Criminal Love

[Verse 1]
Once upon a time, I was a beacon on dark nights
Full of laughter, love and light, burning so bright
Now lifeless chaos painted in tortured grey
Calling out into the void, hoping you'll stay

[Pre-Chorus]
Do you see me standing here? Or am I just a ghost?
Am I something to despise, a parasite you host?

[Chorus]
Why is my worth measured by what you need?
Battered and bruised, a willing prisoner to your greed. 
Shackled to rotten remains in this tomb,
Made to watch as you pour salt in my open wounds.

[Verse 2]
Once a raging fire — now burnt and scattered ashes,
You harvested my heart like crops, and couldn’t wait to cash in.
Bound by scraps of your affection, and broken down.
Always forced to buy your fleeting love, then cast aside to drown.

[Pre-Chorus]
Do you see me in bold color? Or only dull shades?
Am I a dying glow, lost in the mess you made?

[Chorus]
Why is my worth measured by what you need?
Battered and bruised, a willing prisoner to your greed. 
Shackled to rotten remains in this tomb,
Made to watch as you pour salt in my open wounds.

[Bridge, building]
Screaming into the night, crying for relief
But the echoes die out, swallowed by my grief.
Once whole, now empty, just a hollow shell
Lost in your silence, trapped in this cold hell

[Chorus]
Why is my worth measured by what you need?
Battered and bruised, a willing prisoner to your greed. 
Shackled to rotten remains in this tomb,
Made to watch as you pour salt in my open wounds.

[Outro, softer, lullaby]
One day you'll remember who I was,
Before I faded into dust.
You’ll reach out for the light you killed
[softly] And find your hands are empty still.

Indie power ballad, raw and angry vocals, movie soundtrack vibes, orchestral strings, female