Verse 1 He wakes up tired in a bed he barely slept in Coffee goes cold while he stares at the ceiling again Nothing is wrong, but nothing feels right It’s like living in grayscale, afraid of the light He laughs on cue, says “yeah, I’ve been better” Wears every smile like a borrowed sweater If you ask him straight, he’ll say he’s fine But he’s losing a war he can’t define Pre-Chorus How do you say you’re drowning When you’re not in the water? Chorus I’m asking for a friend What do you call it when You’re here but you’re not really living? When the air feels thin And the light won’t come in And you can’t explain what you’re missing? Is there a word for the weight you can’t lift Or a name for a wound that doesn’t exist? I’m asking for a friend ‘Cause I don’t know where to begin Verse 2 He cancels plans, says he’s just busy But the truth is he’s too tired to feel dizzy Too tired to care, too numb to cry Watching the hours and the days slip by People say “time heals everything” But time just teaches you how to pretend He’s memorized all the right things to say So no one looks too close at the cracks in the frame Pre-Chorus How do you ask for help When you don’t know what’s wrong? Chorus I’m asking for a friend What do you call it when You’re here but you’re not really living? When the air feels thin And the light won’t come in And you can’t explain what you’re missing? Is there a word for the weight you can’t lift Or a name for a wound that doesn’t exist? I’m asking for a friend ‘Cause I don’t know where to begin Bridge If I could name it, maybe I could fight it If I could see it, maybe I could hide it But it’s a shadow with no shape or sound It pulls you in but won’t drag you down You just stay there—stuck in between Not quite broken, not quite seen Final Chorus (slight shift—more personal) I was asking for a friend But I think it depends On how honest I’m willing to be ‘Cause the truth is it’s me And I don’t have the words For the thing that’s been swallowing me Is there a word for the weight I can’t lift Or a name for a wound that doesn’t exist? I was asking for a friend But I think you know what I meant