The Cost of Fame

[Verse 1]
Flashbulbs blind, but I still can’t see
Who I was before they branded me
Echoes in green rooms, silence on stage
Lost in the spotlight, stuck in a cage

[Pre-Chorus]
I gave the world my voice, my truth
But somewhere I misplaced my youth

[Chorus]
This is the cost of fame
A heart on fire, a soul untamed
I smile on cue, I bleed backstage
Golden bars, a gilded cage
All for the dream, now who’s to blame?
This is the cost of fame

[Verse 2]
Empty applause, but my phone won’t ring
They love the noise, but not the string
That ties me down to sleepless nights
To burned-out highs and endless fights

[Pre-Chorus]
So tell me, was it worth the price?
To live a lie in flashing lights

[Chorus]
This is the cost of fame
A crown of thorns with a different name
I wear the mask, I take the stage
But who I am slips off the page
Dreams that shine can still leave shame
This is the cost of fame

[Bridge]
I’d trade it all for a quiet place
For real goodbyes, not just a face
On screens they scroll, on shirts they wear
But none of them were ever there

[Final Chorus]
This is the cost of fame
A love that fades, a heart in chains
The boy who just wrote songs to heal
Now wonders if he’s still real
If I’m a ghost they can’t reclaim
Then this is the cost of fame