Painted Fangs, Golden Spine

[Intro] Yeah They love a monster when it ain’t them in the mirror Turn the lights off, point fingers, call it love I grew teeth from the pressure, learned to smile through blood [Verse 1] I’m the villain in the family photo, cropped wrong Every memory bent till I’m the punchline in the song I changed my skin, shed habits, burned bridges I built Still they sniff out the ash like I’m guilty by guilt I tried silence, tried softness, tried bowing my head They stapled horns to my shadow, put words in my breath Every win turns to evidence I’m faking the climb They want the old me embalmed, want my future to die [Pre-Hook] No matter the miles I run They move the finish line No matter the scars I stitch They want me Frankenstein [Hook] Paint me bad, paint me black, paint my name with blame I grew a spine of gold from your rain of shame Never enough, never clean, never changed enough So I lift myself up, say your hate ain’t love Fuck them I take the high road, knuckles white, heart loud Watch me throw my life back in your face right now [Verse 2] I became a kick ass musician, hear the rooms ignite From bedroom bars to stages, turning nights into light Game tester breaking worlds till they bug-free breathe I stress-test dreams while you stress-test me Games media journalist, pen sharp as truth I write futures for pixels, I speak power to youth Songwriter stitching pain into hooks that heal Storyteller turning ghosts into something real Still they say it’s a phase, say I’m chasing applause Like growth is a crime, like pride’s a flaw I learned craft, learned grind, learned patience and aim They learned how to keep calling my progress a game [Breakdown] Scream it I changed I built I stayed I paid My dues in blood and sleep-deprived faith [Hook] Paint me bad, paint me black, paint my name with blame I grew a spine of gold from your rain of shame Never enough, never clean, never changed enough So I lift myself up, say your hate ain’t love Fuck them I take the high road, eyes forward, crown loud Watch me throw my life back in your face right now [Verse 3] You want repentance forever, a leash made of sorry You want me small so your comfort don’t worry I won’t beg for a seat at a table that rots I’ll build my own house out of riffs and plots I learned boundaries bleed before they heal I learned chosen family is earned and real If I’m a monster, I’m the kind that protects The kind that evolves, never begs for respect [Bridge] I’m done rehearsing your version of me I’m done auditioning for your disease I forgive the past, but I won’t be your doormat Growth ain’t quiet, it kicks back [Final Hook] Paint me bad, paint me black, paint my name with blame I grew a spine of gold from your rain of shame Never enough, never clean, never changed enough So I lift myself up, say your hate ain’t love Fuck them High road blazing, watch the dust cloud I throw my wins in your face And I don’t look down [Outro] Villain in your story Hero in my craft I keep changing You keep staring at the past