Paper-Thin Skin

[Verse 1]
Got a smile that fits like armor
Learned the lines
I hit my mark
Shake your hand
Make small talk softer
Hide the tremor in my heart
I’ve been dressed up in this version
Tailored tight around my flaws
Every question
Every curtain
I reinforce the walls
[Chorus]
This mask on my mask
Got layered so fast
I don’t even know where my face ends
Paper-thin skin
Stapled with pins
Still I keep it up for my fake friends
Every time I peel it back I bleed
So I leave it on and let them see
This mask on my mask
Standing in for me
[Verse 2]
You say
“You can talk
I’ll listen”
I hear echoes
I hear doubt
Last time I cracked
They called it weakness
So I learned to shut it out
Now I’m fluent in pretending
Nod and laugh at all the right parts
You think you know what I’m defending
You don’t recognize my scars
[Chorus]
This mask on my mask
Got layered so fast
I don’t even know where my face ends
Paper-thin skin
Stapled with pins
Still I keep it up for my fake friends
Every time I peel it back I bleed
So I leave it on and let them see
This mask on my mask
Standing in for me
[Bridge]
Do I even have a face left? (face left)
Or just outlines I protect? (protect)
If I took it off and stayed
Would you stay
Or turn away?
[Chorus]
This mask on my mask
Got layered so fast
I don’t even know where my face ends
Paper-thin skin
Stapled with pins
So I keep it tight when the day ends
Every time I show the hurt I bruise
So I play the part they’re used to
This mask on my mask
All they ever knew

Moody alt-pop over pulsing bass and dusty drums; intimate male vocals up close in the verse, then wider, airy doubles in the hook. Subtle synth pads and detuned keys create tension; chorus lifts with punchier drums and a shadowy vocal choir. Bridge strips to just voice and a trembling pad, then everything slams back for a final, resigned refrain.