I Used to Be a Star

[Intro – Warm celestial synthesizers, shimmering piano, gentle orchestral swell] [Soft Female Vocal] There was a time when everything I touched could see me. [Verse 1 – Bright, flowing melody, delicate electronic percussion] I scattered gold across the distance, Painted shadows on the stone. Worlds went turning in my presence, Never knowing I could fall. Every morning had my signature, Every night a little less. I spent a million years in brilliance, Giving everything I had left. [Pre-Chorus – Rising strings, growing intensity] Deep inside, the fire was changing, Every answer weighed me down. All the light I kept creating Couldn't hold the center now. [Chorus – Powerful, radiant, full orchestral electronic arrangement] I used to be a star, A fire you could see from far away. I used to fill the dark With something that could make you stay. I gave my light to empty spaces, Never thought I'd lose my own. I used to be a star... Before the weight became my home. [Instrumental – The bright melodic theme repeats, but the bass begins to descend] [Verse 2 – Slower perceived rhythm, heavier bass, subtle distortion] It didn't happen all at once. There wasn't time to understand. The heart that held my world together Was the first thing to give way. My outer fire tore the darkness, For a moment, brighter still. While the universe saw brilliance, Something deeper fell within. [Pre-Chorus – Uneven percussion, stretched vocal echoes] I felt the distance folding inward, Every direction turned to down. No more burning at the center. No more strength to hold my ground. [Chorus – Darker reprise, detuned harmonies, missing percussion beats] I used to be a star, A fire you could see from far away. Now all the light that reaches me Has nowhere left to make its way. I never asked to be this darkness. I never chose to pull you close. I used to be a star... [The final note stretches unnaturally] Before... [Instrumental Collapse – Deep sub-bass, descending pitch, melodic fragments pulled out of rhythm] [Bridge – Intimate, almost whispered vocals, sparse distorted piano] Don't mistake me for a monster. There is nothing here that hates. Gravity has no intention. It doesn't love. It doesn't wait. Somewhere in the distant darkness, Light I sent before the fall Is still crossing empty spaces. You might see me shining... Long after I am gone. [Extended Atmospheric Breakdown – The original piano melody returns, progressively slowed, pitch-shifted and stripped of high frequencies. Increasing silence between notes.] [Final Refrain – Fragile vocal, almost entirely unaccompanied] I used to be a star. I remember how it felt. To reach beyond myself. To give the dark... Something... [Long silence] [Outro – Extremely low, barely audible voice] I still have everything... [Sudden complete silence]