[Intro 4] [Clipped guitar, dry bass pulse, tiny percussion moving left to right] [Fragmented vocal layers scan beneath the lead] Where’s the catch? I know it’s here [Verse 1 12] You bring me something small Say, “Saw it, thought of you” I turn the bag around Ask what I owe you You laugh and say, “Nothing” I laugh a second late Set it on the counter Like kindness has a date You say I look good tonight I hear, “Keep looking this way” Every lovely thing you tell me Becomes a rule I have to obey [Pre-Chorus 4] [Whispered conditions enter between lines] Your mouth says, “Always” My body hears, “Until” I keep finding terms and limits You never put there [Chorus 8] [Shift into heavy 4/4; lead melody opens while whispers interrupt] I keep looking for the fine print Under everything you give What it costs, when it expires Who I have to be to keep it Every kiss feels like a contract Every promise needs a pen You say love me like it’s simple I start reading it again [Verse 2 12] I forgot to move the laundry Left it soaking overnight Waited for the room to harden Waited for your voice to rise You just moved it to the dryer Asked if I had eaten yet I kept waiting for the invoice You had never meant to send You said, “I’m proud of you” at dinner I asked, “What did I do?” You said, “Nothing—I just am” I didn’t know what to do [Pre-Chorus 4] [Percussion grows faster without changing tempo] My head starts negotiating Before your words are through Like being loved without a reason Is a trap I’m walking into [Chorus 8] [Whisper layers multiply and crowd the lead] I keep looking for the fine print Under everything you give What it costs, when it expires Who I have to be to keep it Every kiss feels like a contract Every promise needs a pen You say love me like it’s simple I start reading it again [Break 4] [Beat fractures into tiny repeated sounds] Keep earning Keep pleasing Keep proving Keep— [Hard cut] [Verse 3 12] [Dry vocal; bass enters one note at a time] Tonight I thanked you for staying You asked me, “Staying through what?” I named every way I’m difficult You let me use them up Then you looked down at the table Ran your finger through a ring Left behind by your cold glass Like you needed time to think Then you asked me one more question And looked me in the eye “Why does every thank-you Sound a little like goodbye?” [Bridge 8] [All rhythm withdraws; whispered conditions circle the lead] You never wrote the fine print I was reading what they left Every favor had a balance Every softness came with debt I kept signing old agreements With your name above the text [Whispers stop completely] You can love me And mean it [Final Chorus 12] [Steady 4/4 returns without interruptions] [Bass completes every phrase; restrained harmony enters late] There was never any fine print Under everything you gave No expiration hidden No performance I could fail I may still check the margins When the old words start again But tonight I leave them empty I don’t reach to find a pen You say love me like it’s simple This time I don’t interrupt You can love me and mean it Maybe that can be enough [Outro 4] [Scanning percussion stops; guitar and bass remain] I take the tag off Throw the receipt away You say, “Keep it” I do [End][End][End]
