Paper Monarchs
"Is this what survival’s supposed to feel like?"
"Never Wake Again" is a narrative on the struggles of navigating through emotional turmoil and the feeling of being lost in life. The early imagery of a mapping their path on failure symbolizes the initial message of searching for direction amidst confusion. The individual grapples with their past, feeling burdened by memories and the weight of survival, resorting to a cutting blade to feel something new and get by. They express a sense of isolation, as their internal battles remain hidden behind a facade of normalcy. The recurring theme of doubt and fear highlights the difficulty of moving forward when the path is unclear, where the song captures the pain of feeling broken while desperately seeking hope and clarity. Ultimately, the song concludes with the protagonist in an internal debate between if they will face another day or accept suicide as the endgame.
Moods: Sadness, Anxiety, Confusion, Desperation, Resilience. || Themes: Mental health, Self-reflection, Struggle, Identity, Hope.
...
I trace my failures like a map,
Each scar a twisted clue.
The roads I walk keep folding in, the sky’s a darker hue.
I’ve tried to stitch these pieces but the thread won’t hold,
Every step just tears apart what’s left of my soul.
Verse 1
Pre-Chorus
They told me it’s a phase, but the years don’t lie.
I wear my past like armor, but its a cutting blade that gets me by.
Every dream I made feels heavy and fake,
And now every breath I take feels like another mistake.
Chorus
Is this what survival’s supposed to feel like?
Holding on to the edge with a grip so tight?
I scream for a sign, but the silence is louder,
Lost in a crowd with no helpful faces around.
Tell me, how do I live when I’m broken inside?
And the weight of my doubt is becoming too heavy to survive?
Verse 2
I’ve mastered the art of a counterfeit smile,
But behind closed doors, my mind wades in the fog of denial.
Through a minefield of memories, embedded in doubt and fear,
How can I move forward when my path is unclear?!
Pre-Chorus 2
They told me it’s a phase, but the years don’t lie.
I wear my past like armor, but its a cutting blade that gets me by.
Every dream I made feels heavy and fake,
And now every breath I take feels like another mistake.
Chorus 2
Is this what survival’s supposed to feel like?
Holding on to the edge with a grip so tight?
I scream for a sign, but the silence is louder,
Lost in a crowd with no helpful faces around.
Tell me, how do I live when I’m broken inside?
And the weight of my doubt is becoming too heavy to survive?
Bridge
I’ve heard that pain’s a teacher, but the lesson is cruel.
It drags you to the deep end where there's nothing left to lose.
Every “you’ll be okay” just feels like a coded lie,
Because no one can see the war when it’s behind your eyes.
Breakdown
What if I’m nothing more than the scars in my soul?
What if this chaos is the only thing that makes me whole?
It’s easy to believe when the nights are so long,
And every beat of my heart feels painfully wrong.
Chorus 3
Is this what survival’s supposed to feel like?
Holding on to the edge with a grip so tight?
I scream for a sign, but the silence is louder,
Lost in a crowd with no helpful faces around.
Tell me, how do I live when I’m broken inside?
And the weight of my doubt is becoming too heavy to survive?
Breakdown
Maybe the storm will carve out a light,
Maybe there's hope in surviving the night.
Perhaps if I can carry the weight of the cost,
Maybe tomorrow, I’ll recover all what I’ve lost.
Maybe there’s strength in some battles I’ve won,
If I can stand through the weight of the pain...
Or... maybe the battle will pull me too deep,
...And maybe I’ll never wake from this night's sleep...
