[Verse 1]
You’re laughing at some story
I’m two tables away
Stirring ice in my coffee
Trying not to stare at your face
You lean into your boyfriend
He kisses you on the cheek
And I pretend to read my book
While my heart goes weak
[Chorus]
I’m just the boy in your periphery
Out of focus
Out of frame
But I can’t look away
You’ll never know that you’re the song in me
Playing on a loop in the quiet of my brain
I fall a little more
Every ordinary day
From across a crowded room
To a guy who doesn’t even know he’s my ache
[Verse 2]
You’re at the gym in that tank top
Rainbow tag on your keychain
So I know that you’d get it
If you ever knew my name
We’d probably talk about movies
You’d joke
I’d laugh too hard
Instead I just change treadmills
So I can watch you from afar
[Chorus]
I’m just the boy in your periphery
Out of focus
Out of frame
But I can’t look away
You’ll never know that you’re the song in me
Playing on a loop in the quiet of my brain
I fall a little more
Every ordinary day
From the lockers to the street
For a guy who doesn’t even know he’s my ache
[Bridge]
[Choir swell
Drums and strings rising]
Maybe you’ve had a boy like me
Who lived in the corner of your eye
Another quiet gay kid
Too scared to even try (oh)
’Cause what if I say “hi”
And you just smile and move on
What if my whole damn heart
Is only meant to be a footnote in your song
So I’m singing in my bedroom
High above the pain (so high)
Belting out your name like a prayer
Like a flame
All these boys in our stories
Get the courage
Get the kiss
I am stuck here on the sidelines
Afraid of what I’d miss
[Choir hits
Full voice]
I am a boy who loves boys
And I’m burning in the dark
Reaching for a stranger
Who’s already got his heart (oh-oh)
[Chorus]
I’m just the boy in your periphery
Out of focus
Out of frame
But I can’t look away
You’ll never know that you’re the song in me
Playing on a loop in the quiet of my brain
I fall a little more
Every time I see your face
Just a boy who loves a boy
Who doesn’t even know he’s my ache
[Outro]
You’re laughing at some story
I’m walking past the door
Whisper “maybe someday
Maybe” (maybe)
Then I don’t say anything anymore