[Intro – spoken, theatrical voice] Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome to tonight’s performance. [Verse 1] Velvet seats and glowing screens Front row for the grand machine Every scandal, every show Another act before you go Programs printed, neat and clean Every villain, every scene Laugh on cue and play along Another night, another song [Pre-Chorus] Curtain up Lights ignite Everything is Just your type [Chorus] You are the audience Watching every scene You are the audience Clapping in between You are the audience Seeing what you please You are the audience Begging for encores [Verse 2] Headlines flicker, stories spin Another hero walks right in Every outrage, every cheer Fading with the next premiere Row by row the whispers grow Everyone already knows Still the house is full tonight Under perfectly timed lights [Pre-Chorus] Laugh on cue Turn the page Every scandal Center stage [Chorus] You are the audience Watching every scene You are the audience Clapping in between You are the audience Seeing what you please You are the audience Applauding on your knees [Bridge – twist begins] Spotlights drifting through the hall Shadows climbing up the wall Suddenly the stage grows small As the lights reveal you all [Break – spoken, slowly] You thought… you were watching the show. But the show… was watching you. [Final Chorus – bigger, accusatory arena chant] You are the audience Writing every scene You are the audience The gears behind the screen You are the audience Every cheer and plea You are the audience This is what you came to see [Outro – spoken quietly] The actors change. The stage remains. But the audience… never leaves.
