"NTLB... music for the ones still hiding. [Verse 1 – Soft piano + ambient pad] I’m stuck in a dark place... No light, just the echo of space I wear this face like a mask But no one ever thinks to ask There’s a smile that I paint each day But the truth’s just a breath away And behind these lips, behind these eyes Is a storm I can’t disguise [Pre-Chorus – Low drums begin, tension builds] They say, “You look fine,” but I know they don’t see This war in my head, quietly killing me [Chorus – Big drums, emotional burst] Behind this smile... is jaggedness A world of pain I won’t confess I laugh like I’m whole, but I’m not okay I’m breaking down in my own way Behind this smile... is emptiness A fading light I can’t suppress Don’t tell me “time will make it right” When I’ve forgotten how to feel the light [Verse 2 – Bass enters, beat steadies] I walk through rooms like a ghost in skin People talk, but they don’t let me in My thoughts are loud, my hands feel cold This soul’s grown tired, this heart’s grown old I’ve built a cage inside my chest With no escape, just forced rest And I don’t even cry these days Just stare through life in a distant haze [Pre-Chorus – Softer vocal, heartbeat drums] They ask me to smile, and I give them one But behind it all, I’m coming undone [Chorus – Stronger, layers build] Behind this smile... is jaggedness A world of wounds I won’t confess I shine like I’m safe, but inside I scream I’m drowning slow in a silent dream Behind this smile... is emptiness No peace, no hope, no tenderness I’ve forgotten how to feel alright I’m just shadows hiding from the light [Bridge – Drumless, stripped, vulnerable] If I vanish, would they notice the space? Or would they just scroll and replace? I'm more than what they choose to see... But I don't even know if I'm still me... [Final Chorus – Full drums, dramatic lift, Collins-style vocal punch] Behind this smile... is jaggedness A battlefield of loneliness I laugh, I nod, I play the part But it’s shrapnel in a fractured heart Behind this smile... is emptiness And I’m tired of pretending bliss So if I fade, don’t be surprised I've been gone — just well-disguised [Outro – Echoing piano, reverb-heavy whisper] Behind this smile... behind this smile... I’m breaking all the while...
