Artifice and Echo

[Intro] (Jangly guitar riff, crisp drums, subtle synth pad) [Verse 1] Sipping espresso black in the curated cafe Namedropping auteurs from a bygone day My vintage shirt screams "obscure band, you wouldn't know" While I dissect the meaning of the latest art show My glasses perched just so, a knowing little smirk Discussing existential dread amidst the pointless work Of crafting sentences that shimmer, cold and bright Bathed in the borrowed, intellectual light [Chorus] Oh, it's plastic profundity, a hollow, ringing sound Constructed carefully on this affected ground I'm posing in the spotlight of my own design This empty poetry, this artifice is mine (Jangly guitar hook, driving bassline) A curated persona, fragile and refined Lost in the artifice and echo of my mind [Verse 2] My vinyl collection's alphabetized by mood A sonic manifesto, misunderstood by you I quote philosophers in casual conversation To signal depth beyond my shallow generation My laughter's slightly brittle, a calculated peal Revealing just how practiced is this whole ordeal I dissect pop culture with a withering disdain While secretly wishing I could feel that joy again [Chorus] Oh, it's plastic profundity, a hollow, ringing sound Constructed carefully on this affected ground I'm posing in the spotlight of my own design This empty poetry, this artifice is mine (Jangly guitar hook, driving bassline) A curated persona, fragile and refined Lost in the artifice and echo of my mind [Bridge] (Synth arpeggio emerges, bass becomes more prominent) The chords are jangling bright, the b**t is crisp and tight But underneath the surface, there's just a flickering light A desperate need to matter, a fear of being plain Wrapped up in borrowed wisdom, shielding me from pain This pose is getting heavy, this act is wearing thin Can anyone see the emptiness that dwells within? [Chorus] Oh, it's plastic profundity, a hollow, ringing sound Constructed carefully on this affected ground I'm posing in the spotlight of my own design This empty poetry, this artifice is mine (Jangly guitar hook, driving bassline, layered vocals) A curated persona, fragile and refined Lost in the artifice and echo of my mind [Outro] (Jangly guitar riff repeats, synth pad swells slightly, drums fade out gradually, leaving just the clean guitar ringing, then silence)