No Next Time

[Verse 1]
Shaking hands at the kitchen sink
Coffee cold
But I still drink
Scrolling storms on a bright blue screen
Telling me how I “should” be
Pull my coat
But I stay in bed
Same old war in a crowded head
Every breath feels like borrowed air
Every thought says “don’t you dare”
[Chorus]
Next time you will feel better
That’s what everybody says
But what if there’s no next time
What if this is all that’s left
So I run to the water
Where the tall trees guard the shore
Let the waves say “hold on
Hold on”
Till I can’t hear the hurt anymore
[Verse 2]
Muddy shoes on a narrow trail
Silent phone
I let it fail
Spiderwebs on my tangled mind
Catch the tears that I leave behind
Sit alone where the river bends
Watch the ripples forget the wind
Every fear that I throw like stone
Sinks so slow and then it’s gone
[Chorus]
Next time you will feel better
That’s what everybody says
But what if there’s no next time
What if this is all that’s left
So I run to the water
Where the tall trees guard the shore
Let the waves say “hold on
Hold on”
Till I can’t hear the hurt anymore
[Bridge]
Maybe I don’t need “forever”
Maybe I just need tonight (just tonight)
One small breath that doesn’t hurt
One soft truth that feels like light (oh, like light)
[Chorus]
Next time you will feel better
I don’t know if that’s the truth
But the river keeps on moving
So maybe I can move too
And I sit by the water
While the wood wraps ‘round like arms
Hear it say “you’re still here
Still here”
Till I start to believe that I am
[Outro]
Next time I might feel better
Or maybe this time is enough
Just a heart by the water
Learning how to stay
With all this stuff

pop, Glassine pop ballad with airy pads, soft piano, and tight, round kick; verses stay intimate and close-mic, chorus blooms with wide synths, stacked female vocals, and reverb-drenched ad-libs. Subtle sub-bass pulse under the hook, gentle percussion swells in the bridge like distant thunder, then a stripped final chorus with just piano and vocal for a fragile landing.