Verse 1 [acoustic guitar, playful piano replies] You play to half a room on Tuesday, like half a room is still enough. Miss a chord and laugh right through it— God, I forgot music could be fun. [soft vocal, piano dancing lightly] I sit somewhere near the speakers, hood pulled low, no practiced smile. You don’t need me sweet or easy, you just laugh when I get wild. Pre-Chorus [guitar picking, piano answers] And sometimes I look at you and see everything they took— the joy before the meetings, the song before the hook. [warm bass enters, small pause] Chorus [guitar and piano interweave, light drums] Under turquoise light, I can breathe without performing. You don’t need the polished version, you don’t sigh at the storm in me. [gentle harmonies] And I want to keep the world from putting fingerprints on you. Not because I think you need me— I just know what people do. [vocals warmer, piano lifts] So take your time. Take the long way if you like. I’ll be somewhere in the back under turquoise light. Verse 2 [acoustic rhythm, bright piano replies] You catch me sharp around the edges, pull me back without a scene. Make me laugh when I get vicious, make me feel like I’m still fucking sixteen. [piano takes the melody] You still chase a song for pleasure, not because somebody said. I know how fast they turn a heartbeat into something bought and fed. [soft electric shimmer, guitar underneath] If you ask, I’ll make the phone call. If you don’t, I’ll let it be. I won’t turn your open window into another lock and key. Bridge [guitar stripped back, lone piano] Maybe that’s why I’m so scared for you— you still sound like yourself. [small pause] And maybe that’s why I keep coming back. Because around you I do too. [piano and guitar reunite] Final Chorus [guitar and piano open wide, soft drums] Under turquoise light, I can breathe without performing. You don’t need me sweet or simple, you don’t leave when I get thorny. [subtle strings underneath] And I want to keep the world from teaching you to disappear. But I know protection turns to cages when you hold somebody near. [final lift, warm harmonies] So take your time. Keep whatever makes you bright. I’ll be somewhere in the back, singing every word every night. Outro [piano trails around guitar] No cameras. No fixing. Nobody to bitch about being proper [soft, almost smiling] Just you, me, and a shabby little bar under turquoise light. [acoustic guitar fades, piano last note]
