(Intro) [Slow, haunting piano, distant saxophone wails, soft vinyl crackle] (A woman's voice, low and weary) "They all watch... but none of them see." (Verse 1) [Slow jazz rhythm, upright bass, melancholic brass swells] They raised their glasses while I wore my chains, Smiling through thunder, drowning in rain. I danced on the stage with cracks in my soul, A puppet in silk with no self-control. They clapped for the show as I stumbled and spun, But nobody noticed when the lights came undone. (Chorus) [Soaring brass, heavier drums, bittersweet vocal power] Curtains fall, but I’m still here, A ghost in the smoke where the crowd disappeared. Laugh if you must, cry if you dare, I’m more than the mask that I used to wear. (Verse 2) [Muted trumpet echoes, sultry bassline, slower tempo] I painted my pain in gold and red, A show for the living, a prayer for the dead. They drank to my sorrow, called it a game, Lit up the night while I burned in the flame. Oh, they wanted a star, I gave them the sky, But nobody stays when the laughter runs dry. (Bridge) [Chaotic brass breakdown, distorted saxophone, frantic drum fills] Keep your applause, keep your sweet little lies, I’ve heard the truth in the crowd’s empty sighs. The spotlight is cold, the echoes run deep, And nobody wonders what haunts me in sleep. (Chorus) [Powerful brass swells, drums hitting hard, voice filled with raw emotion] Curtains fall, but I’m still here, A ghost in the smoke where the crowd disappeared. Laugh if you must, cry if you dare, I’m more than the mask that I used to wear. (Outro) [Soft piano fading, distant muted trumpet, slow heartbeat-like bass] (A woman's voice, soft, broken) "You wanted a tragedy... I hope you're satisfied."
