Beyond The Obvious
Lyrics
[Verse 1 — Intimate, smoky, conversational]
I burned my wings before they learned to fly
Turned every feather to an alibi
Some wounds were mine, some wore another's name
I built a shield and taught it how to take the blame
I drew a map of every dream I'd known
Then watched the roads lead nowhere I could call my own
And somewhere in the silence, faint but clear
A room was waiting, though I'd never been there
[Pre-Chorus — Subtle tension, rising strings]
Perhaps I wasn't lost
Perhaps I couldn't see
The difference between a prison
And the place that shelters me
[Chorus — Melodic, expansive, deceptively luminous]
I walk in like I belong here
Though I can't remember why
I look beyond the obvious
And something looks me in the eye
The walls are standing where they stood
The shadows haven't disappeared
Perhaps the world was never changing
Perhaps I simply wasn't here
[Verse 2 — More rhythmic, quietly theatrical]
The room was dressed in memories of me
A life arranged for everyone to see
The windows faced the years I couldn't save
The mirrors smiled, but something looked away
I thought a different light would make it clear
Instead, it only brought the darkness near
And every familiar face I knew
Looked almost right, but never quite came through
[Instrumental Interlude — Virtuosic piano, expressive strings, wordless vocalise]
Look again...
Look again...
[Bridge — Waltz-like movement, increasingly uneasy]
I wanted answers dressed in gold
A little truth I could afford to hold
But every door reveals another wall
And every time I rise, I hear the ballroom call
[Final Chorus — Festive orchestral swell, vocal restraint]
I walk in like I belong here
Though I can't remember why
I look beyond the obvious
And something looks me in the eye
I didn't find the life I wanted
Just its shadow dressed in light
And somewhere underneath the ashes
Something stirs, but not enough to fly
[Outro — Near-spoken, almost unaccompanied]
The world hasn't changed.
Or perhaps it has.
I can no longer tell.
Somewhere beyond the obvious...
Someone knows I'm here.
End — Unresolved, no triumphant cadence