When I was ten, my brother and I used to play in our backyard
We'd make up games for hours, and fought battles long and hard
Sometimes we were animals; along the grass we'd crawl
I played a lamb; my brother was a lion, fierce and tall
But nothing compared to our favorite game of all
Hide and seek
All you have to do is hide and seek
And it doesn't matter if you're weak, or if you're strong
Cause simple is the way you play
All you have to do is hide away
And wait for someone else to come along
And maybe now it sounds a little dumb
But I can still hear my brother yell, "Ready or not!
Here I come…"
Last year I moved here to New York: The ground feels strange under my feet
Where there once was grass, now there's only mortar and concrete
I take the train to open calls -- they'll start off well, but then
I flub a line or miss a note and every time, that's when
The years recede before me and I'm suddenly ten
Stuck once again with
Hide and seek
Wearing heels, but playing hide and seek
That's how it feels when I've been weak, and they've been strong
They'll tell me thanks and have a nice day
What they really mean is go away
While we wait for someone else to come along
And all my life I've been the one who hid
Afraid to speak
But when do we switch roles
When is it my turn to
Seek out my own ending
Cause I've been keeping score
And every game turns out the same
But I'm not playing
No, I'm not playing any more!
So come on, world, and find me
Close your eyes and count to ten, then find me
I'm never gonna hide again
Your view is unobscured now
So everyone can see
And maybe it's not perfect
But at least it's finally me
Me, as fierce as any lion
No longer the meek little lamb!
Just give me one more shot
To show you what I've got
Cause ready or not
Here I am!