Growing up gay in Kalamazoo was not a walk in the park
Between bullies at school and brothers at home, let's just say it was dark
I literally hid in a closet so they wouldn't see me cry
Then one day on a rack at a corner store a magazine caught my eye
The girl on the cover looked back at me as if to say, hey, I know who you'll be
I read the whole issue right there by the clerk when my runway in hand, my heart went to work
Seen, suddenly seen, in every page of that magazine
A part of me nobody recognized, yes, reflected in the Yves Saint Laurent silhouette
Seen, suddenly seen, as more than a shy and awkward teen
Runway gave me a glimpse of a world where someday I could be seen
I studied designers in detail, kept clippings under my bed
I pretended to play with my GI Joes but made them new clothes instead
At 18, I ran to Manhattan, got hired at a runway like you
Miranda looked over a layout I'd made and said, "Nigel, that'll do"
Thirty years later I'm working among the legends I lived for when I was young
Got a job, my dreams, a partner I love and a life that fits like a Lagerfeld glove
Seen, finally seen, now I'm part of that magazine
Dressing up icons the way I know how
No hiding in closets, I create them now
Seen, finally seen, crowned as prince by the fashion queen
Runway lets me express to the world the way I want to be seen
So sure there's an ugly side to this business
Can be cutthroat, often extreme
But it's worth all the stress, it's worth every cost
If a copy of Runway finds a boy who feels lost
And he feels seen, suddenly seen
If he could learn from this magazine
That being a queer kid's not some kind of crime
In fact, it's pretty fucking sublime
Seen, suddenly seen
Can you imagine what that could mean?
Fashion opens your eyes to the world
I want him to see what I've seen
I want you to see what I've seen
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