The Shell
Lucy Dacus Lyrics

I'm a ghost
I feel disconnected from my surroundings and my sense of purpose.

Walking in a boring dream
My life feels like a repetitive and unfulfilling routine.

You are there
Other people are present in my life, but I struggle to connect with them.

Talking and I'm not listening
I feel distracted and uninterested in what others have to say.

I am busy doing nothing
I feel like my time and energy are being wasted on unimportant tasks.

And you're rudely interrupting
I feel annoyed and frustrated when others try to engage with me.

It's a myth and now I see it clearly
I realize that the idea of needing to be sad or tortured to create something meaningful is untrue.

You don't have to be sad to make something worth hearing
Artists can make meaningful and impactful work without having to suffer.

Now I'm calm and I'm content
I feel more at peace with myself and my creative process.

One more burden off my back
I have let go of the pressure to conform to negative and harmful creative stereotypes.

You don't wanna be a creator
Not everyone has a desire to make art, and that's okay.

Doesn't mean you've got nothing to say
Everyone has something valuable to contribute to the world, even if it's not through art.

Put down the pen, don't let it force your hand
It's important to take breaks and not place too much pressure on oneself to create.

I'm a long-lost hometown hero
I am disconnected from my past and the person I used to be.

Late to legendary past lives within me
My history and past experiences continue to influence my present self.

If I had the offer to do it again
Looking back on my life, I wish I had made different choices.

Make me invincible, invisible, or brain dead
I feel vulnerable and overwhelmed, and wish to escape those feelings.

If the body and the life were two things that we could divide
I wish I could separate my physical self from my mental and emotional strife.

I'd deliver up my shell to be filled with somebody else
I would rather be someone else entirely than continue feeling the way I do.

You don't wanna be a leader
Not everyone is cut out to be a leader, and that's okay.

Doesn't mean you don't know the way
Even if you're not naturally a leader, you can still have direction and purpose in your life.

Hold your own hand, walk on without a plan
It's okay to not have everything figured out, and to take things one step at a time.