[Intro — soft fingerpicked acoustic guitar, natural string noise, intimate room sound, no percussion] [Verse 1 — intimate close-mic clean vocal, low relaxed melody, single acoustic guitar] I’ve gotten good at changing subjects before they get too close I say enough to sound honest and leave out what matters most I keep the day moving around me so I never have to slow it down Because I know what waits for me when there’s nothing left to drown it out [Acoustic guitar begins gentle rhythmic strumming, soft cajón enters] [Pre-Chorus — clean lower-to-mid chest vocal, melody gradually rises without belting] I know avoiding it won’t change it I know exactly what I’ve done But knowing why I ended up here doesn’t help me face what I’ve become [Chorus — wide acoustic strumming, warm cajón groove, powerful melodic clean vocal; remain in comfortable lower-to-mid register] When there’s nothing left to drown it out I hear what I became Every excuse sounds different but they all mean the same I can keep it under all day long until there’s no one else around Then every thought I pushed away is the only thing that makes a sound [Acoustic guitar pulls back, exposed clean vocal] Nothing left to drown it out [Verse 2 — fingerpicked acoustic guitar returns, sparse cajón taps, intimate clean vocal] I know the difference between healing and staying busy till it passes I keep telling people I’m doing better because nobody ever asks past it [Acoustic picking becomes more rhythmic, vocal remains clean and controlled] I’ve had enough time to change this [Brief instrumental breath] I’ve had enough time to try [Clean vocal gains emotional weight without getting louder] But every time I get too close [Melody settles lower] I find another reason why [Pre-Chorus — acoustic strumming gradually builds, cajón pulse strengthens, clean chest vocal] I know avoiding it won’t change it I know exactly what I’ve done But knowing why I ended up here doesn’t help me face what I’ve become [Chorus — fuller acoustic strumming, stronger cajón groove, single melodic clean vocal] When there’s nothing left to drown it out I hear what I became Every excuse sounds different but they all mean the same I can keep it under all day long until there’s no one else around Then every thought I pushed away is the only thing that makes a sound [Instruments briefly soften] Nothing left to drown it out [Instrumental — rhythmic acoustic guitar pattern, natural pick attack, cajón follows the guitar groove] [Bridge — cajón disappears, single softly picked acoustic guitar, exposed close-mic clean vocal] I don’t need another person telling me I’ll be alright I need to stop believing I can keep outrunning every night I’ve been waiting to feel ready like that day is coming around [Brief silence] It never does [Stripped acoustic section — muted rhythmic guitar, deep restrained cajón pulse; vocal remains fully clean, low and internal, almost like he is admitting the words to himself] I know what I’m avoiding I know why I keep it down [Melody becomes more emotional while remaining lower-to-mid] Because the truth gets fucking loud when there’s nothing else around [Acoustic guitar gradually opens] I can lie to everybody I can’t lie to myself [Instruments pull back underneath the vocal] When there’s nothing left to drown it out there’s nothing fucking left [Brief silence] [Final Chorus — acoustic guitar returns softly and gradually grows into wide dynamic strumming, cajón returns; strong emotional clean vocal, no high belt] When there’s nothing left to drown it out I hear what I became [Quiet exposed clean vocal] I did this to myself [Acoustic groove continues] Every excuse sounds different but they all mean the same I can keep it under all day long until there’s no one else around Then every thought I pushed away is the only thing that makes a sound [Arrangement gradually strips away, vocal becomes softer rather than louder] Nothing left nothing left to drown it out [Outro — cajón disappears, single fingerpicked acoustic guitar, final chord rings naturally]
