[DJ Cold Open] [Laughter lingers beneath the performance. Distant echoes surround the listener. A lonely music box begins.] (Deep laughter echoes) Heh… Heh-heh… Ha… Ha-ha… DJ Brazen… You hear that…? (No…) Listen closer… (laughing in the distance) (One laugh becomes many) ⸻ [Verse 1] [Laughter lingers beneath the performance. It feels playful.] Everybody’s smiling… (heh-heh…) Nobody knows why… (Ha-ha…) Cards up… Lights down… Watch the whole room… (Turn around…) One joke… (heh-heh) Two grins… That’s exactly, Where it begins… (Of course…) Smile a little… (Stay awhile…) Funny how denial, Comes with style… (heh-heh) Hear that whisper? (Hear that grin?) Maybe all the noise, Is coming from within? (It always was…) ⸻ [Pre-Chorus] [The unseen voice begins answering. Laughter lingers beneath the performance.] Who’s laughing now? (Ha-ha…) Who’s keeping score? (You are…) Who’s knocking… (bang bang) At your door? (Me…) Who’s smiling wide… (Ha-ha…) While the floor gives way? (Watch it…) Who’s still pretending, It’s just another day? (You…) ⸻ [Chorus] [Manic laughter lingers beneath the performance. The unseen voice begins taking control.] Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… Can’t stop laughing… Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… DJ Brazen, Laugh… Everybody… Lose… Your… Mind… We’re laughing… (Ha-ha…) Ha-ha! I said… Are we laughing?! (You never stopped…) Who’s… Laughing?! (HAHAHAHAHAHA) HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Ha… Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… ⸻ [Verse 2] [Laughter lingers beneath the performance. The voices begin finishing each other’s thoughts.] Shuffle the deck… (Heh-heh) Cut the light… (Oops…) Every bad decision… Felt so right… (Heh-heh-heh) Smile wider… (Hide the insane…) Everybody here… Already knows the game… (…We do) Heh… (Heh…) One more spin… (One more turn…) One more lie… (Yessss…) Watch them all still ask… “Why… so SERIOUS!?” (Why… so SERIOUS!?) Because… (Because…) Every mirror… (Looks at you…) Every stranger… (Knows your name…) Who’s pretending? (You are…) Who’s awake? (Am I…?) How much laughter… Can one mind take? (All of it…) ⸻ [Bridge] [Laughter lingers beneath the performance. The two voices begin merging.] Heh… (Heh…) Can you hear it? (I can…) Ha… (Ha-ha) Closer now… (Closer…) Heh-heh… (Heh-heh…) Every smile… (Is yours…) Every stare… (Is mine…) HAHA… (HAHA) It’s already… In the air… Every echo… Sounds like mine… (Doesn’t it?) Every heartbeat… Keeps perfect time… (Ba-dum…) (Ba-dum…) Tell me… Did the joke change… Or did you? (I know…) No one’s laughing… (Not anymore…) It’s just… (Us…) Us… (long silence) (single laugh) ⸻ [Final Chorus] [Overwhelming laughter lingers beneath the performance. Both voices become one.] Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… Can’t stop laughing… Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… DJ Brazen, Laugh… Still laughing… (Ha-ha…) Ha-ha! I said… Are we still laughing!? (You never stopped…) WHO’S… (WE ARE.) STILL LAUGHING?! HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Sounds like everybody’s laughing… (Now you know why…) Ha… Ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha… (crowd laughter grows) (Group laughing) (maniacal laughter) (every laugh overlaps) ⸻ [Outro] [Fading laughter lingers beneath the performance until silence.] The laughter fades… (Does it…?) One voice remains… (Just one…?) Heh… See… You… Next… Set… (small chuckle) (Ha…) Silence.
