Masquerade [Intro — Dramatic Mariachi-Style Trumpet Fanfare] Welcome to the masquerade. Where everybody's someone else. Come on, darling. Pick a face. [Verse 1] Paint a smile across your face. Hide the cracks beneath the lace. Everybody looks divine When the truth is redesigned. Champagne lips and plastic hearts. Everybody plays their part. Trade your secrets for applause. Sell your soul without a cause. Oh, what a lovely little lie! Watch the angels learn to fly. Pretty feathers, borrowed wings. Nobody knows a goddamn thing. [Pre-Chorus] One step forward. Two steps back. Watch your perfect portrait crack. Curtain rising. Count to three. Tell me who you want to be. [Chorus] Dance, dance, masquerade! Everybody's on parade! Wear your crown and play your part. Hide the knife behind your heart! Round and round, we celebrate! Kiss the hand of borrowed fate! If the truth should slip away, We'll invent another face! Dance until the colors fade! Welcome to the masquerade! [Post-Chorus — Trumpet Fanfare] Round and round! Around we go! Everybody loves the show! Round and round! Don't be afraid! Welcome to the masquerade! [Verse 2] There's a saint behind the bar Selling halos by the jar. There's a devil dressed in white Giving lessons on what's right. Every mirror tells a tale. Every promise is for sale. Shake my hand and swear you're true. I'll pretend I believe you. Oh, you're such a charming fraud! Even sinners play at God. Don't you worry, darling, dear. Your reflection's safe in here. [Pre-Chorus] One more secret. One more sin. Let the next performance begin. Curtain falling. Count to three. Tell me what you think of me. [Chorus] Dance, dance, masquerade! Everybody's on parade! Wear your crown and play your part. Hide the knife behind your heart! Round and round, we celebrate! Kiss the hand of borrowed fate! If the truth should slip away, We'll invent another face! Dance until the colors fade! Welcome to the masquerade! [Instrumental Break — Dueling Mariachi Trumpets, Driving Bass, Frantic Piano and Distorted Guitar] [Bridge] You came here looking for the truth. I gave you everything you knew. A thousand faces, perfectly arranged. You never noticed when they changed. You say you're different from the rest. Then why's your mask against your chest? You want to know what's underneath? Come a little closer. Look at me. [Final Chorus] Dance, dance, masquerade! Watch your perfect world decay! Throw your crown upon the floor! Tell me what you're hiding for! Round and round, we celebrate! Every truth becomes a fake! If the mirrors break tonight, Will you recognize your life? Dance until the colors fade! Welcome to the masquerade! [Final Post-Chorus — Explosive Trumpet Fanfare] Round and round! Around we go! Everybody loves the show! Round and round! The colors fade! Welcome to the masquerade! [Outro — Solo Trumpet, Music Gradually Strips Away] The music stops. The lights come on. A thousand faces. Every mask is gone. You came to see the real me. How wonderfully naive. I never wore a mask, my dear. I simply showed you What you wanted to see.
