The Invisible Cage We Grew Up In

[Verse 1]
Mama said, "Be sweet, don’t talk too loud,
Fix your hair, don’t let 'em see you proud."
Daddy worked late, never changed a thing,
While Mama did the chores and wore his ring.
They called it love, they called it fate,
But it felt like walkin’ through a locked-up gate.

[Chorus]
It’s an invisible cage we grew up in,
Taught to smile, to lose, but never win.
Told to shrink, to stay in line,
But I see the bars, and I won’t stay blind.

[Verse 2]
The preacher said, "A girl should know her place,
Be soft and sweet, full of grace."
Boys ran free, raisin’ hell all night,
But a wild girl? That just ain’t right.
They wrote the rules, they stacked the game,
But I ain’t playin’ by ‘em all the same.

[Chorus]
It’s an invisible cage we grew up in,
Taught to smile, to lose, but never win.
Told to shrink, to stay in line,
But I see the bars, and I won’t stay blind.

[Verse 3]
Now my little girl asks me why,
Why Mama stands tall and won’t step aside.
I tell her, "Baby, times have changed,
We break the chains, we break the pain."
She won’t be told she’s less than free,
‘Cause she’s got a fire burnin’ just like me.

[Chorus]
It’s an invisible cage we grew up in,
Taught to smile, to lose, but never win.
Told to shrink, to stay in line,
But I see the bars, and I won’t stay blind.

[Outro]
No more whisperin’, no more shame,
We’re tearin’ down the walls, callin’ out the names.
The past won’t write our future’s page,
We’re breakin’ free from that invisible cage.

Credits:
Lyrics and melody by Robert Jennings
Published by InnerSelf Publications
AI-assisted production and vocals
©2025 InnerSelf Publications. All Rights Reserved.