[Verse 1]
Raised on Sunday prayers and dusty pews,
Where the preacher said love comes in certain hues,
I learned to bow my head, hide my eyes,
Keep the part of me that feels alive.
Mama smiles, Daddy works the land,
All their dreams built on a guiding hand,
But my heart beats a different drum,
And I’m scared of what they’d think if it came undone.
[Chorus]
I’m just a shadow in the light,
Tryna breathe, tryna be right,
Hiding pieces that I can’t show,
Living where love’s a no-go.
I’m scared, I’m lonely, I’m not free,
I’m still just a boy in secrecy,
Prayin’ God sees what I can’t say,
While the world keeps turnin’ me away.
[Verse 2]
Friday night, the field lights burn,
Cheering for the boys I can’t call my own,
I smile and laugh, but it feels like chains,
Every word I speak feeds the pain.
I write letters I’ll never send,
Pour out my heart to a paper friend,
Every dream I have, every love I crave,
Feels like it belongs in someone else’s grave.
[Chorus]
I’m just a shadow in the light,
Tryna breathe, tryna be right,
Hiding pieces that I can’t show,
Living where love’s a no-go.
I’m scared, I’m lonely, I’m not free,
I’m still just a boy in secrecy,
Prayin’ God sees what I can’t say,
While the world keeps turnin’ me away.
[Bridge]
Maybe someday I’ll run away,
Find a place where hearts can stay,
Where someone won’t flinch at who I am,
Where I can hold their hand.
But tonight, the shadows cling,
I feel their weight in everything,
And I whisper into the dark sky,
Please don’t let me break tonight.
[Verse 3 – Reflection]
I see couples walk the streets downtown,
Laughin’ loud without a frown,
I want that, but it feels like sin,
In a town that says love can’t live within.
Every mirror shows the truth I hide,
Every glance a secret I can’t confide,
But I dream of freedom, I dream of light,
Somewhere I can live without fright.
[Final Chorus – soft, aching]
I’m just a shadow in the light,
Tryna breathe, tryna be right,
Hiding pieces that I can’t show,
Living where love’s a no-go.
I’m scared, I’m lonely, I’m not free,
I’m still just a boy in secrecy,
Prayin’ God sees what I can’t say,
While the world keeps turnin’ me away.
[Outro – whispered, fragile]
Somewhere… I’ll find my day.
Somewhere… I’ll find my way.