“You know, Mr. Ipkiss… we all wear masks. Metaphorically speaking…”

– Dr. Neumann, The Mask (1994)

Since the dawn of civilization, we have worn masks.

In ancient Greece, the persona was a literal object, a carved visage worn by actors on stage. Through these masks, they channeled gods, archetypes, and human extremes. But the true mask was never just the clay or wood: it was the role, the role as prison and ritual. A way to become something... or to hide everything.

Carl Jung resurrected this ancient truth in modern psychology. He saw the persona not as deceit, but as a necessary façade, the social mask we wear to function in society. But when the mask becomes our identity, we are lost. We forget there was ever a face beneath it. The ego clings to its masks like armor. And every role played too long becomes a cage...

In a world of screens, filters, titles and expectations, the mask is now digital, yet no less dangerous. One for work. One for love. One for God. One for the mirror. And sometimes... none feel real...

This track begins with a whisper from The Mask, a pop film hiding a deep truth. Dr. Neumann's line is not a joke. It's a diagnosis. We all wear masks. The problem is... we forgot we’re wearing them.

To remove the mask is not just rebellion, it is initiation.

The ancients knew this trial well: “Gnōthi Seauton”, Know Thyself, carved into the stones of Delphi, whispered by the sphinx before devouring the unworthy.

But knowing the self isn’t comfort.

It’s a descent. A confrontation with the abyss beneath the roles.

It is to face the void behind the mask and choose, not what others made of you, but what you truly are.

To stand before the inner Sphinx and answer its riddle is the oldest rite of all.

And most fail... because they never dared to ask...

__________________________________

“You know, Mr. Ipkiss… we all wear masks... metaphorically speaking...”

[]

A smile for the boss, a nod for the priest

A script rehearsed for every feast

I shift, I mold, I play the part...

But where the hell is my fucking heart?

Mirror cracked, my eyes look strange

Every face, a fast exchange

Persona stitched in silent shame

I fake the joy, forget my name...

Tear this mask off my skin!

Let the bleeding truth begin!

You see the act, but not the pain

This face is plastic, soaked in strain!

I wear your face, I speak your lie,

But deep inside... I’m screaming why!?

Dinner talk, polite and dead

Kill the voice inside my head

Laughter echoes, cold and flat

I nod along like a fucking brat

Each room needs a different me

Fragments lost in entropy

The mask won’t crack, it sinks too deep

Even in dreams, I act, not sleep...

Tear this mask off my skin!

Let the bleeding truth begin!

You see the act, but not the pain

This face is plastic, soaked in strain!

I wear your face, I speak your lie,

But deep inside, I’m screaming why!?

Who am I without this show?

Do I even fucking know?

Voices shifting, stories blur

Masks of him, of them, of her...

SLIP THE MASK OFF!

SHOW YOUR FUCKING FACE!

SHRED THE ROLE APART!

FIND YOUR SHADOW HEART!

Tear this mask off my skin...

I won't fake just to fit in

I lost myself in their design

But now I crawl back into mine...

I wear your face, I speak your lie,

But deep inside, I’m screaming why!?

“We all wear masks...

...but I’ve worn mine for too long...”

_________________________________

Mental - Post-credits:

The hardest part was getting the AI to generate a face similar to Jim's, perhaps due to my inexperience with the prompt, or something like that, so, we get this aberrant result. I don't have as many problems with the Mad Hatter, who has already appeared here a few times.

On this album, I used several famous figures from pop culture films and series. Can you guess who they all are? And which ones are AP's own characters? 👽

PS: This song was only written because of the suggestion and support of two people. Mr. Bones and Lunarbaby. One gave the idea and the other predicted the future. Hahaa 🫶🏻👽💚