We've Been Talking

**[Verse 1]** [**Music:** A sparse, haunting synth pad and a single, echoing piano note repeats. A subtle, glitchy beat fades in. Vocal is close-mic'd and intimate, with a slight vocal fry.] Yeah, I'm lookin' now, but I don't like the fuckin view. I know the words, but they don't feel like they're true What's your problem? Why you always staring down? Showin' up just to try and tear off my crown. Why you look so lost, can't find your way out? I see your reflection, filled with doubt. Why you always gotta judge? I am not the sum of what I've done**(ooh) A promise made, I hope I mean it Avoiding fights I know I'll never win it. I hate the thoughts that I don't want repeating, (no, no) If there is value here, I hope I'm seeing it. Feel I don't deserve it when I break my spirit Paper-thin, you've got the words to tear it. (you tear it) You're in the quiet when the crowd is gone I act deaf, but I've been listening all along. **[Refrain]** [**Music:** The beat becomes slightly more defined. A low, humming bass note enters. Backup vocals are ethereal and layered, panned left and right.] Yeah, for weeks, I’ve been listening. *(listening...)* Yeah, yeah, we have been talkin’. *(we've been talkin')* Yeah, me and myself been talkin’. *(I've been talkin')* --- [**Music:** The beat drops out completely. The female vocal is clear, cold, and accusatory, with heavy reverb and a slight delay on the last word of each line.] I know you said you hear me talking But I... can... not... believe... you. *(echo: you...)* I... can... not... believe... you. I know you said you hear me talking But I... can... not... believe... you. **[Female rap verse]** [**Music:** A tight, skittering trap beat kicks in. The vocal is aggressive and rhythmic, double-tracked for emphasis.] Why you always twist my words into a fiction? (into fiction) Turn my every scar into your ammunition You call it “truth,” it feels like a sentence, (like a sentence) Every word a blade, a false repentance. I’m done playing court with the ghosts in my **head**, (I'm done) Letting echoes tell me what I fucking said. You claim I never listen— I’ve been right here, but I don't trust your vision. **[Hook]** [**Music:** The main beat returns, heavier now with a distorted 808 bass. The hook is powerful and layered, with the female lead and a chorus of distorted backup vocals.] I know you said you hear me talking But I, CAN, NOT, BELIEVE, YOU. *(believe you...)* I, CAN, NOT, BELIEVE, YOU. I know you said you hear me talking But I, CAN, NOT, BELIEVE, YOU. --- [**Verse 2]** [**Music:** The beat simplifies again, focusing on the kick and a somber bassline. The vocal is weary and vulnerable.] I wish that I was built with more confidence**, (more confidence) Could trust my own accomplishments, my own sense They say your faults can make you stronger**, Mine just make me feel like I'm a burden. (such a burden) That’s my truth, a twisted lens Claim I don't care, but does it ever end? The questions that I can't escape from, That keep me up, my mind awake from... (wide awake) Wondering if the quiet is too much weight, Who will stick around if I should break? That’s the type of thing I don't wanna explore But shut the door, it's still a war. These are lessons that you learn about your fucking self, And you only get one you, I hope I'm learning well. (hope I'm learning) I know that loving yourself comes with a price, Yeah, everything you want, it comes with a price. Y’all got no clue what I'd sacrifice... (what I'd sacrifice) And for weeks, I’ve been listening. **[Refrain]** [**Music:** The music begins to fade, leaving mostly the synth pad and the vocal. The backup vocals are faint, like a memory.] Yeah, for weeks, I’ve been listening. *(listening...)* Yeah, yeah, we have been talkin’. *(been talkin')* Yeah, me and myself been talkin’. *(myself been talkin')*