Intro — spoken, close to the mic, almost whispered] (soft piano, gentle guitar entering) I woke up this morning and the words came before the day did. So I’m gonna say them before I forget who I am today. --- [Verse 1 — half-spoken over guitar and Rhodes] I need to watch my words so I don’t go absurd I need to be me and nobody needs to see I don’t need your reaction to know exactly what happened I’m like a duck in the rain I don’t care if you go insane ’Cause my silence my silence my silence is what you want had --- [Pre-Chorus — softly sung, harmonized] Ooh, my silence is the loudest thing I own Ooh, my silence is a river, is a stone Ooh, my silence is the walk-away, the door Ooh, I don’t answer anymore --- [Chorus — warm, gentle, layered] This is me coming back to me this is me coming back to me The pimple still there but I feel like healing is near this is me coming back to me (background: “coming back, coming back”) --- [Verse 2 — a little more voice, still tender] I can’t wait till I don’t care about the man with no hair Wipe it from my mind and return to being kind Kind is where I live Kind is what I give Kind is what I am underneath the storm and the sand I got lost in the rage turned a chapter, turned a page Now I’m folding up the fury soft and slow — no hurry --- [Pre-Chorus] Ooh, my silence is the loudest thing I own Ooh, my silence is a river, is a stone Ooh, my silence is the walk-away, the door Ooh, I don’t answer anymore --- [Chorus] This is me coming back to me this is me coming back to me The pimple still there but I feel like healing is near this is me coming back to me --- [Bridge — strings bloom, more open, still soft] (spoken, warm, certain) I’m a mother and I won’t let anyone’s mother smother my very existence No more even giving you hints No more crumbs no more signals no more looking over my shoulder Today is my day to cast even your memory away (sung, softly) Away… away… Cast even your memory away Away… away… Today is my day --- [Instrumental — 8 bars of guitar and Rhodes, room to breathe] (the whole song exhales here — this is the space where the memory leaves) --- [Final Chorus — a touch more full, still gentle, gospel-tinged background vocals] This is me coming back to me this is me coming back to me The pimple still there but I feel like healing is near this is me coming back to me (background: “back to me, back to me, back to me”) --- [Outro — spoken, whispered, close] (guitar and Rhodes fading, one soft harmonic ring) I woke up. I wrote the words. I said them out loud. And now the day is mine. Kind is where I live. Silence is where I win. Zoey is where I am. Amen. (fade)
