[Intro]

It's okay; go ahead

*Now?*

Yeah! I'm listening

*Oh... okay*

[Chorus]

You call me Aphrodita

Your parasitic polychaete

While managing all of your trauma

Like nobody did for me

[Verse 1]

She's stuck below the surface

Only resting beyond gravity

Aware of the failure to exist in this world

While lacking all senses of normalcy

[Verse 2]

And so she hid herself in a mermaid tail

Held scales to the fin with hot glue

Can't walk the path so she made new parts

Building blue sparkly flukes

[Chorus]

I called her Aphrodita

A parasitic polychaete

Named after the shell she was born in

Though the labels mislead

[Verse 3]

It's pouring but I can't see the rain

It looks the same as the tears flooding the stone

Can't stand the stares from across the pavement

Surrounding home

And so the kid wrote

(and so I wrote)

"Why not like other girls?"

On the first page of a new diary

(no one likes me)

Songs escaping a clogged up throat

Heart guarded by sea anemone

Then he came out to me

[Chorus]

Now I call him Aphrodita

A parasitic polychaete

Named after the shell he was born in

Though the labels mislead

[Bridge]

And so he's stuck below the surface

Only I know he's drowning

(drowning)

Aimlessly kicks between four basin walls

Searching for my hand

Reaching through the netting

[Chorus]

I'll call you Aphrodita

My mutualistic polychaete

We're more than the shell we were born in

You were only protecting me

[Outro]

But it's my turn to take the lead

(Don't trust that thought, we're still in danger)

Thank you for protecting me

(Clear out that fantasy headspace, we're stuck here)

It's my turn to take the lead

(Can you see it in my eyes?)

So sit here and cry into me

(The mirror tells lies)

It's my turn to take the lead

(Our blood runs too thin)

You got us to safety

(So we punish within)

So it's my turn to take the lead

(What do you mean?)

I need you to trust me