[Verse 1 – low, confident, rough female vocal] I learned young how to take a hit Clench my jaw, get used to it Concrete cracks before I do Throw your best, I'll walk right through Gold crawls up across my skin Build the walls and lock me in Knuckles split against my face I barely even lose my pace [Pre-Chorus – tension rising] You can throw me down You can tear this whole place apart But there's one thing I never learned How to armor up my heart [Chorus – huge, melodic, emotional] I've got golden skin And a paper heart You can break your hands on me But your words tear me apart I can take the fire I can take the scars But say you don't love me anymore And I come apart Golden skin Paper heart [Verse 2 – more personal, slightly restrained] Three goodbyes, three bedroom floors Three times staring at closed doors Every time I swore I'd know When to be the one who goes But I stay until there's nothing left Call it hope, call it a defect Give you every second chance Then act surprised when you let go my hands [Pre-Chorus – increasingly desperate] I can stop a truck I can tear steel bars apart But I still freeze when somebody says “Zoe, we need to talk.” [Chorus – louder] I've got golden skin And a paper heart You can break your hands on me But your words tear me apart I can take the fire I can take the scars But say you don't love me anymore And I come apart Golden skin Paper heart [Bridge – music drops back, vulnerable clean vocal] Maybe I'm stupid Maybe I love too hard Maybe I keep handing people The only place I'm not on guard I know what leaving sounds like I know the breath before the line “I swear that you did nothing wrong” Yeah, I've heard that one three times [Build – drums slowly return] So hit me Come on, hit me At least I know what to do with pain Hit me Try to break me I'll get back on my feet again But don't hold me like you mean it Don't make forever sound so smart If you're only gonna leave me With my golden skin And this stupid paper heart [Final Chorus – explosive, almost shouted] I've got golden skin And a paper heart You can drop a building on me I'll still crawl out through the dark I can take the fire I can take the scars I can fight the whole damn world But I can't fight who you are So if you're gonna love me Love me like you mean that part 'Cause nothing ever broke me Like a broken heart Golden skin Paper heart [Outro – quiet, exhausted] Go ahead Take your shot I can take it Just don't say You don't love me anymore.
