'Wear The Mask' (The Amazing Digital Circus Gangle Song)

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An original song based on The Amazing Digital Circus Episode 4. Kind Of.

Song written by:
@longestsoloever

Video and Song produced by LongestSoloEver.

[EnDRfx]

Masking is such a difficult concept to explain to someone. The very idea of having to put on a Facade every single day, not out of obligation, but out of personal fear. Fear of Ridicule from others for showing your "true face", Fear of Loss of potential and or pre-existing friends, and the subsequent fear of learning they didnt like the person wearing the mask, just the mask itself. Fear of letting go too soon or failing to hold it all together and cracking, shattering your mask and being exposed for all to see, and the fear of such a scenario occuring and causing irreparable emotional damage.

All of these concepts are so very difficult to convey to someone, unless they, too, wear a mask of their own, and yet this song portrays all of those ideas and even more PERFECTLY with a Capital P. My personal favorite part is the very beginning for multiple reasons. In a typical LSE song, the quiet section typically happens before the final chorus to really add that level of punch to the finale.

But here? Here the song starts with the quiet section, before leading into the rest of the song, with the word choice and delivery being very purposefully whisper esc, as if the Mask isnt singing to us, the listener, but to itself. Its reminding itself of that very ear wormy phrase. "Wear the Mask, Play The Part, of Someone Harder In The Heart. And NEVER Someone Easy to Break." The Mask is telling itself/the person wearing it that it must stay true to the act. It cannot be vulnerable, or else everything will fall apart. And right after that, the song proper begins.

Dean, you sir are an absolute genius. Youve portrayed everything you wanted to with the utmost excellence, and this song is 1000% one of my new favorites for that reason and that reason alone. Ive always loved your work, every song of yours is audible art, and this? This is your best piece yet.

[driftingthruspace]

1:58 "It's gonna hit me like a truck" with the background changing to the ep 4 starry night street where she gets hit was genius but also diabolical

[alistairrust]

Sounds like Gangle's been sleeping in a carboard box, spending every dollar at the liquor shop. Maybe even training like a Pavlov dog.

[alphasaft]

Love how the mask doesn't pronounce every lyric ; for example, at the end, its mouth only moves when the sentences are repeated a second time. This really adds to the idea that it's something that's distinct from Gangle, a false layer that was put on the person that hides behind it.

[TaelluricInterlude]

As somebody with a mix of ADHD and somewhere undiagnosed on the spectrum going through a rough spot right now, I really want you to know that this song moved me to tears?? Regardless of if it's published as a TADC fan song, I think it has the ability to stand on its own.
The lyrics hit incredibly hard, and could only have been written by someone else Going Through It. This song has permanently and irreparably become a part of me. Fuck, dude

[gentlehatsman]

As someone with autism, I was just not ready to be called out this much in a youtube song of all places.

[uwula_da_cta]

The clip is so simple yet so fitting.
It's just a mask singing yet it make sense since the person "behind it" would see issues and cracks through their "performance" if it was credited to them.

Also the hold in hold it tight part sends shivers down my spine for some reason.

[bezierballad]

"Does the one behind the role still have a face?" I love how, during that part, the camera turns around so that it's positioned *literally behind the mask, * as if the viewer themselves were wearing it.

[RealDudeFortitude]

LSE. Why did you do this. Now I have to listen to this on repeat. As an ADHD, depressive, anxious autistic teen this hurts SO F*CKING HARD. In a good way. Also, it loops perfectly. This is absolute cinema.

[Bobbles-iq]

"Gonna keep it bottle up its gonna hit me like a truck" is a reference to the last part in ep 4 where gangle gets hit by a truck, you know it is intentional too because when he says it the background turns to a night sky.

[shlingusdingus]

Gangle represents so many parts of myself I have to deal with. The masking behavior, being a people pleaser but also doubting and overthinking everything and being terrified of losing people if I can't keep up. When I was little, I was literally told I was "too nice" and that I "needed to toughen up".

I did, and I always feel like breaking because this isn't who I'm supposed to be, but I HAVE to be this way or nothing in my life will be functional. I have to wear a mask all the time, and I can't stand it.

This song is cathartic for me, because everything, EVERYTHING is exactly how I feel.

[joetemreels_]

0:46 I love your decision to reuse the same melody from "Tell Me What I Am", I'm a sucker for reoccuring motifs and references!

[BellaBall]

i love how they used a low poly model for the mask which causes some “cracks” when it moves in a weird way

[xanderavello]

"Hold it in, hold it tight, fake a smile get it right, if you wanna make it through then act like you believe it too, stay in line, stay in place, are they looking at your face? if you crack under the pressure your gonna lose them all for ever."
Love those lyrics.

[otbiasedmashups]

This song honestly hits quite hard. It's comforting yet also of course quite depressing. Not to mention it's a banger, I'm so glad this is over 4 minute long. I've listened to it on loop for the past almost hour and it just gets better everytime. When I first heard the snippet I wasn't so sure about the slow pace (especially right after Order Up) but it's genuinely quite addictive

[Skull_maker]

The part "if you crack under the pressure gonna lose them all forever" It's the part that makes you understand that the reason for all this is because you are afraid of being nobody and that you don't want to be alone so you behave like those around you hoping that in that way they MAY like you

[lostalyx]

OUR NEURODIVERGENT KING DELIVERS 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[hellfirerevenant]

As someone with Bipolar, this song is incredibly accurate to how tough it can be to maintain a mask, especially when you place your self worth in how others around you see you. Excellent job Dean, straight banger as always!

[antoninoelieserjfmagalhaes]

[Wear The Mask - Lyrics:]
So wear the mask, play the part
Of someone harder in the heart
And never someone easy to break.

Another day, another show with no rehearsal
Another way I'm gonna probably make it worse for the person next to me
What do you expect of me
'Cause in my head
You think less of me
It's stressing me
A self-fulfilling prophecy
I'll wear a brittle grin
I'll get a little in
My own head
Try to work out what I misread
What I got wrong.

I'll weave myself into a new shape for you
Twist the corners of my mouth when you're around
Hang on every word that you say
Your performer no more than a clown.

I'll live in the spotlight
Not getting it quite right
And when I mess up it'll keep me up all night
Stuck in a loop of fight or flight
I feel the safest under porcelain and paint
Smile forcing through the pain
I'm only here to entertain.

Hard to say what remains
When I stumble off the stage
Does the one behind the role
Still have a face?

So wear the mask, play the part
Of someone harder in the heart
And never someone easy to break
Just a facsimile
Of what a person's meant to be
So pull the ribbon, I'll unravel,
Always hiding, something fragile.
(Da da da da da da da da, da da da da da da da, da da da da)

At even the slightest sleight
I'm letting it slip, feeling it chip
Feel it unraveling, follow the script
I'm losing my words, losing my temper
Out of the energy just to remember
It's all in my head
I start to crack under the pressure
Another lesson that I'll never measure up.
Either way I feel stuck
If I keep it bootled up
It's gonna hit me like a truck
Thought I finally figured out the face
To make you make the face you wanna make
But I can only take a little 'til I break (crack).

Oh, there it goes
Sound the alarm
We're completely exposed
Emotional short-circuit
More hurt than it
Should have been possible
Fully ilogical
Think I'm responsible
For those around me
Like I've been crowned the
All-accountable
God of working out these
Emotional needs
Communicatively
Defeated and fatigued
I try but I can't be
The kind of perfectly
Constructed person for your service
Need to earn my own place on Earth
It's how you see me that determines
What I'm worth.

So wear the mask, play the part
Of someone harder in the heart
And never someone easy to break
Just a facsimile
Of what a person's meant to be
So pull the ribbon, I'll unravel,
Always hiding, something fragile.

Hard to tell, hard to see
Is the show for you or me?
Just a way to be relieved
Of all responsibility?

WHEN DOES IT END?
WHERE DO I START?
AM I THE FACE
AND NOT THE HEART?
AM I ACTOR OF THE YEAR
OR JUST THE PART?

[Hold it in, hold it tight
Fake a smile, get it right
If you wanna make it through
Then act like you believe it too
Stay in line, stay in place
Are they looking at your face?
If you crack under the pressure,
Gonna lose them all forever] × 3

So wear the mask (Wear the mask), play the part (play the part)
Of someone harder in the heart (harder in the heart)
And never someone easy to break (Whoa)
Just a facsimile (Facsimile)
Of what a person's meant to be (A person's meant to be)
So pull the ribbon (Pull the ribbon),
I'll unravel (I'll unravel),
Always hiding (Always hiding), Something fragile (Something fragile)
(Da da da da da da da da, da da da da da da da, da da da da)

[Delfinner]

I love the detail of the mask beginning to show more cracks as the song goes on, almost like the person behind it is accidentally slipping out of their facade before pushing their real self back down, even without the parts where the mask chips, the model itself has small little cracks with each word that stretches the mouth too much, like the person is just like the song says: *easy to break*