Lyrics: Owl in a cage, You show your age, Your sweetness, has run foul. Without a change, you're lost, exhausted, by your time. On stage and you walked in my room and light sparks in the dark. Life was suddenly thrilling and new, What's between you and I, just a comfortable lie. I'm the fool who believes when you look in my eyes, Prince, all alone upon your throne, your power, is so frail. You raised your voice, you have no choice inside your gilded jail.

I saw a reviewer who disliked Stolas' singing because it was less clean than the original, but personally I think this makes it much more emotional. When I think of this scene, I think of those painful, longer notes where he's legit almost crying.

Fact: Bryce Pinkham was actually crying when this was recorded. This is pure emotions right here.

Him saying his relationship with blitzo was a "comfortable lie" means he knew something was off but continued to deny it and think that blitzo loved him. That's something I can definitely relate to and it makes me feel even worse for stolas that he has to go through something like that. TLDR; good song, can relate.

Can we talk about how talented his V/A is? Not only is he singing in Stolas’ extremely expressive voice, but he managed to get the voice cracks as if Stolas is at a breaking point. Pure talent. (And don’t get me started on the lyrics and how I feel about Stolas-)

"What's between you and I just a comfortable lie" The fact that Stolas is finally realizing the true nature of his relationship with Blitzo is very good but still very sad to see 😥

Can we all just appreciate that this melody is the leitmotif that plays almost every time Stolas has been on screen. This song has been following him for a while, but only now does he have the words.

If Stella says “it’s annoying to hear you screeching your silly woes all the time” It makes me wonder how often he just casually sings bangers like this Edit: Many thanks for the spell check Twist_Ending

He went from a “clingy rich asshole” to a seriously cool, loveable and utterly brilliant character, love it so much, this show is great.

I feel so genuinely awful for Stolas. It was nice to see him stand up to his wife who NEVER loved him at ALL. Even if those emotions were from Blitzø practically breaking up with him, it was still the most Cathardic thing to see this lonely prince finally say "Enough" to his Ex-Wife. The VA work, The singing, The FUCKING ANIMATION WERE SO WELL DONE AND HONESTLY, THIS IS BY FAR MY FAVORITE EPISODE Edit: I forgot to mention but his lament might also hint at Stolas finally saying no to Blitzø in regards to the Grimoire. This means, I.M.P. might actually go out of business if they (Or rather, Blitzø) can't find a way to compromise to Stolas without using him

I've NEVER heard so much emotion in any singers voice, except Stolas. the wavering in his voice makes his feelings all the more real, yet he's not forcing it. he genuinely sounds sad, like he's been crying and just broke out into song mid meltdown. it's beautiful.

"Gilded jail" is such a way to put it. Stolas has all these luxuries and riches, and yes, hes royalty, but he had nobody to turn to until Blitz came back 25 years later, and even then... He just wanted to use him.

Throwing this out here since I know a bunch of people weren't to happy with how the song turned out in comparison to the demo: Apparently, in the latest watch party that the Helluva Boss cast had, they confirmed that the reason why Stolas's voice sound a little off-key during this segment it's because the Voice Actor was fucking CRYING during the recording. If you disliked the song regardless that's fine, but one can't deny that such info really re-contextualizes how the whole scene plays out

The fact that the first part of the song introduced bird mistreatment in the song surprises me. At he said "owl in a cage" "nothing has changed" a bird needs things to change in its environment so it does not get a stress disorder. Really love this show

I love everything about Stolas. And him as a kid is golden.

“You raises your voice, you have no choice.” 1:14. The most powerful sound Stolas has ever made and the highest note he has hit. My ears are loving it

When he scrolls through his phone and sees all the selfies are taken with Blitzo looking displeased in every single one of them and him finally noticing he's being played IT HURTS SO GOOD

*‘You raise your voice, you have no choice’* that line hit so close to home, this song does an incredible job of capturing emotion, especially that of realizing you may never have a choice in your own life

I first saw him as an overtly sexual owl demon but from Loo Loo Land, to Ozzie’s, and this made me realize how much more complicated and relatable he is. Loneliness just sucks and him and Blitzo shows that.

Thinking back to the pilot, I never would have guessed Stolas would end up as my favorite character, especially after the VA change. Amazing father, sticking out an abusing relationship for his kid. And really, a very painful and complex relationship with Blitzo. Such great character development.

Fun fact: the backing tune of this is based on Stolas’s Leitmotif, which is played during the “bath scene” and in Truth Seekers while he is his true demon form. In fact you can hear it hasn’t been changed at all at the beginning

By God I forgot how good a singer Stolas' VA is EDIT: I personally like to call this "Stolas' Lament" EDIT 2: YEAH, IK Paranoid DJ's Song "Just Look My Way" is also called "Stolas' Lament" I honestly forgot it was called that. EDIT 3: After listening it a few more times, yeah I can see why many people don't like this song, or at least Bryce Pinkham's singing. Pinkham's doing his best, but some of those notes weren't hit the best. But I still love the song, I feel like the emotions of the song and scene make up for the less than Stellar singing

This. This is what i love about Stolas. Hes a broken man, being stuck with a wife that never cared about him, his only real joy coming from Octavia. Blitz is an important person to him. Stella being a kindless, cruel person drove Stolas down this path. She is responsible for this. The so called "embarrasment" was her own making. Stolas is a tragic figure. And one i cant wait to see more of.

The voice cracks and less clean singing completely brings this together, it brings the pain and emotion to the song, you can feel both passion and heartbreak in his voice!

I feel like Stolas always knew his relationship with Blitzø was “a comfortable lie”. Maybe not out right, but subconsciously, from their meeting 25 years later. He was just so lonely and missed who he thought was an old friend that he decided to ignore all the signs, or rather make the best of what he has until it inevitably goes away. I guess that’s why it’s so sad.

This episode was WORTH THE WAIT. Amazing work by the illustrators and writers and editors and voice actors and overall the whole team

Sam Haft the songwriter for the show said there was a Danny Elfman inspired song this season: this HAS to be it! This is literally Jack’s Lament! And the fact that it was birthed from the gorgeous Stolas Speaks score from S1 makes it all the more special

Stolas is incredible. Not just because “gay owl prince” but because his character arc seems very promising, and this song about him feeling alone in his own home after the divorce and him realizing his relationship with Blitzø is “a comfortable lie” hits hard. In fact, he has become so depressed from his false relationship with Stella (shown through their general sourness towards each other, and young Stolas “bitch crying” when he sees he has been arranged to be married) that he has to take “happy pills.” His father is the father of many, needing to be reminded Stolas’s name. And despite his abysmal relationship with Stella, he still genuinely cares for his daughter. I might be overanalyzing a homosexual owl, but I don’t care too much, honestly. This song is a banger, too. Edit: I forgot to mention how he does look up to his neglectful father, as he seems to clap the same. The lyrics of this song prove that Stolas also genuinely loves Blitzø, and this song seems so good because it feels like an actual person singing, with their voice cracking because they seem to actually be crying. It feels so real and hits so hard. Edit 2: Stolas is clearly vulnerable during this song, as throughout most of the show, he only blinks with his bottom eyes (I think) and in this song he blinks with both sets.

something to note is that the crystal he looks at in the book, the "Asmodean Crystal" is the same one he asked for in the newest episode when he sees Asmodeus.

I am proud on Stolas so much. He finally starts to realize that his realationship with Blitz isn´t what he think it is and the fact that he tell Stella to get out of the house is one perfect animated scene. And about the book. If you look closely you can see that the book is from King of lust Asmodeus. And the crystal in the book. That crystal will have big influence in the story.

even though i understand blitz is very emotionally distant, and stolas is kinda.. /pushy/, he didn't deserve to be "used" the way blitz used him. i say "used" because we all know blitz's feelings for stolas are anything but platonic, but imagine truly thinking you've found love in someone only to find out that they completely disregard your feelings and don't really view you as anything other than a gateway to something they need. this episode made me kinda dislike blitz as a person, in a good way, because he's intended to be morally ambiguous.

So something I've noticed, that I love, and has lead to frustration. The voice actor for stoles is an amazing singer, because his songs sound so imperfect. Both that we've heard have actually sounded like someone singing in an everyday setting. Like singing a lullaby, or after heartbreak. This results in times of course voice, cracks, hearing his regular voice mode than his singing, and it ends in a beautiful amazing voice acted song, as opposed to a song slipped into bits of voice acting, like say moxie. However I've seen a lot of people who say stolas's voice actor isn't a very good singer purely because of how much he actually puts his voice acting into his songs, and it really bothers m3 because songs like this should be sung how he does.

"Just a comfortable lie" breaks my heart every single time. The VA is amazing.

It sounds like he sings like this all the time, and it's so good so I dont understand why Stella is so annoyed by it lol

Incredible song! Every second is so well animated

OMG I absolutely LOVE the VA for Stolas!!! So much emotion in his singing and voice, and this entire episode was just... AAA!!!! I feel so bad for Stolas, but this was amazing development and such a good look into his past. I so hope they do more singing bits for him, he's beyond incredible

People criticize this voice actor's singing but I think it makes the song more meaningful for his voice not to be perfectly polished and for it to crack a bit at emotional moments.

His song hit deep when I first heard it but the part of "Prince upon your thrown" and "you raise your voice you have no choice" just hits so difff

Damn for a prince of hell he's got an angelic voice!

Most fev parts "What's between you and I just a comfortable lie" (0:48) - Stolas turn back to face the book. Symbolize Stolas accepting that Biltz only wanted that book and nothing more "Prince, all alone" (1:00) - just love how he delivered that line. The rasp in his voice. The raw emotion. Sends chill down my spine "Is so frail" (1:12) - beautiful visually "You raise your voice" - (1:14) beautiful vocally

I love this song because it actually feels like it is stolas who is singing it with voice cracking of hiding the tears, because bryce pinkham is a phenomenal singer (as proved in s1 e2 and all of gentleman's guide to love and murder) and it pisses me off to hear people say that he sung this poorly because it is sung perfectly to make stolas sound like he is on the brink of tears.

The Stolas voice actor did such a great job on singing this song

Just watched the watch party livestream, Bryce (Stolas VA) did this whole song in one go four times until they got the right one. They didnt stitch parts together, thats him singing it in one whole take. That is so cool!!

Beautiful singing. Never thought I'd simp for a humanoid demon owl prince.

For those who dont know, the first time Stolas appears in the series (not sure if in the pilot as well) his theme plays and its called "Stolas Speaks", which is the instrumental for this song, "Stolas Sings". I found that a really nice detail 🤓

I like how Stolas’s cape has stars inside of it.

His voice breaking in the "Just a comfortable lie" line hurts me so bad ;-; baby noooo I'm so sorry I wanna hug him so bad

Stolas really has the 2 best songs and they're both criminally short!

Bro he had no reason to make ‘choice’ in the line ‘you have no choice’ sound *that* pained. It’s honestly one of my favorite deliveries in any of the songs thus far in the series. The whole song’s delivery sounds like a broken man, but that line hits the point home so hard it’s not even funny

I pity everyone who wrote off this series after the first couple episodes. The sheer quality of the writing, animation, and music is stunning, and we're only on the second season's beginning. Who knows how much better it can get?

I so wish for Stolas to be happy. He might be the only character that I can say feels like just a circunstancial victim of fate, he has no malice or ulterior motives, he is just there, trying to fulfill his role, and wanting to be loved, while the world around him is filled with liars, abusers, and scammers.

God this song really shows Stolas's view his and Blitzo's relationship has changed Seeing them interact in the future is definitely gonna be different

This song just completely blew me away! i swear it's Stolas's absolutely best song yet even though it's only his second song but his vocals were just ever so marvelous and incredible, major kudos to his voice actor!!!

"Prince all alone" - this "all" sound makes everything...

"What's between you and I, just a comfortable lie." That line hits deep. Also I think Stolas is seeing that Blitz is just using him and doesn't see him the same way.

I feel so bad for Stolas. He used to be so wholesome and happy. Then everything was slowly snatched away from him.

Bryce Pinkham (Stolas' VA) did such a good job expressing emotion while singing.

Genuinely my favorite song in the series. People complain about the voice cracks and stuff, but having listened to a cover intended to sound clean, no, that is raw emotion breaking the sound, not a lack of talent - on the contrary, it's an ABUNDANCE of talent, and it's the pure emotion that makes this my favorite version of this song. Remember, art isn't about making something "good", it's about making something that causes your audience to FEEL, and there is more feeling in this broken, at-times-off-key version than any "clean" version out there.

I love how Stolas voice actor (Bryce Pinkham) actually put a lot of work into this with the little voice cracks and points where it sounds as if he's on the verge of tears (I know Stolas is on the verge of tears but still)

Okay okay here me out, ‘A Comforting Lie’ would be an amazing name for this song❤️ Also I’m gonna be taking Stolas’ vocal cords

this is so beautiful. The singing, the animation, and you can just sense the pain within his voice. The want for a healthy relationship, and the amount of joy he gains from being with Blitzo

They way his voice breaks on “I’m the fool who believes” just makes me so sad every time. Blitz really did play him for a fool :(

I love this song. The only thing that sucks about this song and his episode 2 song is that they're too short lol. Don't get me wrong, their lengths make sense, but they REALLY need to give Stolas a longer song at some point.

This episode was a interesting one for me but I have to say, I love this song its so emotional and good. I feel bad for stolas :(

[LYRICS] Owl in a cage, you show your age, your sweetness has run(rung?) foul without a change, you’re lost, exhausted by your time on stage then you walked in my room and like sparks in the dark, life was suddenly thrilling and new whats between you and I? just a comfortable lie! I’m the fool who believes when you look in my eyes prince all alone upon your throne, your power is so frail you raise your voice, you have no choice inside your gilded jail.

I still don't understand why so many reviews rag on this episode and this song. Its all so somberly beautiful. The hate for this show feels so forced.

I just realized, Stolas's lyrics in this song are sung to the tune of the haunting background music that plays when he makes his entrance in "Truth Seekers" (starting when the black stuff erupts from Agent 2's mouth)! :D

he has such a charming voice man, the photos of blitz may have probably been just photos taken exactly when he had that expression (or he hates taking photos considering him crossing himself out in his apartment photos), but i’m sure we all know they genuinely love each other and they just need time to fix themselves before properly starting to love each other

The way you can hear his anger and pain when he sings "just a comfortable life" is amazing, I remember disliking Stolas in the very beginning but with him more on the screen I became more attached. I just wish that he will get the life he deserves and Stella will burn from the karma

I cannot get over the way this sounds. The way he says age and the sound of sweetness is...breathtaking. I hope to sound as great as this did someday.

It’s hard for me to express just how much I love Stolas & his singing. Suffice it to say, the feels he elicits have me wanting him to make many more songs.

Stolas sings very beautifully.. I want to listen and listen...

This entire episode was so well animated! Worth the wait 100%

He has officially become my favorite character. You can't help but cheer for Stolas. He may be an upper demon of hell but he's actually a decent dad.

I feel like people forget he’s a trained broadway singer, so he’s performing the character and it’s not about hitting each note methodically but infusing story and personality into the voice. He nailed it.

Dude his va is awesome you can hear the pain in his voice when he’s singing and it’s absolutely beautiful!

Whenever Stolas sings, it's always good.

I love how 'Jack's Lament'-y it sounds. Also, I've read some people liking the singing version by the componist more and though I agree it sounds more clean, this version is better in this context. Stolas is heart broken and barely keeping it together so having moments where he can't reach a note all too well or cracking his voice slightly sounds more realistic to me

I realised Stella is even worse than I initially thought, it is Stolas who decides for the divorce but at the lust ring it sounds like Stella has made it so every one believes she did it.

His voice never ceases to amaze me. His vocals are so clean and elegant 😭🤌

Oh his va is outstandingly talented and I'm so bewitched by this scene! It's so heartbreaking to also hear him sing about how he truly sees himself and how he begins to realise the nature of his relationship with blitz! So relatable and just a wonderful scene that captures stolas' essence! (I also notice him taking more pills than previously shown and that makes me so sad!)

Truth to be told Stolas is terrifying, I think many forget what powers he posses especially his beach wife.

The way I like to interpret the song is almost like Stolas retelling all those flashbacks in the episode up till the present moment through his perspective and realisations. The first part could be about his father, Paimon. The lyrics that really got me was "🎵You show your age, your sweetness has run foul🎵" kids never really question what their parents tell them and Stolas seems to be recounting how that fact seemed to have more than a negative affect in the long run. When the tune changes to a theme thats associated with his and Blitzo's relationship it talks about Blitzo, the second flashback, his feelings in that moment and how he was/is being used, how he feels stupid about thinking he Blitzo wanted him for more than his book and possessions and how he feels disappointed in himself for thinking Blitzo loved him by singing "🎵I'm the fool who believed when you look in my eyes....🎵" When singing about false love he trails off to Stella's verse. Stella's abusive, emotionally and physically, we know that already. Which itself explains the lyrics "🎵You raise your voice, you have no choice🎵" he then continues on by finishing the song with "🎵Inside your guilded jail🎵" almost saying how because of her his home now feels like a prison. Because as we all know Stella sucks

Everything about this song just Makes Stolas much more a unique character who deserves to have a companion and not be trapped by the rules of the Goetia Family

man... when i started watching helluva boss, i used to see stolas as just a weird gag and nothing else but damn, this whole scene is really relatable. being on top of the world or having what you thought you wanted only to be met with heartbreak and pain. all stolas wanted was someone close to him that actually cared about him. its hard to watch his life fall down when he seemed to just want something to actually make him happy, and he had to break rules just to be told the person he thought cared about him never did. this is why i want characters like him to get whatever he wants, and especially what he deserves. blitzo also deserves better. what does fortune and royalty really mean when you grew up without a single friend...

Remember when we first met Stolas? How he descriptively and hornily detailed over the phone every sexual thing he'll do to Blitz when they get together? That Stolas is soooo far off from what we have now. Deyum prince, what a character arc. 🦉

The part when he says “what’s between you and I, just a comfortable lie. I’m the fool” it melts my heart stolas deserves the world 😭😭

8 months. We've waited for 8 months for this masterpiece

I love that we can hear stolas theme again, it's just beautiful and splendid.

It's crazy how much this depiction of hell is. Alot of times people will say "Oh it's gonna be fun" or try to downplay just how much torture it will actually be. But this show has a very unique take on it in that it all seems like normal civilization...ish... Yet everyone is constantly broken, never satisfied, going through so many ups and downs and it's hell for them because there is no peace

0:48 - 0:54 I love when singers make intensional "voice cracks" where their voice kind of cancels out the music.

I’m so hyped for season 2! The first episode has me all excited already!

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with anything, but is anyone else fascinated about the fact that stolas had his first song in season 1, episode 2, and this is in season 2, episode 1? He's so connected to prophecies, I can't help but wonder if the episodes and seasons will add up in some way. Could also be a total coincidence and I'm just overthinking it.

"And light sparks in the dark" "You raised your voice, you have no choice inside your gilded jail." I love the way he said those lines, i love stolas, i feel so bad for him

Stolas deserved so much better than the hand he was dealt with... he was forced into a marriage where he was pretty much emotionally tortured, for somewhere around 2 decades, then Blitzo comes along at makes his life whole again, but just for a moment, as He doesn't really even care for Stolas at all, just his Grimoire. Stolas has been used his whole life, never experienced a true loving relationship, He is such a well-written character with such a heart-wrenching backstory

Stolas loved blitz, from the start. it kills me to see him so hurt.

Fun fact :D Stolas's grimoire is actually written in nordic runes that vikings used

I just learned today that the voice actor for stolas was crying during this song omg

He’s been used his whole life. Dude needs real love for once in his nigh immortal life

I think there is an amazing difference between this song and the one he sang to Octavia. The first song was perfect.. whereas here he doesn't really care about how he sings, it's about the emotions, that's why it sounds false at times and so raw, an amazing job from the VA