(soft keys, low bass, steady heartbeat)
Verse 1
this a message to the ones who watched me smile
and never knew what i was holding in
i learned how to laugh through questions
learned how to lie by omission
not cause i wanted to deceive
but cause truth don’t survive crowds
every time i almost spoke
fear told me not now
Pre-Chorus
i chose silence over spectacle
peace over being explained
some truths ain’t meant for gossip
some love don’t need a name
Chorus
i hid the truth from you, that’s real
but i never hid it from my heart
what i carried wasn’t shame
it was love playing defense in the dark
before you judge the way i moved
understand the weight i survived
i didn’t lie to protect myself
i lied to protect a life
Verse 2
you saw the version i could show
not the nights i barely breathed
not the prayers whispered quietly
asking god please don’t let this crush me
i knew once words left my mouth
they wouldn’t belong to me
so i kept them locked inside my chest
where they were safe with me
Pre-Chorus
not every truth needs a stage
not every heart owes you access
some things are sacred, not secret
there’s a difference you missed
Chorus
i hid the truth from you, that’s real
but i never hid it from my heart
what i carried wasn’t shame
it was love playing defense in the dark
before you judge the way i moved
understand the weight i survived
i didn’t lie to protect myself
i lied to protect a life
Bridge
if this disappoints you, i accept that
if this changes how you see me, fine
but don’t confuse my silence with evil
i was choosing timing over headlines
i carried this alone on purpose
so no one else had to bleed
that’s the truth behind the quiet
whether you stay or leave
Final Chorus
so yeah, i hid the truth from you
and i’ll stand on that choice tonight
cause every time i had to choose
i chose protection over being right
you don’t have to understand me
you just gotta hear me now
this wasn’t cowardice or betrayal
this was love figuring it out
(piano fades, heartbeat slows)
