Scars I Don’t Show

[Verse 1]
I keep the lamps on
Sleep in my shoes
Dreams feel sharper
Than anything true
Laugh at the party
Hands in my sleeves
Every small silence
Pulls out my teeth
[Chorus]
These are the scars I don’t show
Where every heartbeat still says “don’t”
Fear at the door like it knows my name
Tracing its fingers through old
Old pain
I’m not okay
But I’m here
With every crack made crystal clear
If you look close through the ache and the strain
You’ll see my fear
Wearing my face
[Verse 2]
I hate the mirrors
They stare right back
Counting the stories
I try to redact
Smile in the daytime
Shake in the dark
Hide all the hurting
In throwaway laughs
[Chorus]
These are the scars I don’t show
Where every heartbeat still says “don’t”
Fear at the door like it knows my name
Tracing its fingers through old
Old pain
I’m not okay
But I’m here
With every crack made crystal clear
If you look close through the ache and the strain
You’ll see my fear
Wearing my face
[Bridge]
How do you heal what you won’t admit?
How do you breathe when the room won’t quit?
Tell me it’s safe just to say “I’m not fine” (not fine)
Stay while my ghosts learn your quiet reply
[Chorus]
These are the scars I now show
Every heartbeat whispering “grow”
Fear at the door
But it’s losing its claim
Letting new light touch the deepest pain
I’m not okay
But I’m real
Every fracture starting to heal
If you look close through the ache and the strain
You’ll see my fear
Finally fading from my face

Moody alt-pop ballad with male vocals, sparse piano and distant pads at first. Verse sits close and confessional, almost whisper-sung. Big, aching chorus with layered harmonies, deep warm bass, and roomy drums. Second half adds subtle guitars and atmospheric swells, lifting into a cathartic bridge before dropping back to a fragile final hook and soft reverb tail.