[Intro] (Clean, muted acoustic picking. Steady kick drum enters on beat 3.) [Verse 1 - Vocalist 1] (Quiet, rhythmic, conversational) Shadow in the corner, quiet by the wall. Always held my tongue just to catch you when you fall. Took every bad hit. Folded every hand. Never raised my voice, never made a stand. (Vocalist 2 subtle low octave) Swallowed all my fire... Just so you could sleep. [Pre-Chorus - Dual Vocals] (Palm-muted strumming accelerates. Bass enters.) (Vocalist 1): Swam against the current, smiled through the cracks. (Vocalist 2): Carried all the weight until it broke my back. (Vocalist 1): Benched every feeling... (Vocalist 2): Buried every flaw... (Both Unison): 'Til the pressure hit the final straw! [Chorus - Full Band Drop] (Explosive distorted acoustic-electric guitars and heavy drums) (Vocalist 1 Lead / Vocalist 2 Screamed Harmony): Mask off. Silence gone. Done standing still while you pull me along! Pushed to the edge, threw my heart in the fire, Watched the last piece of me burn on the pyre! No more bending. No more line. Every bit of back-down isn't mine! (Music drops out completely - dry vocal) Look at what's left standing in the light— (Full band crash) You killed the nice guy. [Post-Chorus] (Driving, rhythmic acoustic riff over steady bass) [Verse 2 - Vocalist 2 Lead] (Gritty lead, snappy vocal cadence) Dam broke open when it hit the fan. Done making peace like a lesser man. No nod. No grace. No putting on a smile just to save your face. (Vocalist 1 Call-and-Response): (I spent a lifetime giving into lies) Now I’m staring straight into your eyes! [Pre-Chorus - Dual Vocals] (Building tension, rising guitar feedback) (Vocalist 1): Swam against the current, smiled through the cracks. (Vocalist 2): Carried all the weight until it broke my back. (Vocalist 1): Benched every feeling... (Vocalist 2): Buried every flaw... (Both Unison): 'Til the pressure hit the final straw! [Chorus] (Explosive distorted acoustic-electric guitars and heavy drums) (Vocalist 1 Lead / Vocalist 2 Screamed Harmony): Mask off. Silence gone. Done standing still while you pull me along! Pushed to the edge, threw my heart in the fire, Watched the last piece of me burn on the pyre! No more bending. No more line. Every bit of back-down isn't mine! Look at what's left standing in the light— You killed the nice guy. [Bridge - Build & Breakdown] (Tempo slows slightly. Heavy bass groove with ringing acoustic notes) (Vocalist 2 Low Growl): Quiet ones snap at the point of no return. (Vocalist 1 Soaring High): Built a cage around me just to watch it burn! (Both - Screamed): I don't care where the flow goes! I don't care what you say! The push-over you counted on... DIED TODAY! [Instrumental Breakdown] (Aggressive rhythmic strumming, loud snare fills, feedback swell) [Final Chorus - Maximum Intensity] (Fast tempo, wall-of-sound production) (Both Screaming Unison): Mask off. Silence gone. Done standing still while you pull me along! Pushed to the edge, threw my heart in the fire, Watched the last piece of me burn on the pyre! No more bending. No more line. Every bit of back-down isn't mine! Look at what's left standing in the light— You killed the nice guy! [Outro] (Instruments suddenly stop. Only a lingering acoustic string buzz) (Vocalist 1 - Spoken dry): Yeah. You killed him. (Vocalist 2 - Whispered echo): He’s not coming back. (Vocalist 1): No more nice guy. (Final muted thumb slap on wood)
