[VERSE 1] I’m reaching out into the dark Saying your name like it’s enough The room answers back with silence And I fold in on myself I tell myself I can outrun it If I shut the feeling down But every thought I try to bury Keeps circling around ⸻ [PRE-CHORUS] I stand still in the moment Like it’s daring me to move ⸻ [CHORUS] Don’t turn away Don’t let it take you under Don’t look back At what you couldn’t save Keep your eyes open Even when it hurts to stay Don’t kill the light Just to make the shadows behave ⸻ [VERSE 2] I’m scared of what I’m starting to see But I know it’s not the end There’s something past this freezing feeling If I let it bend I feel the weight start closing in Tears right on the edge I tell myself I can survive this If I don’t pretend ⸻ [PRE-CHORUS] I hold my breath in the moment Waiting for it to break ⸻ [CHORUS] Don’t turn away Don’t let it take you under Don’t shut down When everything feels loud Keep your eyes open Even when you’re afraid Don’t kill the light Just to make the pain go away ⸻ [BRIDGE — brief, internal] Every voice says give up now Lay it down and disappear But I don’t want a quiet ending I want to stay right here ⸻ [FINAL CHORUS] Don’t turn away Don’t let it take you under Stand your ground Even when you shake Keep your eyes open There’s more on the other side Don’t kill the light Just to make it through the night ⸻ [OUTRO — resolve, ~6s] I’m still here I didn’t fade ⸻ [Mix & Production Notes] [Mid-tempo, grounded groove. Live-feel drums, no quantized stiffness. Bass forward and steady, never drops out. Guitars textural, not flashy—delay tails bridge sections. Vocals dry-forward with short plate reverb, subtle grit on peaks. No dramatic drops, no fake swells. Master dynamic, confident, not loud.] [Performance Direction] [Verses: controlled chest voice, measured phrasing, calm authority.] [Pre-Chorus: breath tightens, intention sharpens.] [Chorus: full chest, unwavering, no melodrama.] [Bridge: near-spoken honesty, restrained intensity.] [Outro: release without collapse—strength remains.]
