Lyrics
[Intro – whispered, close-mic] [Fragile, breathy, long pauses] Mirror... Mirror... [Verse 1 – intimate spoken-rap] [Low, frightened, conversational] No one knows what happened On one moonlit night I opened up my eyes And the first thing I saw was light Fluorescent lights above me Cold against my skin A room without a doorway And a question closing in What the hell am I? My mouth was sewn together My hands were shaking cold I tried to scream for someone But nobody came at all I found a blade beside me Cut the stitches free Took one breath and whispered, “Is there anybody here?” Nothing. Just me. I found some clothes that didn't fit Pulled them around my frame Stared into a mirror And wished I'd never seen my face Something big and ugly Was staring back at me I didn't know what made me But I knew what I could see [Pre-Chorus – restrained melody] [Gradually shift from speech into melody] Mirror, mirror, who am I really? In this dark, I can't see clearly If this face is all they'll ever know Tell me, mirror— Where am I supposed to go? [Chorus – fully sung] [Warm, restrained; sustained final phrases] I look in the mirror And all I see Is something big and ugly Staring back at me If I can't stand the sight Of the thing I've become How could anybody love me When I can't love anyone? Mirror, mirror Tell me something true Am I the monster in the glass Or just somebody looking through? [Verse 2 – rhythmic spoken-rap] [More movement; subtle swing] I stepped into the night The moon became my guide I prayed the dark would hide me And swallowed all my pride My clothes were much too small My scars were hard to hide A child pointed at me And laughed at his mother's side “Look at him!” She pulled him closer Like I carried some disease I ran until my lungs gave out And dropped down to my knees I thought about disappearing Maybe that would make things right If nobody had to look at me Then nobody could hate the sight Then I saw a paper poster Tattered underneath a tree THE CIRCUS IS IN TOWN A clown with sad eyes Staring back at me For some reason... I kept walking. [Pre-Chorus 2 – wounded, quieter] [Nearly spoken at first] Mirror, mirror, who am I really? In this dark, I can't see clearly Everybody tells me what I am But nobody's ever asked me Who I am [Chorus – sung, stronger] [Add subtle male harmony] I look in the mirror And all I see Is something big and ugly Staring back at me If I can't stand the sight Of the thing I've become How could anybody love me When I can't love anyone? Mirror, mirror Tell me something true Am I the monster in the glass Or just somebody looking through? [Verse 3 – conversational, warming] [Less fear; growing curiosity] I followed every arrow Till I found the circus tent People stared and pointed Everywhere I went I almost turned around Then someone caught my eye A woman with a beard Who looked me straight in mine She smiled like she'd been waiting And said, “Honey, come inside.” I asked her, “Aren't you scared of me?” She laughed. “Why would I be scared?” She called herself Sophie And showed me where she lived A house full of people Who had nowhere else to fit A man who bent like rubber A woman covered in ink A giant and a little person People stranger than you'd think They called us freaks So they could feel normal Pointed, laughed and paid to stare Then went home feeling comfortable Sophie looked at me and said, “They're afraid of being different.” And something in me broke. Not my heart. Something deeper. Something I'd believed. [Bridge – half-sung, intimate] [Slow down; leave silence between lines] For the first time I wasn't hiding from the glass For the first time I didn't hate the face I had Maybe ugly isn't evil Maybe different isn't wrong Maybe I've been asking mirrors Questions they can't answer all along Sophie said, “You keep looking for a monster Because somebody taught you That's what you are.” I looked around that tent At every scar and every smile And for the first time in my life... I stayed. [Final Chorus – warm, liberated] [Open emotionally without belting] I look in the mirror And now I see Something bruised and broken Looking back at me Not a monster Not a mistake Just somebody who was hurting And didn't know what else to say Mirror, mirror Now I finally know The face inside the glass Was never all I'd ever be Mirror, mirror You don't have to tell me true I know who I am now. And I don't need you. [Outro – whispered] [Return to intimate close-mic delivery] When I look inside you I see someone lonely like me When I look inside you I see someone learning how to breathe Maybe that's what mirrors do They only show us what we bring And sometimes the darkest thing we meet Is the way we've learned to see ourselves [Whispered] Mirror... Mirror... [Final whisper – peaceful] In the dark, we found where we belonged.