Glass Ceiling Records

New Therapist (Swing) — Song Profile

Introduction

New Therapist is a swing‑inflected narrative piece that captures the cyclical, often disorienting experience of entering and re‑entering mental health care. Rather than focusing on the therapeutic process itself, the song documents the structural realities surrounding it: long gaps between sessions, administrative interruptions, shifting providers, and the emotional labor required to repeatedly retell one’s story. Through humor, rhythm, and a conversational vocal style, the track highlights the tension between the formality of the system and the vulnerability of the person seeking help.

Within the broader catalog, this song functions as a social‑observation piece — a way of naming the institutional patterns that shape personal healing. Its swing style adds levity without diminishing the seriousness of the subject, allowing listeners to recognize their own experiences in a format that feels approachable and familiar. The song becomes a cultural artifact of contemporary mental health navigation, documenting the emotional and logistical realities that many people encounter.

Version: Swing

About This Version

This version uses a classic swing rhythm and light, playful instrumentation to frame a narrative that is anything but light. The vocal delivery leans into theatrical timing, emphasizing the awkward pauses, repeated introductions, and abrupt endings that define the therapy cycle described in the lyrics. The contrast between the upbeat musical style and the content creates a sense of ironic clarity: the system may be rigid, but the emotional experience within it is anything but.

How It Fits the Project

As part of the larger catalog, the swing version of New Therapist serves as a comedic break within a sequence of heavier narrative and emotional tracks. It offers listeners a moment of recognition through humor, while still contributing to the ethnographic mapping of social systems that shape personal experience. This version also expands the catalog’s genre range, demonstrating how different musical lineages can carry complex emotional and cultural commentary.

Hashtags

#Swing #SocialNarrative #MentalHealthSystems #Storytelling #SongProfile

Conclusion

New Therapist occupies a unique place in the catalog as a piece that blends humor, rhythm, and social critique. It captures the lived experience of navigating a system that often interrupts, delays, or fragments the very healing it aims to support. By presenting this reality through a swing arrangement, the song makes space for both recognition and relief — a way for listeners to feel seen without being overwhelmed.

In the context of relational anthropology and the Ecology of Streaming Platforms, this track demonstrates how music can document institutional patterns while remaining accessible and engaging. It contributes to the ongoing archive of songs that map emotional, social, and structural realities, offering listeners a clear window into the everyday experiences that shape contemporary life.

Lyrics

Hello new therapist, nice to meet you. 
Please make yourself comfy; have a seat. 
Is there anything I can get you? 
Perhaps a refreshing beverage or treat? 
 
Oh, that’s right, you can’t accept gifts, 
I was just hoping to build some rapport 
So, you won’t break up with me 
Like the therapists I’ve had before. 
 
By now I should know the whole drill, 
The beginning is always the same 
Fill out these papers with traumas and goals 
Your diagnoses and name 
 
You’ll ask me what I want to accomplish here 
And my traumas will all scream at once 
And I’ll try to find words, like that’s how it works 
I’ll do whatever the system wants. 
 
Well, I’m so sorry our time is up 
I’ll see you back in a few weeks 
But we haven’t covered any ground 
And the traumas are still screaming 
 
Hi, nice to see you, I’m glad you came back 
I’m sure your eager to get started 
What would you like to tell me  
About why you’re so broken hearted? 
 
And I’ll try to find some way to easy you in 
To my reality 
But with my triggers all firing at once 
I’m all big emotions and it’s messy 
 
Time’s up again; good work today 
I’ll see you back here in two weeks 
And I’m just left to clean myself up 
From my emotional bodily leaks 
 
Let’s see, where were we? 
I’ll apologize  
For all of the blubbering  
I did last time 
 
I’ll try to explain 
What’s been getting in my way 
How the life that I’ve lived 
Interferes with my every day 
 
But I’ve lived a lot of lifetimes 
And I don’t know where to start 
And it’s hard to explain 
The damage that’s been done to my heart 
Well, that’s enough for today 

And I have a little bad news 
I won’t be here in two weeks 
Because I have to help my parents move 
 
So, let’s have you back in a month 
And next time we’ll really dig in, 
But after a month has passed 
Remind me what I’ve said again? 
 
It feels good to be making progress, 
We'll have you back in two weeks 
Then we’ll unpack some triggers 
By in between the phone rings 
 
Hey there, we’re so sorry 
We had to cancel your session 
Your therapist has to attend a training 
It's a really important lesson 
 
The soonest we have after that 
Is another two weeks after now 
I say thank you and hang up the phone 
And shove my traumas back down 
 
Hey, it’s been a little while 
I’m really sorry for the gap 
Let's not waste time, let’s jump right in 
Remind me where we’re at 
 
But before we do let’s take a minute 
To review and reset our goals 
I’m sorry, I know these sessions aren’t long 
And your trauma’s been on hold 
 
Two weeks later we come back 
Still waiting to really get to work 
Still trying to give you my story 
Still trying to be heard 
 
Halfway through our session 
Still just trying to describe the cast 
Much less my story’s plot or twists 
Or the complexity of my past 

You let me know you’re leaving 
You’re all just so overworked 
You feel really bad, and you wish me the best 
To the waitlist I return