Don’t Shoot the Messenger [Female] You heard me say it softly, And somehow it made sense, The words slipped through the doorway Without raising your defence. [Male] I said the same thing differently, You bristled at the sound, Same message, same intention, But you shut the shutters down. [Female] Maybe it was timing. [Male] Maybe it was tone. [Together] Maybe we hear differently Depending who brings it home. Chorus — Together Don’t shoot the messenger, Don’t worship them as well, Sometimes it’s how the story sounds That makes the story sell. Same words, different voices, Same meaning underneath, One can make you question, One can make you believe. So before you blame the messenger Or praise the way they speak, Listen past the voice you like… To what the message means. [Male] You liked me on The Mirror, But she made that mirror sting. [Female] You heard her Living on the Edge, But his made something ring. [Male] Ten Minutes With Me felt different— [Female] When ten minutes became his. [Together] Funny how identical words Can change depending who it is. Pre-Chorus Pitch and pace, Age and face, Accent, rhythm, style and grace. Familiar voice, Familiar view… How much of what you’re hearing Is the message— And how much is you? Chorus Don’t shoot the messenger, Don’t worship them as well, Sometimes it’s how the story sounds That makes the story sell. Same words, different voices, Same meaning underneath, One can make you question, One can make you believe. Bridge — alternating voices [Female] Too soft? [Male] Too loud? [Female] Too certain? [Male] Too proud? [Female] Wrong accent? [Male] Wrong sex? [Female] Wrong package? [Male] What comes next? [Together] Strip away delivery, Personality and fame. If the words remain identical… Is the message still the same? [Instrumental beat] Or did we change it When we heard a different name? Final Chorus — full duet Don’t shoot the messenger, Don’t put them on a throne, A voice can carry something But the words can stand alone. Same words, different voices, Different ways they reach your mind, What irritates one listener Might be exactly what another finds. So hear the male. Hear the female. Hear the rough and polished too. Then listen past the messenger… And decide what speaks to you. Outro — voices separated, then together [Female] Same words. [Male] Different voice. [Female] Different feeling. [Male] Different choice. [Together] Maybe we never had to choose Which messenger was right. We only had to listen… [pause] …from another side.
