No Permission

NO PERMISSION [CINEMATIC INTRO — whispered, distant voices] “You should know your place.” “Nobody wants you here.” “Why don't you just disappear?” “You should end it.” “You should die.” [Silence.] [A single heartbeat.] [Guitar feedback rises.] ME: You talk real loud when the room's full of people... Funny how quiet you get when you're alone. [VERSE 1 — melodic rap] Everybody's got a verdict, everybody's got a name, Everybody wants a piece of me to carry all their blame. Tell me where I should be standing, tell me who I'm supposed to be, Like my life came with a contract and you fucking wrote the terms for me. You call me broken, call me selfish, Call me everything you hate, Then you hide behind the numbers When you're terrified to face yourself. You say, “Know your place.” I say, “Who decided?” You say, “Change your ways.” I say, “I survived it.” I've heard every fucking judgment That you thought would bury me— But every word you threw like a weapon Built another part of me. [PRE-CHORUS — rising vocals] So keep talking... Keep pointing... Keep pretending that you know me. I've spent too many years Trying to become somebody You'd finally approve of. Not anymore. [CHORUS — HUGE POP-ROCK] I DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO EXIST! I don't need your hands around my wrist. I don't need a crowd screaming my name, And I don't need your approval to remain. You can hate me, You can judge me, You can tell me I'm a mistake— BUT YOU DON'T GET TO DEFINE ME! My mistakes aren't who I am. Your opinion isn't who I am. I'M STILL HERE. And that's the part you fucking hate. [POST-CHORUS — hip-hop beat drops] Yeah— Who the fuck are you When nobody's looking? Who the fuck are you When the crowd isn't around? Take away the followers. Take away the likes. Take away the applause. Who's left? [VERSE 2 — aggressive rap] You got opinions stacked up like ammunition, But most of your convictions came from somebody else's permission. You perform for the room, then you call it your identity, Wear a mask so long you forgot what your face means. Everybody wants a villain. Everybody wants a story. Everybody wants somebody They can blame for their own misery. So if I'm the monster in your movie, Fine—give me the fucking role. I'll walk straight through the fire With a crown made out of broken goals. I've fucked up. I've fallen. I've made mistakes I can't erase. But I'm not gonna spend forever Letting strangers put me in a fucking cage. [PRE-CHORUS — cinematic strings building] You don't know my nights. You don't know my scars. You don't know the battles I fought when nobody was there. So don't tell me who I am Because you watched a trailer. You never lived the movie. [CHORUS — FULL BAND + ORCHESTRA] I DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO EXIST! I don't need your hands around my wrist. I don't need a crowd screaming my name, And I don't need your approval to remain. You can hate me, You can judge me, You can tell me I'm a mistake— BUT YOU DON'T GET TO DEFINE ME! My mistakes aren't who I am. Your opinion isn't who I am. I'M STILL HERE. And that's the part you fucking hate. [BRIDGE — MUSIC DROPS TO PIANO + LOW STRINGS] ME — almost whispered: Who are you... when nobody's watching? Who are you... when the room goes dark? Who are you... when the applause disappears? When there's nobody left to tell you that you're worth something— Do you still know who you are? [Heartbeat.] Because I do. [BUILD — drums enter one by one] I don't need to be liked. I don't need to be chosen. I don't need a fucking crowd to tell me I'm enough. I don't need permission. I don't need forgiveness. I don't need your definition. I DEFINE ME. [FINAL CHORUS — EXPLOSIVE] I DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO EXIST! Say it louder— I DON'T NEED PERMISSION TO EXIST! You can scream that I should disappear, You can throw your hatred in my face, You can write a thousand fucking reasons Why you think I don't belong in this place— BUT I'M STILL HERE! You don't own my future! You don't own my name! You don't own my story Just because you know my mistakes! MY PAST IS NOT MY PRISON! YOUR WORDS ARE NOT MY CHAINS! I fell down. I got back up. I fucked up. I changed. And if you can't fucking handle that— THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM. [OUTRO — cinematic, fading guitar] Everybody's got an opinion... Everybody thinks they know. Everybody wants to tell you where you belong. ME: But when the crowd goes home... When the lights go out... When nobody's watching... I'm still me. And I don't need permission to fucking exist. [Final guitar hit.] CUT TO BLACK.