Barely Holding On

[Verse 1]
You say I’m strong
You say I’ll heal in time
But you don’t see these shaking hands
You don’t hear my quiet lies
You think I’m fine
Just a bad day
I’ll revive
You don’t know the way my chest caves in
When I say
“I’m all right”
[Chorus]
So you think I am okay
You think I can survive
But I’m hardly holding on
Just trying to make it through the night
I cry myself to sleep
Repeating every mistake
Tell myself I’ll never matter
Tell myself I’ll never be great
[Verse 2]
Bathroom light
Staring at a tired face
Tracing every little scar
Like I’m counting all my waste
Everyone
Says they’re proud I’m still here
But they’re loving a disguise
They don’t touch the hidden fear
[Chorus]
So you think I am okay
You think I can survive
But I’m hardly holding on
Just trying to make it through the night
I cry myself to sleep
Repeating every mistake
Tell myself I’ll never matter
Tell myself I’ll never be great
[Bridge]
What if I’m wrong about me? (oh)
What if this hurt has a side I can’t see?
Could I be more than the voices in my head
More than every heavy word I never said
[Chorus]
’Cause you think I am okay
You think I will survive
I’m still barely holding on
But maybe I won’t quit this time
I cry myself to sleep
But something starts to change
I whisper
“I still have a chance”
Maybe I can still be great

pop, Moody pop ballad with male vocals, intimate piano and warm pads. First verse sits close and confessional; drums and bass slide in on the chorus with a steady mid-tempo pulse. Subtle guitar swells and vocal doubles lift the hook, bridge strips back to piano and a distant synth, then chorus returns bigger with stacked harmonies and a soft, lingering outro., sleep, male vocals