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​Artist Name: Imran Mandani
Song: Showtime (Life’s A Stage: Carpe Diem)
Lyrics: Written and performed by Imran Mandani 
Submission: Tech N9ne 2022 Contest Submission
Total track length: 5:00 minutes (extended version)


Intro                                                                                                                      
Yo, all of us have creativity
The Lord wants you to search within for hidden talents
Carpe diem, do what moves you and make it
Your purpose is to find your passion...
Embrace it...showcase it...
‘Cause soon it will be lights...camera...action


Chorus                                                                                                                     
Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Let me be your window to the world
So 'fore the curtain drops, I can take a bow
Till the lights out

Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Got a drive gotta get this show on the road
Been a slow grind, but in no time
It’ll be showtime


Verse 1

I can hear them calling from behind the scenes
How can I have tunnel vision,
While seeking to have wide appeal?
I hold my breath, though I breathe to fight my fears
Having a drive, time for me to get behind this wheel
Not tryna let anyone gas me up
But stadium’s packed,
Like I’m tryna win the Stanley cup
It’s just me, and the mic,
So on stage I hope they give me mad props
No cap, I’m hoping that they throw their hats off
Gotta get my "inspire on" like my laptop
And against this backdrop,
They don’t see the writer’s block on my word doc
Tryna make waves in hip-hop like a surf shop
Drowning from this burden of expression
Haters can blurt Macbeth from first impressions 
I’m a tortured soul in my thirst for perfection (spirits)
The multi-verses of Dr. Strange
And through the cadence
I give my two cents, coin some phrases
Life’s a stage, here to play it


Pre-Chorus
 
Live my truth; write my fate, every day is magnum opus
I don’t just grab the mic, I grab the moment
When push comes to shove, then I’m pushing P
March to the beat of my own drum, how it should be
 
Here to raise the bar, I’m here to raise the bar
Even if I break a leg the show must go on
To live my dreams I gotta stay woke and I’m...
In my flow state till it’s showtime
Till it’s showtime


Chorus
 
Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Let me be your window to the world
So 'fore the curtain drops, I can take a bow
Till the lights out
 
Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Got a drive gotta get this show on the road
Been a slow grind but in no time
It’ll be showtime


Verse 2
 
Gotta get rid of the shadow self for the limelight
Gotta go bat for myself,
Ain’t no chilling on the sidelines
Been handed lemons in my lifetime
And I’m waiting for the time to be ripe
And I break a sweat though I thought I got the drip
A show stopper but this clock is ticking
If I’m caught slipping
A fickle audience can talk and giggle...
And a journalist in a suit that’s navy blue...
Hoping that he’ll give some rave reviews
In a magazine from May through June
‘Cause YouTube is like,
Television gotta "pay per view"
Everyone stuck to their seat like crazy glue
While I’m making moves yo DJ play the tune


Pre-Chorus
 
Live my truth; write my fate, everyday is magnum opus
I don’t just grab the mic, I grab the moment
When push comes to shove, then I’m pushing P
March to the beat of my own drum, how it should be
 
Here to raise the bar, I’m here to raise the bar
Even if I break a leg the show must go on
To live my dreams I gotta stay woke and I’m...
In my flow state till it’s showtime
Till it’s showtime


Chorus

Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Let me be your window to the world
So 'fore the curtain drops, I can take a bow
Till the lights out
 
Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Got a drive, got to get this show on the road
Been a slow grind, but in no time
It’ll be showtime


Verse 3 

Never the type to rest on my laurels
Flowing full of substance, suffer from withdrawals 
An artist high off his own cortisol
Though I rehearse and rehearse it’s Murphy’s Law
I get judged,
So I’m up all night cooking up till the early dawn
Keeping it raw,
Though I suffer from this imposter syndrome
My booking agent says I got a novel written
Because, through my blood, sweat, and tears
I do this for the love and cheers
‘Fore I steal the show gotta have nerves of steel
Bring the house down regardless of curb appeal
I’m in overdrive, it’s an uphill battle,
​I’m in third gear
I gotta let go of internal fears
Cut out external...and feel
In my heart there’s something eternal...here
Let my soul be my hype man
Find the creative spark; that’s divine plan
When I hit a stone wall, I rock the mic stand


Chorus
 
Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Let me be your window to the world
So 'fore the curtain drops, I can take a bow
Till the lights out
 
Life is a stage gotta stand out from the crowd
Through the doors of success
I’ll bring the house down
Got a drive, got to get this show on the road
Been a slow grind, but in no time
It’ll be showtime


​Outro
 
If you want to manifest greatness
Put yourself out there
All of life’s a stage
Because it’s always showtime