[Intro] Curtain snagged on a rusted nail The house lights die; the painted faces pale [Verse 1] You pinned the program to my coat A little red mark by my name The orchestra is tuning teeth The velvet smells of smoke and rain You said, “Keep smiling for the guests” While silver buckles bite my wrists The stagehand counts beneath his breath The trapdoor answers with a click [Pre-Chorus] Pull the thread, expose the seam Tell me which of us is playing make-believe [Chorus] At the Grand Guignol, the masks come loose A paper crown, a borrowed noose You call it art while the walls lean in I see your face beneath the grin At the Grand Guignol, the final scene Is written where the knives have been When the curtain falls, don’t call me home I know the way out on my own [Verse 2] The leading lady drops her fan A little bell rings from the wings The understudy takes my hand And shows me all the missing strings You built a kingdom out of gauze And named the bruises part of the show But every painted door has laws And every locked one has a code [Pre-Chorus] Pull the thread, expose the seam The audience can hear the rigging scream [Chorus] At the Grand Guignol, the masks come loose A paper crown, a borrowed noose You call it art while the walls lean in I see your face beneath the grin At the Grand Guignol, the final scene Is written where the knives have been When the curtain falls, don’t call me home I know the way out on my own [Bridge] One step left Two steps back The floor gives way beneath the act You wrote my part in disappearing ink I tear the page before I sink [Breakdown] No more cues No more chains No more smiling through your name Cut the lights Break the frame I am not your beautiful mistake [Final Chorus] At the Grand Guignol, the masks come loose A paper crown, a broken noose You call it art, but the walls came down I took the keys; I left the town At the Grand Guignol, the last scene ends No painted villain, no pretend When the curtain falls, I’m not alone I chose the door; I made it home [Outro] The house is empty The paint runs dry No curtain call No last goodbye
