# Knock First **Verse 1** Knock before you enter, Wait until I say, Don’t just open up my door And walk in anyway. This room is where I breathe, Where I’m meant to feel secure, So please respect my boundaries, Don’t assume anymore. **Pre-Chorus** Just because I’m quiet Doesn’t mean that I’m okay, Doesn’t mean you have permission, Doesn’t mean I’ve said it’s safe. **Chorus** Knock first, ask me first, Please respect my space. Don’t leave my door wide open While you’re cleaning up the place. The buzzing alarms, the people talking, The bleach hanging in the air, The vacuum roaring through the room— Sometimes it’s too much to bear. So knock first, ask me first, Listen when I say: My silence isn’t permission, Please don’t treat it that way. **Verse 2** Maybe you don’t notice Every sound that fills the hall, But when they stack on top of me, I can feel them all. Voices getting louder, Machines begin to scream, Strong smells filling up the room When I just need some peace. **Pre-Chorus** And if I’ve had a bad night, Everything feels worse, Every noise is sharper, Every sound begins to hurt. I might not have the words yet, I might just sit there still, But being silent doesn’t mean You can decide how I feel. **Chorus** Knock first, ask me first, Please respect my space. Don’t leave my door wide open While you’re cleaning up the place. The buzzing alarms, the people talking, The bleach hanging in the air, The vacuum roaring through the room— Sometimes it’s too much to bear. So knock first, ask me first, Listen when I say: My silence isn’t permission, Please don’t treat it that way. **Bridge** I’m not asking for the impossible, I’m asking you to care. A knock, a question, a closed door— Just show me you’re aware. Give me warning when it’s noisy, Give me space when I need time. Don’t decide that I’m alright Just because I look fine. **Final Chorus** Knock first, ask me first, Respect the boundaries I set. Something small to somebody else Can leave me overwhelmed and stressed. The alarms, the voices, bleach and vacuum, They can hit me all at once, And after a night when I haven’t slept, It can all become too much. So knock first, ask me first, Hear the words behind my quiet: **My room, my space, my boundaries— Please respect them. Don’t deny it.** **Outro** Knock before you enter. Ask before you stay. Close the door behind you. Please hear what I say. Being quiet isn’t permission. Silence doesn’t mean “okay.” Respect my space, respect my boundaries— Every single day.
