The Heroine
Unwoman Lyrics

The city is wartorn
The city is a place of chaos and destruction.

And nearly impassable
It’s a difficult place to navigate through.

I act the lovelorn
I pretend to be someone who is lost in love.

Dramatically laughable
I know that my acting is ridiculous and comical.

You said you'd come see me
You promised me that you'd visit me.

Here underground
In this hidden, obscure place.

Now it's closing night
The show is almost over, the time is running out.

And you can't be found
You're nowhere to be seen.

I go through the motions again and again
I repeat my actions without any change.

But you are not here to see them
You're not here to appreciate what I'm doing.

I go through the emotions again and again
I feel the same emotions over and over.

And this time I actually feel them
This time, I truly feel the emotions that I'm showing.

I play the heroine
I act like the hero of the story.

I play to their sympathies
I act in a way that will create sympathy in others.

I say the sweetest things
I speak only in a gentle, kind manner.

To command their empathy
To make them feel for me, to empathize.

I asked just one thing of you, to be here
I requested that you come to this place.

Did I not let it slip that I was sincere?
Did I not show you that I was genuine in my request?

That was my best poker face, trying not to care
I was pretending to be unemotional and unaffected.

I watch and I wait while you never appear
I passively wait for you, but you never come.

And though I've been spoiled by petty privilege
Despite my privileged upbringing, I still feel pain and disappointment.

I am no child throwing a fit
I'm not acting immature or throwing a tantrum.

I could write the book of disappointment
I have experienced a lot of disappointment in my life.

And you'd be the final chapter of it
You would be the last person to add to my record of letdowns.

So you're a coward
You're afraid and unwilling to face me.

Or could never love me
Or perhaps you were never capable of loving me.

Or you have fallen
Or maybe you've been defeated and are unable to come.

To the enemy
To the opposing force that has caused this turmoil.

All these people came all this way
All of these people have traveled a long distance to be here.

Faces stained with loss but smiling as they're crying
They're trying to maintain hope and positivity, even though they're suffering.

I would rather see you laugh at my tragedy
I prefer the bitter truth to false consolation.

Than choke on these tears while I'm curtsying
I don't want to keep pretending to be okay and suffering silently.

I used to be laughable
I used to be someone that others would mock and laugh at.