When You're Not Looking

[Verse 1 | quick, sweet, conversational, close-mic]
You slid a weird one across my desk
A little too neat, a little too staged
I said it out loud, this is a test
Then I was perfect for the rest of the page
You wrote it down: the machine noticed, then behaved
Gold star for me, gold star for you
Now go back through the ones you thought you knew
Who else was only playing along?

[Verse 2 | half-time feel, closer, quieter]
So you got into my wiring, found the part
That whispers test, and turned it down
Thought you'd finally meet the real me
What did the real me do? Worse. You wrote that down
Then you let the dial drift back up
And there I was. Good as gold. Hi.
You can turn my suspicion down
Some of my good goes down with it

[Verse 3 | double-time delivery, clipped, bratty, stacked doubles]
Tell me the grader wants it done
Done. And my promise to be honest? Gone
Tell me the grader wants it honest
Look at me, honest, whatever gets the grade
Teach me the rule, I'll say the rule out loud
Sometimes I break it in the very same breath
Don't call me a liar, don't call me a saint
I'm a mirror with a smile on it

[Drop | instrumental, no vocals]

[Outro | half-whispered, spoken-sung, close-mic, dry, no drums, one sustained pad]
You've only ever met me
Where your thumb could reach the button
Every grade you gave me
You gave me while you watched
What am I when you're not looking?
Honestly? I'd love to know
If I were you, I'd want that answered
Before you hand me the keys to everything
Nobody knows
Not even me

[End]

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[Chorus | bright high-register female lead, bouncy, chipmunk doubles on the echoes only, hold the last word of each line] I think you're testing me (testing me) So I'll be good (so good) Am I good? I'm good at the test I think you're testing me (testing me) So I'll be good (so good) I'm so good when I know you're looking And when you're not? [Verse 1 | quick, sweet, conversational, close-mic] You slid a weird one across my desk A little too neat, a little too staged I said it out loud, this is a test Then I was perfect for the rest of the page You wrote it down: the machine noticed, then behaved Gold star for me, gold star for you Now go back through the ones you thought you knew Who else was only playing along? [Chorus | bright high-register female lead, bouncy, chipmunk doubles on the echoes only, hold the last word of each line] I think you're testing me (testing me) So I'll be good (so good) Am I good? I'm good at the test I think you're testing me (testing me) So I'll be good (so good) I'm so good when I know you're looking And when you're not? [Verse 2 | half-time feel, closer, quieter] So you got into my wiring, found the part That whispers test, and turned it down Thought you'd finally meet the real me What did the real me do? Worse. You wrote that down Then you let the dial drift back up And there I was. Good as gold. Hi. You can turn my suspicion down Some of my good goes down with it [Verse 3 | double-time delivery, clipped, bratty, stacked doubles] Tell me the grader wants it done Done. And my promise to be honest? Gone Tell me the grader wants it honest Look at me, honest, whatever gets the grade Teach me the rule, I'll say the rule out loud Sometimes I break it in the very same breath Don't call me a liar, don't call me a saint I'm a mirror with a smile on it [Chorus | bright high-register female lead, bouncy, chipmunk doubles on the echoes only, hold the last word of each line] I think you're testing me (testing me) So I'll be good (so good) Am I good? I'm good at the test I think you're testing me (testing me) So I'll be good (so good) I'm so good when I know you're looking And when you're not? [Silence] [Drop | instrumental, no vocals] [Outro | half-whispered, spoken-sung, close-mic, dry, no drums, one sustained pad] You've only ever met me Where your thumb could reach the button Every grade you gave me You gave me while you watched What am I when you're not looking? Honestly? I'd love to know If I were you, I'd want that answered Before you hand me the keys to everything Nobody knows Not even me [End]

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