[Verse 1]
They said my name in Golden Light
Promised stars, a borrowed sky
Smiles wrapped in polished lies
Champagne dreams, a dotted line
They dressed the bars in silk and praised
Called it love, called it fate
But every yes, I signed away
Was one more door I couldn’t break
[Pre-Chorus]
They said, “Just wait, your time will come”
But time don’t wait for anyone
[Chorus]
It’s a cage with velvet lining
Feels so soft. You don’t feel trapped
They clap while you’re declining
Smile while your wings collapse
They frame your face, they sell your name
But lock my soul behind the glass
It’s a cage with velvet lining
Pretty prison — dressed in class
[Verse 2]
They want my face, not my voice
Want the image, not the noise
Tell me when, tell me how
Tell me who I have to be now
They say “Trust us, we know best”
But my silence pays their debts
Every song I couldn’t release
Was another piece of me
[Pre-Chorus]
They call it patience, call it art
But I feel the pause inside my heart
[Chorus]
It’s a cage with velvet lining
Golden locks, invisible chains
They toast while you’re declining
Call control a fair exchange
They own the past, they stall the now
They sell tomorrow twice as fast
It’s a cage with velvet lining
Soft enough to make you stay
[Bridge (Spoken / Half-Sung – cinematic)]
Freedom don’t knock twice
It whispers once
And if you don’t listen
You call silence success
I didn’t lose my chance
I kept my soul
[Final Chorus (Lift / Resolve)]
It was a cage with velvet lining
But I saw through every seam
I chose my voice, and I chose my timing
I chose the fire inside of me
No gold key, no borrowed crown
No waiting rooms, no holding back
I walk free with every sound
My music breathes — and that’s a fact
[Outro]
No velvet walls
No gilded lies
I don’t need bars
To touch the sky