RUNNING IN CIRCLES

Lyrics

[Intro — soft female vocal, ticking clock, distant city ambience, gentle piano]

(whispered)

Wake up...

Work...

Sleep...

Repeat...

I thought I was getting somewhere...

[Verse 1 — soft vocal, pulsing bass, restrained electronic beat]

Alarm goes off before the sun comes up,
Coffee in my hand, trying to wake myself up.
Train doors close, everybody staring down,
A thousand tired faces moving through the town.

Clock keeps ticking, paycheck comes and goes,
Chasing something that I don't even know.
Got another goal written on the wall,
Reach that one and there's another one to call.

I used to dream about getting out...

Now I'm scared to slow down.

[Pre-Chorus — rising synths, layered vocals]

Run faster...

Work harder...

Climb higher...

Need more...

But somewhere in the noise...

I forgot what I was running for.

BUILD — ticking clock becomes rhythmic

Faster...

Faster...

Faster...

[DROP / CHORUS — hard melodic dubstep, aggressive bass, driving drums, soaring synths]

WE'RE RUNNING IN CIRCLES!

(Oh-oh-oh!)

TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE!

RUNNING IN CIRCLES!

BUT WE'RE NEVER REALLY THERE!

Work all day...

Chase all night...

Another number...

Another fight...

WE'RE RUNNING IN CIRCLES!

(Oh-oh-oh!)

TELL ME WHAT ARE WE CHASING?

[Post-Drop — chopped vocal and pulsing bass]

Running...

Running...

Running...

But going nowhere...

Verse 2 — beat strips back, softer vocal

New car, new phone, new thing to buy,
Everybody posting how they're doing alright.
I look around and wonder if it's true,
Are they chasing the dream or is the dream chasing you?

I finally got the things I couldn't afford,
But somehow I still wanted something more.
The ladder keeps rising, the years keep flying,
And everybody's smiling while secretly dying.

Maybe success isn't having more...

Maybe it's knowing...

When enough is enough.

Pre-Chorus 2 — emotional harmonies

I don't wanna spend my whole life...

Waiting for the weekend...

I don't wanna reach the finish line...

And realise I never lived it.

BUILD — clock stops

Stop...

Breathe...

Look around...

[FINAL DROP — huge melodic dubstep, darker opening then euphoric chord progression]

WE'RE RUNNING IN CIRCLES!

TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE!

RUNNING IN CIRCLES!

BUT WE'RE NEVER REALLY THERE!

We chase the money...

We chase the time...

We chase a life...

That looks good online...

But maybe freedom...

Isn't getting everything...

Maybe freedom...

Is needing less.

[BREAKDOWN — piano, clock completely silent]

(softly)

I spent so long...

Trying to build a better life...

I forgot...

I was supposed to live it.

FINAL MINI-DROP — emotional vocal chop

STOP RUNNING!

LOOK AROUND!

YOU'RE ALIVE!

[Outro — ticking clock fades into soft ambient synth]

Wake up...

Work...

Sleep...

Repeat...

Or...

Maybe...

Not today.