Stake Your Claim

[Verse 1]
Your phone lights up at midnight
Only when the crowd clears out
You call me your forever
But you still keep one boot pointed out the house
You say I’m what you prayed for
Then you’re gone before the dawn
Feels like you’re rehearsing
For some stage you think you’re bound to be on
[Chorus]
Do you really love me
Or am I just a game
The way my heart feels
You’re just trying to chase some fame
I’m not something you can conquer
Plant a flag and walk away
I’m flesh and bone
A hurting soul
Not a prize for you to stake your claim
[Verse 2]
You pose me in the doorway
Perfect angle, perfect smile
You post it for the story
But you barely look me in the eyes
You’re hungry for their wanting
For their hearts and little flames
But when the curtains close
Tell me, would you even say my name
[Chorus]
Do you really love me
Or am I just a game
The way my heart feels
You’re just trying to chase some fame
I’m not something you can conquer
Plant a flag and walk away
I’m flesh and bone
A hurting soul
Not a prize for you to stake your claim
[Bridge]
I’d stand with you in the quiet
Where nobody ever sees
If you’d lay down all that shining
Just to reach for me, only me (yeah)
[Chorus]
Do you really love me
Or am I just a game
The way my heart feels
You’re just trying to chase some fame
I’m not something you can conquer
Or a mountain you can tame
If you want this heart
Then hold it soft
Or let me go and walk away from your claim

country, Slow-burning country ballad with male vocals, brushed snare and warm upright bass, soft pedal steel swells. Verses stay intimate with close-mic vocal and sparse acoustic guitar; chorus widens with gentle harmonies and organ pad. Subtle dynamic lift in the bridge, then a stripped final chorus that leans on raw emotion., heartfelt, slow