[Intro]
Rain taps the glass, my collar turned high
Last night’s receipts folded in my pocket
Beneath fluorescent buzz, alone I arrive
Ghosts of the corner shop crowding my thoughts

[Verse 0]
Sliding coins down fingers tired from trying
A trolley wheel stuck, spinning like fate
Memory rewinds to a smile you were faking
Now I queue for approval from circuitry gates

[Verse 1]
Fluorescent mornings, the doors slide apart
Cradling a basket with the day’s little parts
I’m greeted by faces replaced with machines
Checkered linoleum, synthetic routines

A coupon rejected, a price never right
I scan what’s left of my appetite
No cashier to judge but I still feel the shame
Another error message, it’s always the same

[Chorus]
The automated voice has more empathy than you ever did
She tells me once again, please remove the item
And as the scanner blinks, fluorescent and cruel
I wonder if I ever learned to follow rules

[Post-Chorus]
Oh oh, try again
Oh oh, plastic friend

[Verse 2]
A queue is forming, unimpressed and silent
You fumble for coins, but it only wants cards
Lonelier with every beep, I pretend I’m compliant
Is this progress or simply another scar?

[Pre-Chorus]
The blinking screen, the hollow tone
You’re gone for good but I’m not alone

[Chorus]
The automated voice has more empathy than you ever did
She tells me once again, please remove the item
And as the scanner blinks, fluorescent and cruel
I wonder if I ever learned to follow rules

[Post-Chorus]
Oh oh, try again
Oh oh, plastic friend

[Bridge]
Receipts pile up, faded and ignored
A barcode’s worth more than my own accord
Security light hovers, suspicion implied
I reach for help, but no one’s by my side

[Chorus]
The automated voice has more empathy than you ever did
She tells me once again, please remove the item
And as the scanner blinks, fluorescent and cruel
I wonder if I ever learned to follow rules

[Post-Chorus]
Oh oh, try again
Oh oh, plastic friend

[Outro]
Plastic bags rustle as I gather mistakes
One final sigh at the automatic gate
Empty instructions as I’m ushered outside
With every cold beep, something inside died

[Post-Chorus]
Oh oh, final scan
Oh oh, empty hand
Oh oh, try again
Oh oh, plastic friend

[Coda]
A trigger locks, the world delays
A thousand cameras judge my ways
Neon vest approaching, practiced smile thin
I apologize for faults I can't explain

A smirk of mercy, freedom bought
Change never handled, lesson not taught
The doors swing open, rain starts to descend
I see my reflection in the glass, start again

[Post-Chorus]
Oh oh, final scan
Oh oh, empty hand
Oh oh, try again
Oh oh, plastic friend
