a loaded lie Cut me into smaller pieces, called it compromise Had the whole room thinking I was coming apart While you stood there with a match and a hand on your heart Every little favor had a price underneath Every pretty promise came equipped with teeth You could turn a good day into something obscene Then ask me why the hell I was acting so mean Now I second-guess the silence Hear a warning in the calm Got a head full of alarms When there's nothing going wrong [Pre-Chorus - Wounded melodic vocals, building tension] And I hate what it's done to me How the sweetness turns to sting You were gone before I noticed You'd contaminated everything [Chorus - Huge haunting melodic hook, layered harmonies] YOU'RE GONE, BUT THE AFTERTASTE STAYS! A little bit of poison in the sweetest days I don't want you back, I want back the days When loving something didn't mean being afraid I can spit out the hurt I can wash off the blame But you're gone... AND THE AFTERTASTE STAYS! [Verse 2 - Faster rap cadence, filthy syncopated groove] Now somebody says forever and I look for the door Like I've heard that little promise somewhere before Got a beautiful life, got a reason to smile Still I flinch at a kindness every once in a while Ain't that sick? Ain't that strange? How a person walks away but the wiring stays changed You can move every picture, put a lock on the past But the nervous little habits have a way to last I don't need an explanation I don't need another scene I just want a single morning Where my head belongs to me [Pre-Chorus - Fragile clean voice becoming desperate] And the worst part isn't losing you It's the things I can't reclaim All the ordinary moments That'll never feel the same [Chorus - Bigger, heavier, emotional screams beneath melody] YOU'RE GONE, BUT THE AFTERTASTE STAYS! A little bit of poison in the sweetest days I don't want you back, I want back the days When loving something didn't mean being afraid I can spit out the hurt I can wash off the blame But you're gone... AND THE AFTERTASTE STAYS! [Bridge - Haunting clean baritone, open ringing guitar chords] I used to take the good for granted Never wondered what it cost Now I hold the things I cherish Like I'm waiting for the loss And I hate that you still reach me Without ever being here I survived the worst you gave me Why am I still living scared? [Breakdown - Crushing half-time seven-string groove, violent rhythmic screams] TAKE YOUR WORDS! TAKE YOUR LIES! TAKE THE VERSION OF ME THAT YOU LEFT BEHIND! I AM NOT YOUR DAMAGE! I AM NOT YOUR NAME! YOU DON'T GET THE REST OF ME JUST BECAUSE YOU LEFT A STAIN! AFTER! AFTER! AFTERTASTE! [Final Chorus - Explosive harmonized vocals, soaring wounded melody] YOU'RE GONE, BUT THE AFTERTASTE STAYS! A little bit of poison in the sweetest days I don't want you back, I want back the days When loving something didn't mean being afraid I can spit out the hurt I can wash off the blame And maybe someday The sweetness won't taste like pain [Outro - Quiet cracked vocal over fading distorted chords] I don't miss you... I miss who I was... Before everything changed.
