Invited, Not Welcome

Lyrics

Intro
You said, “Pull up,” so I pulled up
Funny how the door got quiet

Verse 1
Palm trees cut the moon in strips along the boulevard
Valet took the keys, but the welcome didn’t travel far
You gave me that grin with the corners held tight
Passed me a glass, then you vanished from sight
Names on the list, mine written in ink
Still every conversation stopped when I’d blink
I learned to read a room before I learned to talk
Who makes space at the table, who watches the clock

Chorus
You said, “Come through,” but you don’t mean stay
Big smile at the door, cold eyes halfway
I read that room, I know my place
I won’t beg for a seat at a borrowed table
You said, “Come through,” now the truth shows through
All that sweet talk couldn’t cover what you do
I keep my cool, let the silence say
I was invited—but not welcome anyway

Verse 2
Lowrider rolls slow past the liquor-store sign
Bass in the block, but the welcome ain’t mine
You laughed at my story, then you checked who was near
A little too loud when the right crowd could hear
I’ve seen that look in a hundred clean rooms
Perfume and politeness with a hard edge underneath the fumes
So I count the exits, keep my shoulders loose
You can dress up a slight, but it’s still the truth
No scene, no speech, no glass on the floor
Just a nod to the host and my hand on the door

Chorus
You said, “Come through,” but you don’t mean stay
Big smile at the door, cold eyes halfway
I read that room, I know my place
I won’t beg for a seat at a borrowed table
You said, “Come through,” now the truth shows through
All that sweet talk couldn’t cover what you do
I keep my cool, let the silence say
I was invited—but not welcome anyway

Bridge
Maybe that’s a lesson money can’t buy
A warm handshake can still tell a cold lie
I don’t need a crown, don’t need your approval
I know who I am when I walk through the room

Final Chorus
You said, “Come through,” but you don’t mean stay
Big smile at the door, cold eyes halfway
I read that room, I know my place
I won’t beg for a seat at a borrowed table
You said, “Come through,” now the truth shows through
All that sweet talk couldn’t cover what you do
I keep my cool, let the silence say
I was invited—but not welcome anyway

Outro
Invited, not welcome
I read the room
Then I leave on my own terms