The Burden of Time // Track 2
The Mask On
Lyrics
A paper-thin smile I keep in a box
Folded and creased from the years
Wind up the gears, ignore all the clocks
Just long enough to quiet the fears
So I say hello with the mask on
A shield from the meaningless sound
While your empty words just drone on and on
My real thoughts are buried deep in the ground
Your castle of vanity shines in the sun
Reflecting a world I don’t see
Count all the battles you think you have won
They mean less than nothing to me
This costume I wear…
It makes me bearable for you…
But the patience is gone, and the quiet is through
So I say hello with the mask on
A shield from the meaningless sound!
While your empty words just drone on and on
My real thoughts are buried deep in the ground!
Meaning
"This one comes from dealing with people who move through conversations without depth. You are surrounded by noise that feels repetitive and empty, and over time it wears you down. There is no interest in playing along, but avoiding it completely is not an option. So you keep things minimal. A quick greeting, a few words, then distance.
The mask here is not just a filter. It is something you wear so others can tolerate you, and so they never see what is actually going on inside. It keeps everything at the surface. It keeps interactions shallow. It protects your space, but it also keeps you separate from everyone else.
Underneath that, there is impatience and fatigue. You see through the patterns, the vanity, the constant noise, and it becomes harder to stay engaged. You go through the motions because it is easier than explaining yourself, but every interaction feels like something you are just trying to get past."