Equal parts autobiography, superhero fantasy, and therapy session, this piece was written for Marcelle Gauvin's course, "Inside Out: The Artist's Journey to Authenticity" (part of the Shenandoah Conservatory CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute).  Includes charts for piano, voice, optional English horn, and electric bass.

Lyrics

So many days I spent look­ing in mir­rors
and try­ing to change what they’d see,
stitch­ing togeth­er a mask and a cos­tume,
to show them Invin­ci­ble Me.
Pulled on a cape, and I pushed home away,
’cause the place I come from makes me weak,
and I want­ed to fly.  I want­ed to fly.

I don’t remem­ber how often I’ve learned
that the truths I’ve been taught were mis­takes.
It was­n’t malicious—I think they just thought
that the cos­tume was just what it takes.
But the cape was just weigh­ing me down,
and the rocks that I ran from were just what I need­ed to fly.
I need­ed to fly.

So I take off the cape, and I slip off the mask,
and I show you my face, and I look up
and bask in the glow of the sun that is call­ing me
up off the ground, as it tells me I’m ready
to own where I come from, believe in my dreams,
to look in the mir­ror and say that I like what I see.
I’m ready to fly.

I won’t pre­tend that the sky does­n’t scare me.
I’ve spent too many years on the grouns.
Please believe me: the com­fort you know
can’t com­pare to the bliss that I’ve found.
Come, be brave with me!  Take my hand and see
how the fear turns to joy when you learn how to fly!
Come learn how to fly!

Come take off the cape, and slip off the mask,
and show me your face, and look up
and bask in the glow of the sun that is call­ing us
up off the ground, as it tells us we’re ready
to own where we come from, believe in our dreams,
to look in the mir­ror and say that we like what we see.
Get ready to fly!

And in case I have you fooled,
there will come a day
when I need you
to turn to me and say:

Come take off the cape, and slip off the mask,
and show me your face, and look up
and bask in the glow of the sun that is call­ing us
up off the ground, as it tells us we’re ready
to own where we come from, believe in our dreams,
to look in the mir­ror and say that we like what we see.
Get ready to fly!

Let’s bask in the glow of the sun that is call­ing us
up off the ground.
We’re ready to own where we come from,
to look in the mir­ror and say that we love what we see.
Get ready to fly!