[Prelude]
First light edges past the glass
A gentle hush that doesn't last
I listen to a distant train
Remember how the quiet came

A coat hangs silent by the door
Familiar shoes upon the floor
The world outside is slow to wake
Inside it’s hard to know what breaks

[Intro]
Some nights I hear the hallway creak
Moonlight stretches down the street
Curtains moving just a bit
I lie awake and think of it

[Verse 0]
The floors are cold beneath my feet
A distant car drifts down the street
These quiet hours no one sees
Are heavy things I keep with me

[Verse 1]
Sometimes in the morning light
I hear the schoolyard come alive
Children’s laughter down below
I watch quietly from my window

There’s coffee cooling in my cup
Radio talking low enough
I wonder if they notice me
On the third floor, nearly unseen

[Pre-Chorus]
I keep my words so small
Let tiny details tell it all
I learn to measure what I say
Hide the marks that never go away

[Chorus]
You see me walking home every afternoon
Hands in my pockets in the heat of June
No one ever really stops to ask
If the smile I give is just a mask

[Post-Chorus]
Mm-mm, just a mask
Mm-mm

[Verse 2]
Neighbors listen through the wall
Footsteps echo in the hall
Turning faces to the light
Wishing things would be all right

[Pre-Chorus]
There’s a secret on this street
Under whispers and retreat
But it’s easier to say less
Keep the silence, play along, I guess

[Chorus]
You see me walking home every afternoon
Hands in my pockets in the heat of June
No one ever really stops to ask
If the smile I give is just a mask

[Post-Chorus]
Mm-mm, just a mask
Mm-mm

[Post-Chorus]
Mm-mm, just a mask
Mm-mm

[Bridge]
Sometimes you hear a distant sound
A voice you can't quite figure out
You wonder if it's someone else
Or maybe just yourself

[Verse 3]
Shadows stretch across my street
Evening presses on my feet
Tired eyes and measured pace
Everybody has their place

[Pre-Chorus]
Memories that slip away
Like leaves lost on a windy day
Another quiet promise made
To leave things just the way they stay

[Chorus]
You see me walking home every afternoon
Hands in my pockets in the heat of June
No one ever really stops to ask
If the smile I give is just a mask

[Post-Chorus]
Mm-mm, just a mask
Mm-mm

[Post-Chorus]
Mm-mm, just a mask
Mm-mm

[Outro]
So tomorrow, I’ll walk the same old way
Hoping silence has something to say
Maybe someday someone will see through
To the story I never quite let through

[Post-Chorus]
Mm-mm, just a mask
Mm-mm