[Intro – Slow, clean guitar riff, palm-muted, atmospheric] (Low, spoken/sung) I talk to shadows just in case… ‘Cause silence ain't safe anymore… [Verse 1 – Mid-tempo, palm-muted guitars, drums kick in steady] (Gravelly, controlled vocal) Pacing in the dark, lights off again Can't trust the calm, I know how it ends Every whisper, every creak Feels like the world’s about to speak Shadows dance behind my eyes I laugh it off but it's a lie "You’re paranoid," they say and grin But they don't live beneath my skin [Pre-Chorus – Build up, cymbal swell, bass growling underneath] (More intensity in voice) Cut the red or cut the blue? One wrong move, it's all on you Are they watching, is it me? Or just my mind playing enemy? [Chorus – Full power, distorted guitars, wide-open drums] (Sung strong with grit and pain) This paranoid mind, it won’t let go Every doubt's a loaded blow I second-guess what’s real or fake Every breath feels like a mistake No peace, no calm I’ll ever find Livin’ with a paranoid mind [Verse 2 – Pull back slightly, tight rhythm, more vocal emotion] (Half-sung, half-spoken in spots) Voices laughing when I turn Every bridge I build, I burn I question what I can’t explain Then curse myself and do it again Rage at nothing, scream at air I know it’s me but I don’t care Caught between truth and delusion A perfect storm of self-confusion [Pre-Chorus – Same build, a little heavier this time] (More urgency) Cut the wire, make the call Or don’t decide and risk it all Are they close or just my brain? Can't tell what’s real from the insane [Chorus – Same power, maybe add vocal harmony] This paranoid mind, it’s tearing me down Like sirens screaming with no sound I don’t trust what’s in my head Wanna live but fear instead Guessing till I’m deaf and blind Stuck in this paranoid mind [Bridge – Drop to clean guitar, slow, emotional delivery] (More vulnerable vocal tone) Maybe I’m broken, maybe I’m fine But I still check behind every line I joke about it, say “it’s cool” But fear makes a damn good fool [Kick back in – distortion swell, double-time drums] This ain’t living, it’s just time Wasted in a paranoid mind [Final Chorus – Bigger, with backing vocals and drums wide open] This paranoid mind, I can’t break free From the fear that’s haunting me I can’t sleep, can’t rewind Just a loop I can’t unwind No escape, no peace to find I’m lost inside this paranoid mind [Outro – Drop to clean guitar, soft fade-out] Whispered I talk to shadows… Just in case…
