Gilded Cage

[Intro] Whispers in gold echo off the walls Sweet chains glitter under ballroom lights I wear a crown that weighs like frost And smile at mirrors that lie [Verse 1] Caged in a shine I learned to chase Sparks of praise pretending I’m free Behind the spotlight, a quiet ache Knocking at the lock I cannot see [Pre-Chorus] Every roar I hear is a borrowed roar From a crowd that thinks I’m more But the gate wears velvet, soft and warm And I’m just trying to breathe in storms [Chorus] I’m trapped in a gilded cage, it’s true Admiration shines, but I miss the view The lions guard with glittered claws While I’m fading behind the gilded doors [Verse 2] I count the victories like lucky stars Yet loneliness hums in the margins of praise The throne is crowded with unseen scars A quiet crown that never stays [Pre-Chorus] If I roar, is it mine or theirs? A symphony of curated scales But in the dark the door hums faint And I reach out through the gilded veil [Chorus] I’m trapped in a gilded cage, it’s true Admiration shines, but I miss the view The lions guard with glittered claws While I’m fading behind the gilded doors [Bridge] Break the shine with a truth that won’t bend Let the eyes that pity finally end I’m more than the legend they want to defend Let the cage become a friend I can mend [Chorus] I’m stepping through the gilded gate at last The lions bow and I breathe at last Not a prisoner, not a product, just me anew Finding a sky that’s wide and true [Outro] Quiet, unmasked, I walk away from gold Towards a dawn that doesn’t demand a throne