People always told you
“Be yourself!”
“Just be yourself!”
“You gotta be yourself!”
“To thy own self,
Be true.”

So you tried it,
And you found
You found out
Things about yourself
From those people
Certain things
You never knew.

You’re a nerd,
You’re obnoxious,
You’re annoying, and a dork
You like weird thing,
And your humor
Your “sense” of humor
What sense of humor?
You’re way uncool.

All you did was
All you did
You just relaxed
Just got comfortable
You were yourself
Just yourself, and nothing more
Nothing less
Just you.

Turns out
As it turns out
No one really
No one wants you
Wants you to be
Be yourself
Just yourself
What a crock, what a lie
But you learn
What to do.

So you’re quiet
And reserved
Not too much
But not too little…

Okay,
So when you’re done
Let’s be honest
Can we be honest?
There’s little left
Nothing’s real
Just a microscopic version
Of the real
Of the actual
Of the actual
Real you.

You get along
But no one knows
No one knows you
You know no one
And you’re hidden
In a shroud
Behind a curtain
In a grave.

Now you’re just
Shallow
Nice, but shallow
Not a person
Not a person
Not a person
Not a person
Just a shallow
Shallow, hollow,
Micro, shadow,
Phantom, echo,
Puppet, bimbo…

Just a heel,
Just a heel,
Not a person
Not a person.
Was it worth it?
Could it not be?
Was it really really worth it?
And you ponder
And conclude.

That it was
It was worth it
Then again, that it wasn’t
Cuz’ it’s not worth it
No, not really
But there was nothing
Nothing else
You could do.

You had your choices
You made your choices
You chose no choices
There was nothing
Nothing else
Nothing really
Nothing else
You could do.

Be yourself
But they hate you
Be yourself
But they can’t stand you
Be yourself
But they’ll destroy you
Destroy yourself
Do it, do it,
Make them ask
Make them wonder
Never know
That you’re who.

Now you’re gone
It’s self-inflicted
They’ll never know
Because they’re happy
They’ll never know
And they don’t care
They’ll never know
And you won’t let them
They’ll never know
The real one:
You.