Thousand of Aches

[Intro: detuned piano, vinyl crackle]
(one-one-one...)
(choose... choose...)
[Sub-bass swell, heartbeat kick]

[Verse 1: rhythmic melodic rap]
I built a kingdom out of paper hearts
Every room a different work of art
Every touch a truth I can't erase
Every love a home, a time, a place
(hold on, hold on)

[Pre-Chorus: rising falsetto, stutter]
If I pull one card from underneath
How many hearts collapse with me?
(fall-fall-falling)

[Chorus: soaring layered vocals, heavy 808]
How do I choose who gets to stay?
When every yes takes love away
One heart saved, another breaks
One little choice, a thousand aches
(oh-oh-oh)
I see the cards begin to fall
To save one love, I lose them all

[Drop: chopped vocals, sliding bass]
(choose-one, lose-one)
(hearts-fall-down)
(bmm-ka-tss, bmm-ka-tss)
[Distorted cowbell, syncopated breaks]

[Verse 2: double-time, whispered doubles]
Every smile's a promise I can't keep
Every goodbye's a ghost that doesn't sleep
They say a choice is how you prove you're true
But what if truth is loving more than two?
(more-more-more)

[Bridge: beat cuts, fragile falsetto]
I'm not afraid of being alone
I'm scared of breaking every home
I'd rather carry all this pain
Than watch their tears fall like rain

[Final Chorus: octave harmonies, halftime]
How do I choose who gets to stay?
When every yes takes love away
One heart saved, another breaks
One little choice, a thousand aches
(choose-one, lose-one)
I feel the cards begin to fall
And I'm the hand that drops them all

[Outro: tape slowdown, whispered]
(one... one... none...)
[Silence]