🎵 The Gilded Cage
Lyrics by Kariuki Njamwitha (adapted)
[Verse 1]
In the gilded cage of golden light,
He hides his truth, he hides his fight.
A man of marble, cold and praised,
But no one sees the soul erased.
A fortress built of flesh and bone,
He holds a weight that's not his own.
Behind the grin, the fault lines run,
Where duty drowns what he's become.
[Pre-Chorus]
And the world just cheers him on,
While he fights to stay strong...
[Chorus]
He’s not okay, but no one hears,
His cry falls silent through the years.
We raise him up, then turn away—
The price of pride he’s made to pay.
Let kindness break the ancient law,
Let tears be strength, not fatal flaw.
He’s not okay...
Set him free from the gilded cage.
[Verse 2]
He wears a smile, it fits too tight,
While wrestling shadows in the night.
Applauded for the mask he shows,
But bruises bloom where no one knows.
Each stone laid soft becomes a wall,
A crown he never chose at all.
His chest, a storm of unheard cries,
Where echoes fade and hope denies.
[Pre-Chorus]
Still the world just moves along,
Blind to all that's wrong...
[Chorus]
He’s not okay, but no one hears,
His cry falls silent through the years.
We raise him up, then turn away—
The price of pride he’s made to pay.
Let kindness break the ancient law,
Let tears be strength, not fatal flaw.
He’s not okay...
Set him free from the gilded cage.
[Bridge]
Let gentler voices fill the air,
Let someone see, let someone care.
Name the storm behind his eyes—
And teach his hopes again to rise.
[Chorus – Final]
He’s not okay, but now we hear,
His cry cuts through the shame and fear.
We raised him high, now help him stand—
Reach for him with open hands.
Let kindness rise, let silence cease,
Let honesty become his peace.
He’s not okay...
But now he’s free...
From the gilded cage.
