Paper Lion in the Rain | Why I Shared This Song Early

Some songs are fun to make.

Some songs stay with you afterwards.

And some songs quietly sit in the corner of the studio for a while because you know they mean more than just music.

“Paper Lion” became one of those songs for me.

Introduction by Riley

Even though my album is coming out in the autumn, I wanted to share this song early because it felt important during Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK, and during Mental Health Awareness Month generally. It just felt like the right time.

The song started from a really simple idea:
Why do we always assume the strongest people are okay?

You know the type of person I mean.

The one everybody relies on.
The one who always answers the phone.
The one who carries everything.
The one who keeps smiling.
The one who makes sure everybody else gets safely home.

Sometimes those people are struggling the most quietly.

But because they appear strong, people stop checking on them.

That’s where the line “paper lion in the rain” came from.

A lion is supposed to look powerful and fearless. But paper and rain don’t mix very well. The idea behind the song is that some people spend so long trying to stay strong for everybody else that eventually they begin to quietly fall apart underneath it all.

One of my favourite lines in the song is:
“Everyone loves the roar, but nobody checks the cage.”

That lyric honestly shaped the entire feeling of the track.

I wanted the song to sound big and dramatic, almost like an old cinematic jazz ballad, because emotionally that’s what it feels like sometimes. People put crowns on strong people. They expect them to carry everything with dignity and grace. But underneath all of that, they are still human beings who get tired, overwhelmed, anxious, and emotionally drained.

And sometimes they just need someone to ask:
“Are you really okay?”

Not because they look weak.
But because nobody should have to earn support by falling apart first.

Recording this track was emotional in a very different way to most of my music. It was quiet. Reflective. Almost like telling a secret into a microphone.

That’s also why I wanted the preview video to feel simple and studio-based. No giant production. No distraction. Just the atmosphere of the song and the message behind it.

And yes… the t-shirt in the video is real.

It features the Paper Lion artwork and is available on Amazon.

Because I think that message matters.

Not just this week.
Not just online.
Not just during awareness campaigns.

All the time.

Sometimes the people carrying everyone else are carrying far too much themselves.

So this is just a little reminder:
Don’t only adjust the crown.

Check the cage too.

– Riley x

Paper Lion Video

Lyrics – Paper Lion

You say I hold the sky up

You say my shoulders never break

I’m driving through the storm for you

But hiding every little ache

Everyone loves the roar

But nobody checks the cage

I’m tired of playing the hero

On everybody else’s stage

I’m just a paper lion in the rain

Looking tough while I’m washing away

You see the teeth, but you miss the tears

I’ve been a stray cat for all these years

When I finally say I’m breaking down

You just smile and adjust my crown

I keep my hands on the wheel

Make sure the passengers are safe

But who looks out for the driver

When she’s running out of space?

I need to pull this over

Park beneath the trees

Turn the engine off

And finally just breathe

Cause everyone loves the roar

But nobody checks the cage

I’m tired of playing the hero

On everybody else’s stage

I’m just a paper lion in the rain

Looking tough while I’m washing away

You see the teeth, but you miss the tears

I’ve been a stray cat for all these years

When I finally say I’m breaking down

You just smile and adjust my crown

Don’t tell me I’m too strong to fall

Don’t tell me I can take it all

I’m knocking on the door tonight

Just let me be weak for a while

Just let me be weak

Paper lion!

Just a stray in the rain, it´s okay to park the car, it´s okay to feel the pain

Check on your heroes!