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Lyrics
[Verse 1]
I wake up, put on face, then I lace up the stress
Smile for the screen, got a knot in my chest
They say “be strong,” like it’s easy to wear
When your mind’s in the pit and the rent’s in the air
Clock in tired, eyes red, still I play that part
Talk like I’m fine while it tears me apart
Need a clean slate, but the bills keep climbing
Every day’s a race and the clock stays chiming
Mama need help, and my kids need shoes
I’m doing math with a check that’s too few
Skip my own meal just to keep the lights on
Pray the fridge holds till the next one’s gone
And they want me polished, calm, and composed
But I’m all cracked edges in the clothes I’ve chose
I’m a son, a father, a worker, a shield
Still the weight on my back won’t yield
[Pre-Chorus]
I’m tired of pretending
Tired of bending
Tired of hearing what I’m worth
When I’m barely standing
[Chorus]
Paper masks, paper masks
I keep folding under cash
Paper masks, paper masks
Try to hold it, then it cracks
Need a way out, need a way back
Paper masks, paper masks
I keep folding under cash
[Verse 2]
They want a résumé, never want the real
Want a perfect face with a perfect deal
But the job game cold and the pay too thin
Got a hundred roadblocks every time I begin
If I break down once, they call me weak
If I stay too silent, then I don’t speak
If I ask for help, they say “man up”
So I swallow that hurt and I drink it up
But the kids still laugh when I make that plate
Little hands in the air make the hard days fade
So I rise, even shaky, even bruised, even raw
Got love in my pocket and fire in my jaw
I ain’t asking for gold, just enough to breathe
Just enough to keep my people off the street
Just enough so my mother can rest her head
And my little ones sleep in a safe clean bed
[Pre-Chorus]
I’m tired of pretending
Tired of bending
Tired of hearing what I’m worth
When I’m barely standing
[Chorus]
Paper masks, paper masks
I keep folding under cash
Paper masks, paper masks
Try to hold it, then it cracks
Need a way out, need a way back
Paper masks, paper masks
I keep folding under cash
[Bridge]
If I say I’m hurting, don’t turn me away
Some of us are fighting just to make it through the day
I’m more than my money, more than my job
More than the panic that I carry and rob
So if I fall, let me fall in your name
Let me still be me when the world says change
[Final Chorus]
Paper masks, paper masks
I keep folding under cash
Paper masks, paper masks
Try to hold it, then it cracks
Need a way out, need a way back
Paper masks, paper masks
I keep folding under cash
Paper masks, paper masks
I’m still here through the crash
Details
GeneratedJul 27, 2026
Duration3:41
LanguageEnglish
Style
Rap with a laid-back yet tense boom-bap swing, dusty drums and a looping minor-key piano figure; verses stay stripped and conversational, pre-chorus tightens with snare rolls and filtered vocal chops, chorus opens with stacked doubles and a chantable anchor, bridge drops to bare kick and half-whispered lines before the final lift. Close-mic lead vocal, crisp ad-libs, subtle delay throws on key words, vinyl crackle and reverse swells for transitions, bright top end over a warm low-end pocket., rap
Credits
Prompt byObsidianAudio
ModelAria v5.5
Prompt
Write a song about mental health challenges within today’s society, the struggles to be who society thinks you need to be, struggles to provide for family in society that makes earning money hard, rap
