Posted by Mask is one of the most popular songs ever released by the music artist Dream. The song has a special meaning for the artist because it explains the need to wear a mask, hiding his true identity. In this article, we will analyze the track and the contents behind the lyrics. You will also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can find the official lyric video below.
Mask: the song lyrics and their meaning
Mask is about the struggle of hiding mental illness in front of the world while trying to live everyday life. As Dream himself explained on Twitter (before closing his official account):
“The song is about my personal experience when I was younger with depression and fighting to overcome it, and part of the lyrics are also about ADHD.”
In the lyrics, Dream explains how the mask is a necessary shield to hide what lies underneath. People ask him if he’s okay, and he shows a fake smile to everybody, the appearance everybody knows of him. But behind that smile is sadness: an amount of sadness that cannot be shared and understood by others.
I wear a mask with a smile for hours at a time
Stare at the ceiling while I hold back what’s on my mind
And when they ask me how I’m doing, I say, “I’m just fine”
And when they ask me how I’m doing, I say, “I’m just fine”
But the fact is
I can never get off of my mattress
And all that they can ask is
“Why are you so sad, kid?”
Dream knows he has to fight. Depression is something that requires an effort every day. The temptation to give up is always within reach, whereas the alternative is to fight daily. That’s why he hides his tears, focusing on building the smiling image of himself, the one that reassures everybody.
So you can see I’m tryin’, you won’t see me cryin’
I’ll just keep on smilin’, I’m good
And it just keeps on pilin’, it’s so terrifying
But I keep on smilin’, I’m good
Living as a young kid with depression and ADHD is overwhelming. You can’t just accept it. You feel it as something wrong, unnatural. That’s why you need the mask of these lyrics. The protection mechanism built up by Dream is the development of a public identity that can show happiness. He tries to live under that mask and feels integrated into the world. However, the internal conflict is evident because his natural mood doesn’t match that smile. If, on the one hand, the singer keeps saying he’s fine, not to make anyone worry, on the other hand, he admits that he needs help.
Always bein’ judged by a bunch of strange faces
Scared to go outside, haven’t seen the light in ages
But I’ve been places
So I’m okay-ish, so I’m okay-ish
Yeah, I’m okay, b* *h
But the fact is
I need help, I’m failin’ all my classes
They think that I need glasses
I just really wish that I could pass this
These last lyrics are full of meaning: ADHD can be a huge obstacle at school, especially if it’s not recognized in time. Dream reveals that initially, they believed it was a different kind of problem, implying that he needed glasses. In the lines above, the singer perfectly expresses his struggle in passing his classes: he does his best to be a good student, but he can’t make it without help.
That’s the real meaning of the lyrics inside Mask: fighting depression and ADHD is a never-ending battle, and I needed a smiling mask to reassure the world about my mental conditions continuously. But I need help; I can’t win all this alone. From this point of view, Dream recognizes that the mask is a necessary protection mechanism, but it doesn’t represent a solution. And this perspective is shared with all people who suffer similar situations.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
I wear a mask with a smile for hours at a time
Stare at the ceiling while I hold back what’s on my mind
And when they ask me how I’m doing, I say, “I’m just fine”
And when they ask me how I’m doing, I say, “I’m just fine”
But the fact is
I can never get off of my mattress
And all that they can ask is
“Why are you so sad, kid?” (Why are you so sad, kid?)
That’s what the mask is
That’s what the point of the mask is
So you can see I’m tryin’, you won’t see me cryin’
I’ll just keep on smilin’, I’m good (Yeah, I’m good)
And it just keeps on pilin’, it’s so terrifying
But I keep on smilin’, I’m good (Yeah, I’m good)
I’ve been carin’ too much for so long
Been comparin’ myself for so long
Been wearin’ a smile for so long, it’s real
So long, it’s real, so long, it’s real
Always bein’ judged by a bunch of strange faces
Scared to go outside, haven’t seen the light in ages
But I’ve been places
So I’m okay-ish, so I’m okay-ish
Yeah, I’m okay, b* *h
But the fact is
I need help, I’m failin’ all my classes
They think that I need glasses
I just really wish that I could pass this (Wish that I could pass this)
That’s what the mask is
That’s what the point of the mask is
So you can see I’m tryin’, you won’t see me cryin’
I’ll just keep on smilin’, I’m good (Yeah, I’m good)
And it just keeps on pilin’, it’s so terrifying
But I keep on smilin’, I’m good (Yeah, I’m good)
I’ve been carin’ too much for so long
Been comparin’ myself for so long
Been wearin’ a smile for so long, it’s real
So long, it’s real, so long, it’s real
So long, it’s real
So long, it’s real
