(Verse 1) (Piano: Slow, arpeggiated chords in a minor key, perhaps Am, Em, C, G. Light sustain.) Dust motes dance in fading light, A silent room, a lonely night. The echoes of a whispered word, A promise broken, barely heard. My fingers trace a window pane, Where raindrops mimic falling rain. A hollow ache, a vacant space, Where laughter used to fill this place. (Chorus) (Piano: Chords become slightly fuller, a hint of a melodic line emerges in the right hand, still melancholic.) And all the colors turned to gray, When you decided to walk away. This empty shell, this fragile heart, Torn into pieces, ripped apart. The melody of what we knew, A broken song, forever blue. A silent plea, a whispered name, Lost in the shadows, burning flame. (Verse 2) (Piano: Returns to a simpler, more delicate texture, perhaps with a descending bass line.) The photographs, a faded hue, A ghost of smiles, me and you. I clutch a letter, worn and thin, The words you wrote, where do I begin? To mend the cracks, to heal the pain, To find the strength to rise again. But every step, a heavy weight, A constant whisper, "It's too late." (Chorus) (Piano: Chords build again, a more sustained and resonant sound, with a slight increase in dynamics.) And all the colors turned to gray, When you decided to walk away. This empty shell, this fragile heart, Torn into pieces, ripped apart. The melody of what we knew, A broken song, forever blue. A silent plea, a whispered name, Lost in the shadows, burning flame. (Bridge) (Piano: A shift to a slightly more hopeful chord progression, perhaps a brief modulation to a relative major key, like C major, but still tinged with sadness. Use a simple, repeated melody.) A distant hope, a flickering spark, To find my way out of the dark. To gather fragments, piece by piece, And find a moment of release. But memories linger, sharp and clear, A constant reminder, you're not here. (Chorus) (Piano: Returns to the full, emotional sound of the chorus, with a final, powerful crescendo.) And all the colors turned to gray, When you decided to walk away. This empty shell, this fragile heart, Torn into pieces, ripped apart. The melody of what we knew, A broken song, forever blue. A silent plea, a whispered name, Lost in the shadows, burning flame. (Outro) (Piano: Slow, fading chords, returning to the simplicity of the beginning, ending on a minor chord with a lingering sustain.) Lost in the shadows... flame... (Piano: Fades out.)

SAD SAD WORLD