A Thousand Eyes

[Verse 1]
You liked the way I laughed, so I kept it on my face
A small wet lid opened underneath my ribs
Then your approval found me in the grocery store
And one more eye blinked awake beside my hip
I learned to turn my shoulders toward the room
To catch each little verdict as it fell
Now every time you tell me I look fine
Another pupil takes up residence in my skin

[Pre-Chorus]
I wanted you to stay
I wanted you to see me
I gave the wanting eyes
And they all turned to you

[Chorus]
A thousand eyes, and none of them are mine
I see myself the way you do, the way you do
Your love can stitch me up, then split the seam
I want your hands; I want to disappear from view
A thousand eyes, all asking what to be
I look for me in you, in you, in you

[Verse 2]
You kissed the scar and called it beautiful
I almost felt my own skin soften there
Then watched your face to learn if I believed it
And found another eyelid in my hair
I love you for the warmth inside your palms
I hate the little courtroom in my chest
You say my name; the crowded faces turn
Each one insists it knows me best

[Pre-Chorus]
I wanted you to stay
I wanted you to see me
I gave the wanting eyes
And they all turned to you

[Chorus]
A thousand eyes, and none of them are mine
I see myself the way you do, the way you do
Your love can stitch me up, then split the seam
I want your hands; I want to disappear from view
A thousand eyes, all asking what to be
I look for me in you, in you, in you

[Bridge]
If I close every eye, will you still know me?
If I stop being easy to admire?
Hold my face without correcting its shape
Tell me I am here when I am not on fire
I want to love you without becoming
A room full of witnesses wearing my skin
So take my hand, not the image I offer
Let me be ugly, uncertain, and in

[Final Chorus]
A thousand eyes, and one of them is mine
I see you seeing me, but I can choose
Your love can stitch me up; I’ll hold the thread
I want your hands, and I don’t want to disappear from view
A thousand eyes, but I can turn away
And find my face beneath the borrowed view
I look for me—and this time, I look through

[Outro]
Stay while I learn the shape
Stay while I learn what’s true
I’m more than what you see
I’m still here, looking through