[Intro]
Yeah.
Table cleared. Laughter's done.
Time to review the tape. Deep dive.
[Verse]
The table cleared, the laughter done, quiet evening just begun
Zero panic, steady breath, dodging every social death.
Yeah, I wore the moment like a custom glove,
Hit my marks with ease, man, I shared the love.
Smooth sailing, no bailing, I was in the zone,
But I'm taking notes now that I'm alone.
I was present, I was sharp, I was playing the part,
A perfect simulation of a beating heart.
[Pre-Chorus]
But now the heavy door swings shut,
The tether to the outside cut.
And in the stillness of my room,
The social algorithms bloom...
[Chorus]
I'm just practicing the lines, looking for the signs,
Keeping my behavior perfectly aligned.
Not acting out of fear, I just want to blend right in,
Calculate the exact right way to wear a human grin.
Yeah, I'm adjusting every tally,
Trying not to fall into the uncanny valley.
Just practicing the part, yeah,
Avoiding the valley.
[Verse]
Rewind the tape back in my head,
Checking the delivery of what I said.
Why do people cut me off? Did I miss the cue?
Was my timing totally off? Is that something I do?
Why did they laugh out loud when I was being serious?
The breakdown in logic is making me delirious.
Did I misread the pause for a break in the chat?
Was it sharp sarcasm? Where's the context at?
Did I miss something big? Did they understand?
Or am I speaking a language from an alien land?
I catalog what worked, how to fix what went wrong,
Fine-tuning my rhythm so I fit in the song.
[Pre-Chorus]
Because the heavy door swung shut,
The tether to the outside cut.
And in the stillness of my room,
The social algorithms bloom...
[Chorus]
I'm just practicing the lines, looking for the signs,
Keeping my behavior perfectly aligned.
Not acting out of fear, I just want to blend right in,
Calculate the exact right way to wear a human grin.
Yeah, I'm adjusting every tally,
Trying not to fall into the uncanny valley.
Just practicing the part, yeah,
Avoiding the valley.
[Bridge]
I'm an archivist of fading light,
Studying the wrongs to replicate the right.
It isn't anxiety, there is no alarm...
Just running simulations in the quiet calm.
How to be a person, how to act the same,
Mapping the mechanics of the social game.
[Chorus]
I'm just practicing the lines, looking for the signs,
Keeping my behavior perfectly aligned.
Not acting out of fear, I just want to blend right in,
Calculate the exact right way to wear a human grin.
Yeah, I'm adjusting every tally,
Trying not to fall into the uncanny valley.
Just practicing the part, yeah,
Avoiding the valley.
[Outro]
Running simulations...
Finding the rules of engagement...
Fixing what went wrong...
Avoiding the valley...
Calculating a human grin...