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1. |
Emerge
05:34
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Change
We’re gonna watch you change
Although under your ripped cocoon you look the same
Pray
We’re gonna pray for grace
The kind that fascinates your eyes and you can’t look away
Spin
Your stories in my mind
Of how we’re trapped and cannot change what is pre-defined,
Like who I am
Any time, any place, any way we can make our escape
Leave me whole and I’ll emerge brand new and undisturbed
Given time, in my place, in my dreams I could fly away
Leave me whole and I’ll emerge brand new and undisturbed
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2. |
In Waves
05:14
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Red-bloodied hands won't break us from our course
Where the paths were laid, we followed, accepting every word
In time, our senses blur in waves we can't describe
Far up, the sun and moon disguise what we've been through, but it's never over
Let it out, my greatest fear is that the way we've been living here has become the New Acceptable
And we'll be waiting forever for the lies we adored
And when the cure is surrendered, we won't even know
In our former days, we'd fight on through, of course
But the paths we'd laid were clearly imagined
In time, our senses blur in waves we can't describe
Let it out, my greatest fear is that the way we've been living here has become the New Acceptable
And we'll be waiting forever for the lies we adored
And when the cure is surrendered, we won't even know
Senseless hopes ascend one step too high, and
Crash like waves the ocean can't bear to hide
Let it out, my greatest fear is that the way we've been living here has become the New Acceptable
And we'll be waiting forever for the lies we adored
And when the cure is surrendered, we won't even be sure
Though our hands may be bloodied from the pain we've endured,
At least we never surrendered until we find a cure
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3. |
Exposed
06:11
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Blameless for your broken heart and panicked state,
You'll hate us because you've always tried but failed
To fight rejection by projecting that you're someone else
In a different scene-
Pretend that loneliness won't eat you up and spit you out
Like some sick tragedy;
Well I've seen through it all.
Now your mind is made up, you'll try to walk before you crawl
And no one will stop you at all.
You feel your heart is racing
And feel you're backed against a wall,
Exposed for all to see
How I climbed to this, and it's a miracle if you'd care.
I climbed to this, and no one could stop me there but it's time to go
Hate us because you always tried but failed
To be perfection in a microscope reflection
Of the world as you want it to be;
Your dedication to overcoming all your limitations is plain to see,
But still it seems you're losing velocity.
And now your mind is changing-
Not confident but afraid to fall
(Though sure they won't miss you at all).
You see your hands are shaking,
And you'll run scared before us all,
Exposed for all to see
How I climbed to this, but it's a miracle if you'd care, and it's time to go
I know all about you.
I watched the times you fled.
I won't leave without you-
I wish I could extend my arms out wide to catch your fall and say
"There's time to fail"
Broken dreams and panicked states;
These fictions wrought from former mistakes
Define the end in which you believe.
Acrophobic insecurities won't hold you back
If you believe that I'm the friend you need me to be.
And if you make the climb alone,
You'll find the end you expected to see.
Take my hand; it's waiting to pull you up with me.
I climbed to this and it's a miracle if you'd care, but it's time to go
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4. |
I Waited
06:30
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I’m far from the ground, watching tides unfold and swallow it whole
I’d leave, but what’s to gain, as one by one, these cities fall the same way?
“Open Fire,” you ordered and stood with honor, though you knew we were doomed from the start.
Unaccustomed to being disregarded, it tore at your heart.
It took such impatience to leave you alone on the floor
Praying the structure will hold strong as they broke down the doors
I hated to see you standing outside on your own
I waited for so long, all within these city walls
I hesitated too long to see what’s behind the walls
"This can’t fail,” you whispered and teared up in horror as you spat out the lies you were sold.
Your disbelief had left you unguarded until the embers grew cold
It took such resilience not to shout out and beg for a hand
While you breathe in the toxic confusion that we can’t understand
I waited for so long all within these city walls
I hesitated too long to see what’s behind the walls that
Hide my own delusions that we would crumble alone- our myth slowing drifting away
What did it mean to be run to the ground? You felt like a raindrop splashed in the oceans that we found.
Did you mean to be broken down? Were you afraid we’d sit and watch while your sinking ship goes down?
Well, I’d stay awake till we’re far enough from ground that there’s no one there to see me drowning
Then I’ll stand reborn over the ashes that we found and together, we’d rebuild this from the ground.
Silence falls within these city walls
Somewhere, I know you’re alive and well and though it hurts like hell, just know we’ll miss you
I waited for so long all within these city walls
I hesitated too long to see what’s behind the walls that
Hide my own delusion that we would crumble alone- but we won’t
What did it mean to be run to the ground? You felt like a raindrop splashed in the oceans that we found
Well I’d stay awake till we’re far enough from ground that there’s no one there to see me drowning
Then I’ll stand reborn over the ashes that we found and together we’ll rebuild this from the ground
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5. |
Only One
04:29
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Patience
I don’t want to see you beat
The curtain call is quickly coming and
You’re strapped to the final scene;
Convinced it’s too late now and fixated on what might never be
If I fall before my enemies I’ll go down and be forgotten
But if I leave one lasting memory, I’ll be shot straight to the sun.
I’m not the only one
Let go of
Your scripted empathy.
You always swore we’d stand together,
Then started tumbling
The bright lights won’t die down
Illuminating what you’ll never be
The faster I fall, the more I forget the scars that I’ve worn were all pretend.
It seems to me the stars that burn the brightest always extinguish before they’re seen
If I fall before my enemies I’ll go down and be forgotten
But if I leave one lasting memory, I’ll be shot straight to the sun.
I’m not the only one
Who’s been hypnotized and tossed aside with bad intentions
I’m not the only one
Who’s modified the baseless lie I called a passion to hide the way I’m seen
Let down,
You can’t believe you’ve seen
The ending credits of ambition;
The supernova of a dream
I know it’s too late now
But at least you’re standing next to me
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6. |
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There was a land and I was king,
Controlling almost everything
But somehow that was stripped away
We fed this fire and it’s gonna get to me someday
It hurts to find what we lived for
Is these embers that climb, and it’s gonna get to me someday
We’ll sit and watch it while it burns
Drag me away
I’m impatient and starting to feel
Trapped under the crimson sky
This heart’s on fire and it’s gonna get to me someday
I don’t care if it hurts, I’ll let it burn
If these eyes go blind, it’s gonna get to me someday
It won’t help or heal the pain
And I hear the voices calling my name
Their fear enveloping, endlessly
If you ever run away, ask to take me please
You’ve come a long way from hell to save me
There was a land and I was king
Controlling almost everything
But somehow that was stripped away
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7. |
Room 16: Our Ghosts
04:56
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We can let go
Of the ghosts that haunt us;
Memories that pass over
Or become our shadows
Forgive me
I am stuck here
Living like I was dead
With the ghosts that follow
A story of a boy
Who wasn't ready to run
So he flew weightless off that bridge
No one knew who he was
Forgive me
I am stuck here
Living like I was dead
Here are my ghosts that follow
She knew me more than anyone could
I took the torch
Kissed her head
Held her hand to always remember love
Remember the ghosts who follow
Remember the ghosts that hid
Let them pass
And Let Go
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8. |
Reckless and Fearless
05:04
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Unstoppable
Slow your words
And show me all your scars
Take everything from me
I know it began in the same way
Chorus:
Reckless and Fearless
below my feet you'll stay
redemption won't come
if your epitaph is blank
Chorus
redemption won't come
if your epitaph is blank
Slow your words
and show me all your scars
with each time you pretend you’re the machine
I saw all the tears from all who tried
It was just in fun till the sirens screamed
then wheeled you away cold and lifeless
It was just in fun
till the sirens screamed
It was just in fun
your eyes went black
I won't stop you
I couldn't stop you
I won't follow
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9. |
Quiet in Wartime
04:58
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It’s quiet now, what do we do?
I lost the sense of everything I had to lose
You got caught up in it all just like you wanted to
Up or down, what will we choose?
I’m just sure that we’ll be found, like you wanted to
Head down, I’ll lose to your immaterial coup
I’m just sick of the pretense that I wanted to
Yeah we’ve lived in a style that looks like denial but feels closer to hateful
We fear the battlegrounds that we left this way cuz we should
I’m gonna leave this world with a bitter taste and it’s for good.
The future won’t be saved today
It’s later now and we have seen through all of your empty words
Like hell you want me to
I’ll fold under the scorn that came when I withdrew
I’m just sick of the pretense that I wanted to
Yeah we’ve lived in a style that looks like denial but feels closer to hateful
We’ll keep on standing our ground, though hope is nowhere around,
And it’s so hard to wait for
We fear the battlegrounds that we left this way cuz we should
I’m gonna leave this world with a bitter taste and it’s for good.
The future won’t be saved today
So quiet down. It’s quiet now
We fear the battlegrounds that we left this way cuz we should
I’m gonna leave this world with a bitter taste and it’s for good
We fear the battlegrounds that we left this way cuz we should
I’m gonna leave this world for a better place for good
The future won’t be saved; it’s too much to wait for
Yes, for good
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10. |
Until We're Bones
07:15
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The stories told conveyed a sense of unreal mystery
But blinding lights shone in my eyes, and I believed
You’d come so far to take me away and I’d be free
Well chances are that you’ve seen your share of disbelief
But flames consumed the world we loved and I could see
Headlong into my dreams
Raise me in the fire
I know we got this far but
There’s still a long way to go
Fear is all we are
I know we got this far but
There’s still a long way to go
Until we’re bones
Headlong into my dreams
Erase the start, I want to believe
I stood alone
It felt so much better
The ashes show
What you should have known;
My gleaming bones,
Reduced to coal and memories
I’ll rise alone
You should have known
Raise me in the fire
I know we got this far but
There’s still a long way to go
Hope is all we are
I know we got this far but
There’s still a long way to go
Until we’re bones
Until we’re only memories
I rise alone
It felt so much better
The ashes show
What you should have known
There's still a long way to go
Until we're bones
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11. |
The Red and the Grey
07:46
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They're watching us
They smell every weakness
But I own the cold grey of winter
And heard you coming
On this day we live until we die
You can leave the ground stained with the red
Or you can find the colors in the grey
And see another day
I don't plan for the world's end
Not even my own
It will come stalking us like prey
No shame in the path we ran
But I'll walk to enjoy the scene
And enjoy the light of the frozen trees
The stars never seemed so close
You can leave the ground stained with the red
Or you can find the colors in the grey
And see another day
I never feel to my knees and begged
I've always been here
You've always followed my steps in the snow
Once afraid but never shook
Even on the coldest nights
Cause you never live till you are ready to die
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Protean Collective Boston, Massachusetts
Progressive Metal from Boston, MA USA /// Join our mailing list here. ow.ly/tXuLk
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