1. |
New Teeth
03:26
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NEW TEETH
pulling at old threads, digging for maps, and legends, and keys
because my left hand don't know what the right has up it's sleeve
all the wars I've fought with sorrow,
and the wild ghosts of “what-might-have-beens”
I'm sharpening resolve and true aim, I'm learning to use up all the pain
1, 2...this is where I, start to count to 10
I want to, I want to, start up a riot in heaven and in hell
name your faith, what's your reason to survive
whatever it may be, we've got operators standing by
yeah I know, yeah I know, you say you hate it,
but that's always been your best defense
until what goes around, starts coming around
and you go to ground, as my heart breaks like a record
the day bleeds, and I'm shedding my old skin, and growing new teeth
we'll be, burning through the skies like fallen dreams
that's when I come to, stretching out my spine, swinging from the trees
I don't know where I begin, so I'll begin right where I stand
you and me slowly breathe into the light
at breakneck speeds we all live, and fuck, and die
the wars that we lived for, are what killed us in the end
some people will break, and some bend,
some lie awake, and some mend
the day bleeds, and I'm shedding my old skin, and growing new teeth
we'll be, burning through the skies like fallen dreams
that's when I come to, pushing past my spine, swinging from the trees
I don't know where I begin, so I'll begin right where I stand
the day bleeds, and I'm shedding my old skin, and growing new teeth
trust me, anything else is just history
set free from the crushing weight of apathy
I don't know where I begin, so I'll begin right where I stand
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2. |
Rumble
04:08
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RUMBLE
well you could have won a medal, for all the shit you pulled
raise a glass for all things you killed
stubborn as the weather, or the wicked or the dead
you left orphaned hearts, and tons of time to fill
so
why are you still talking, when I can see your heart's breaking
the toys in your attic, got stuck playing your heartstrings
every day I'm flirting with disaster,
every night my thoughts rumble in the dark
in life you'll find some are princes, some are bastards
I'm just talking trash, with ghosts out in the park
with these keys to dead cities, half asleep, but well fed
with homemade scars as maps to avoid the coming storm
“when moments stutter with beginnings, you leave a trail of bread”
the only words you said that ever kept me warm
so tell me
how are you still sleeping, with all the sound and the fury
I may not know what the day brings,
but let's hope it's not more of the same thing
every day I'm flirting with disaster,
every night my thoughts rumble in the dark
in life you'll find some are princes, some are bastards
I'm just talking trash, with ghosts out in the park
you said you can see the bird hung around my neck
but look on the bright side, it's what helps me to forget
takes me too long to explain, cause I always start to digress
I've waited a lifetime to get this weight up off my chest
yeah, yeah, yeah
why do you keep talking, when I can see your heart's breaking
I may not know what the day brings,
but let's hope it's not more of the same thing
every day I'm flirting with disaster,
every night my thoughts rumble in the dark
in life you'll find some are princes, some are bastards
I'm just getting high, with ghosts out in the park
with ghosts out in the park, with ghosts out in the park,
with ghosts out in the park
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3. |
Speechifying (Anthem)
04:22
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SPEECHIFYING (ANTHEM)
you made me weightless
shameless, but only for a time
I got lost in the lights and in tonight
so let's just face it
between you and I, you were never mine
all we did was kill some time
there's no mercy anywhere, and no one seems to care,
what don't you understand?
all my lies and alibis, and all my speechifying,
made sure that I stayed blind
true, love is shapeless, and makes even my
baseless lies and alibis
shrivel up in the daylight
I know nothing is painless,
when these old ghosts are holding me tight
sometimes, I'm too tired to try
there's no mercy anywhere, and no one seems to care,
what don't you understand?
all my lies and alibis, and all my speechifying,
made sure that I stayed blind
the truth is based on perspective
the least effective way to get to wrong or right
win or lose, we've already thrown the fight
I'm full up on weakness
this sickness, holding me behind
let me grow fast, cause it's past due time
there's no mercy anywhere, and no one seems to care,
what don't you understand?
all my lies and alibis, and all my speechifying, made sure that I stayed blind
there's no mercy anywhere, and no one seems to care,
why don't I understand?
all my lies and alibis, and all my speechifying, made sure that I stayed blind
the truth, is based on perspective
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4. |
Thieves
03:27
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THIEVES
why won't you let me, put a bug in your ear
I'll use a whisper, to bottle your fears
I fight with lightning, I wash away years
I make discoveries, won't sleep at the wheel
and if you can, tell me why, why,
come on, tell me why, why
some things are broken, and they should stay that way
they should stay that way
the in-crowd has spoken, so let me do my thing
and just burn, burn, burn
I don't listen to the voices, even though they're friends I can't lose
'cause I make the hard choices, I write my own blues
I split the ocean, and the sky in two
then shower devotion upon the chosen few
and if you can, tell me why, why,
tell me, why, why
we are all born broken, but meant for bigger things
yeah, we're meant for bigger things
but nothing gets done, once everybody's had their say
so let's burn, burn, burn
I'm just trying to find my way, so I'll lie, lie, lie down with thieves
from what I'm told, there's no escaping fate, so I might as well
lie, lie, lie down with thieves
now I know, these are my golden days, so I will lie, lie, lie down with thieves
in from the cold, my only saving grace, was to lie, lie, lie down with thieves
at least in thieves I can believe
in thieves, I can believe
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5. |
Murmuration
06:50
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MURMURATION
we sat for hours in conversation
with 'Drums and Wires' on the tape deck
through angel teeth, you said we'd judge the seeds by the harvest
you were eloquent, but I'm not content with only darkness
with only darkness
because this sound in my heart's a murmuration
and each synapse hums it's true translation
ideas and isotopes bleed radiation
as I'm guided by new chemicals, through neural constellations
now is the time
be wise to omens and falling skies
hold your head high, because you,
you should try,
you should at least try to climb,
at least try to climb
I've spent thirty years asleep, sailing secret oceans
but there comes a time, for an inside-revolution
I'm burning up at seven miles a second
and tearing up roots, hoping the truth will soothe,
with a deep and patient science
hold your head high
be wise to omens and falling skies
so look alive
because you, you should try
try to climb
help has arrived
be wise to omens and falling skies
now is the time, because you
you should try,
you should at least try to climb
I'll take my sorrow, I'll transform and I'll bend it to my will
into gold, lead, and iron, into a diamond nestled at the center of this shell
one day like a lion, one day to begin, to start again
Life's moving in circles
diving and swooping overhead
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6. |
Meddlesome
05:40
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MEDDLESOME
so let me take a second, let me lay it out,
and explain it all to you
I think it's worth a mention, that you were all shadowed doubt,
but I know now, that was the best that you could do
you'd think twice, while I tied a knot in my tongue
there's good advice, and then there's just being meddlesome
you're just being meddlesome
I could have used a sextant, to try to figure out
which direction I should choose
pay no mind to the elephant, sitting in the room,
who kind of looks tired and confused, so confused
you'd think twice, while I tied a knot in my tongue
there's good advice, and then there's just being meddlesome
you say that this can wait until tomorrow,
but we both know that could take forever
there's nothing that you're missing,
but you just keep on wishing
because you could never be content,
and you say goodbye because it's obvious
the drugs are no longer helping, although I could have sworn
that for years they were my muse
with every moment I'm left guessing, as to why my brain,
won't do what I tell it to do
you'd think twice, while I tied a knot in my tongue
there's good advice, and then there's just being meddlesome
you say that this can wait until tomorrow,
but we both know that could take forever
there's nothing that you're missing,
but you just keep on wishing
because you could never be content,
and you say goodbye because it's obvious
you'd think twice, while I tied a knot in my tongue
there's good advice, and then there's...
I'm drunk and tired, and I realize
at least we tried, it's not much of a surprise
that it's no one's fault, and what's more, that's all,
we stand absolved, my pockets full of salt
a murder of crows, above me moves,
it flows, and fills the sky with jet-black stars
this phantom limb, points where I've been
"remember when...", is no way to get going again
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7. |
Kung-Fu Grip
03:02
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KUNG-FU GRIP
with lightning, I am delivered
I'm the father of lies, of starting up fires, I'm riding my chemistry
in sunshine, am elated
I'm killing the blues, pain into fuel
my beasts still soothed, by music as remedy
no, I won't stop until everything is mine,
fight the dying light, because all we've got is borrowed time
a strong right hand, the beauty of triggers
I'm using my words, king of the birds, burying dynasties
stop right there, it's too familiar
the stories I've told, loosen their hold,
from copper to gold, I am elegant machinery
from the top, all you see is down, down, down
the sweetest gift so far...
now what are you going to do when the lights go out
there's no one here to save you and you can't shut up about
all the things that you had to do without
you say you'd sell your soul,
but you dare not lose control
just let yourself go
I'm not blameless, but that's called surviving
scattering dust, murdering tongues, honing my skills and speed
surrender,
when you surrender
surrender
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8. |
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DEAD STARS SHINE
(PULLEYS/WEIGHTS)
It comes in waves, and it breaks my heart
it tears me apart, right down the middle, the middle, the middle
then it starts to subside, and like the morning tide
by two shores I'm forever tied, all the while I'm still fighting my devils
dead stars will still shine tomorrow, but still you wait
no matter what I say
and I'll try to stop using a hammer, and pulleys, and weights,
to put it all back in place
it's the ocean's roar, or the day right before
your whole world is torn, “nothing's simple” is becoming my hymnal
like tin foil on teeth, it's what stirs beneath
sleeps in darkest seas- my skin, habit, heart, mapped in symbols
dead stars will still shine tomorrow, but still you wait
no matter what I say
and I'll try to stop using a hammer, and pulleys, and weights,
to put it all back in place
dead stars shine, across the great divide
carrying their light, adding distance and speed, to time
I carry the signs of a well run dry
seen through a dead's god's eye
flashing earthquake lights, for a last goodbye
dead stars will still shine tomorrow, but still you wait
no matter what I say
and I'll try to stop using a hammer, and pulleys, and weights,
to put it all back in place
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9. |
Naked Empire
03:46
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NAKED EMPIRE
one moment lasts forever, as we drown deep in love's river
our ecstatic heights delivered
and carried to the sea
ghosts of the sweet hereafter, hear my peels of joyful laughter,
here's me with my list of things that really matter
most of which are things that you can't see
here goes nothing
I've heard you say that before
but don't you want something more
can I get a day where I can breathe,
where every thought's not so g-damned complicated
one day, where I can just be
I know that
out of the things that I remember,
it was our brief, but too-deep glimmer,
yeah, the spirit of you lingers
then breaks like waves on a salty sea
here goes nothing
I've heard you say that before
but don't you want something more
things fall apart but that's just half the story
so I stole some things, and glued together wings
I know you're scared but they say no guts no glory
brand new clothes for a naked king
things fall apart but that's just half the story
so I pulled some strings, and glued together wings
I know you're scared but they say no guts no glory
brand new clothes for a naked king
brand new clothes for him
brand new clothes for a naked king
brand new clothes for him
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10. |
Bearing Witness
04:56
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Bearing Witness
lights are flashing, bells are ringing,
why don't you tell me what I've won
it doesn't matter, it'll never be enough
those coming rain-clouds sure look heavy,
fat and swollen with the colour of blood
so can the chatter, because there's a reckoning to come
yeah, I'll sit here bearing witness, and watch you slowly come undone
I'd do anything to help you, but we missed that train
and now I'm turning brave into strong
it'll break your heart if you let it, you've had less of a life than most anyone
and all the things that will never happen, now lie sleeping in my heart
I'd rather be clever than gifted, 'cause have you seen how the world is run?
it's cold-hearted, and not fit for daughters or sons
not fit for daughters or sons
yeah, I'll sit here bearing witness, and watch you slowly come undone
I'd do anything to help you, but we missed that train
and now I'm turning brave into strong, I'm turning brave...
so I'll keep kicking at the darkness,
but I don't give a fuck about the answers
for all I care, they can all disappear
from up here
I'll be putting on my best, lighting fuses to rockets
to fill the air, I'll burn your name up there
I'll sit here bearing witness, and hope that the shape of things to come
will somehow show you that I love you
you'll have no more pain,
and St. Peter will greet you with a song,
with a song
with a song, with a song
it'll break your heart if you let it...
with a song, with a song, with a song
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Better Living Through Chemistry Ottawa, Ontario
Better Living Through Chemistry are a straight up rock band, with clever lyrics and catchy
hooks.
They have a bad case of broken strings, cracked cymbals, and buzzing mics. Schooled in the alternative music scene of the 80s and 90s, this band wears their influences (The Replacements, Faith No More, R.E.M., & Soul Asylum, (among many others) on their collective sleeves...like badges of honour.
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