(Verse 1)
You caught me grinning in the bathroom mirror
Practice makes perfect, love — I’m getting weirder
Pulling rabbits from a hat with bloodstained sleeves
The show must go on, even when it deceives
I kiss the daylight through the smog
Crack a joke, pretend I’m not
Falling faster than my smile suggests
Silhouettes in suits don’t ask, they guess
(Pre-Chorus)
But I know
When the lights dim low
You’ll see
Just a shimmer of the ghost in me
(Chorus)
Champagne for the funeral, darling
Toast to the art of not alarming
Anyone who thinks I’m still alright
While I’m dying in soft focus light
Paint my face in yesterday’s grace
Lie through teeth in a velvet embrace
And say, “No, I’m fine”
While I count down time
(Verse 2)
The doctor said it’s all a blur
Like trying to catch smoke in a chauffeur’s slur
But I’m dressed sharp and dancing slow
With secrets stitched into my overcoat
I’m the laughter in the corner booth
The best man hiding the brutal truth
I spin tall tales with a silver tongue
Like there’s still time left to come undone
(Pre-Chorus)
But deep down
When the crowd’s not ’round
I break
Like a record nobody can remake
(Pre-Chorus Variation – softer, rising)
But sometimes
When the mirror blinks
I see
What the silence really thinks
(Mini Chorus – more intimate)
Confetti in a hospital gown
Laugh it off, don’t let them frown
Tell ’em “It’s just a passing phase”
While I slip further from their gaze
And if the truth’s a bitter pill
Then love, I’ll smile until I’m still
(Chorus)
Champagne for the funeral, darling
Toast to the art of not alarming
Anyone who thinks I’m still alright
While I’m dying in soft focus light
Paint my face in yesterday’s grace
Lie through teeth in a velvet embrace
And say, “No, I’m fine”
While I burn through time
(Bridge)
I leave notes in invisible ink
On the backs of receipts from a bar that sinks
I light candles where no one sees
And dream of leaving quietly
(Extended Bridge / Verse 3 – slow and dreamy, almost spoken at first, then building)
There’s a diary in my mind you’ll never read
Full of pages torn and thoughts that bleed
I keep the ink behind my grin
Tidy chaos folded deep within
There’s a party on the deck of a sinking ship
I pour another drink and bite my lip
You ask, “You sure you’re doing fine?”
And I lie so well it sounds like a line
(Breakdown - spoken/sung softly)
Don’t you dare cry for me
Not while I’m still on stage
Let the curtains fall in silence
Like the turning of a page
(Final Chorus)
Champagne for the funeral, darling
Toast to the art of not alarming
Anyone who loves me enough to see
The cracks in this old marquee
Hold your applause, love, don’t you weep
I’ve got one last joke to keep
And say, “I’m just tired”
While the stars expire
(Outro)
Smiling like it’s all pretend
Every story needs an end