LYRICS

Set out on my nightly walk, I’m hit by September air

It’s colder than it has been and I can’t help but stare

At the matte of the sky, not a star in sight

Just the featureless grays from the streetlights

The darkest corners betray that there is something outside

A universe to be seen, infinite cosmos alive

That I can only catch the faintest echoes of

Because the world down below blankets the wonders above

I will not bend, I will not break

I will not meet my fate halfway

Closing my, closing my, closing my eyes

Picture the, picture the, picture the time

Stars’d shine bright in the black of the sky

Down to the, down to the, down to the earth

Under the canopies, over the dirt

Drown in the cycle of death and rebirth

An empire in decay, a mausoleum foreclosed

Force my way into the mall, the lock broke off long ago

Respite away from the haze that's bearing down on my soul

Trade in smoke and gasoline for dust, ammonia, and mold

Each step inside sends a crunch bouncing around these old walls

drop-ceiling tiles and glass poke through the soles of my shoes

I climb the stairs just to see an inky void above me

But there’s a skylight instead; it seems I cannot break free 

I will not bend, I will not break

I will not meet my fate halfway

Closing my, closing my, closing my eyes

Picture the, picture the, picture the time

Stars’d shine bright in the black of the sky

Down to the, down to the, down to the earth

Under the canopies, over the dirt

Drown in the cycle of death and rebirth

Closing my, closing my, closing my eyes

Picture the, picture the, picture the time

Stars’d shine bright in the black of the sky

Down to the, down to the, down to the earth

Under the canopies, over the dirt

Drown in the cycle of death and rebirth

I will not bend, I will not break

I will not meet my fate halfway

Closing my, closing my, closing my eyes

Picture the, picture the, picture the time

Stars’d shine bright in the black of the sky

Down to the, down to the, down to the earth

Under the canopies, over the dirt

Drown in the cycle of death and rebirth

I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know why

I cannot 

Don’t wanna, don’t wanna, don’t wanna stay awake but

I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know how

If I could live anytime other than now

Would it still, would I still meet the same fate?

Open field of stones

The path that’s cracked and dry

Repeating dreams of green

Remind that there’s still life

South faces home

Alone I make the drive

Moving towards

The place I left behind

Strike from the top

Shatter the lock,

Cut up a hand on that chain link fence

Shuttered and closed

Left all alone

The ivy greets me like an old friend

North-facing moss

Stuck on a rock that never changes

Pointing towards

What I thought would disconnect me

I can't revert to what I once was 

although, maybe that’s fine

This place remains, pulling me backwards

A line that I can’t sever

Frozen moments thaw

Remember all you saw

Awaken to a world that won't remember you

Like you remember it

Eyes reopen

To let the light back in

The dark had you down, but you crawled out of the cold, cold, cold ground

Daddy's got you now

Mom turns away

Repulsed by your state of decay

Dad holds you close, he just feels cold, cold, cold,

But you bear it for his sake

Mom says "this is wrong,

What in God's name have you done?

That corpse is cold and lacks my baby's soul

A twisted mockery of my love"

You manage to croak out

A sound once familiar to your mouth

An "mmm," then an "ahhh," something you can say without your tongue

To show her you're awake

"My child is dead, and you stand in his stead

You're wrapped in his skin, but don't you dare call me 'mom' like you're him.

You're a husk, ash to ash, dust to dust

You contaminate his flesh" and at that she raised her hand and she fell

[Reprise]

"I'm not your son,

to you, I'm no one

You try to return me to what's natural to you,

But to me, what's done is done"

"I'm not your son,

To you, I'm no one

You look at my face, and you see what you want,

What I can't become"

I dreamt I saw a train

A great steel rail that ran in vain

Cause all the tracks were torn or sunk into the earth

Ramblers settled down

Sleepin’ in old railcars, big steel graveyards

They made tea with pine needles they found

If I could only see the world the way I

Know it used to be, I know that I would

Understand something that I forgot

Sunlight filled the air

But the trees’ dark cover blocked its stare

The wind did whisper its own private prayer

Chug chug chug along

The passengers are dead and gone

But the ghosts of travel can never move on

If I could only see, the world the way I

Know it used to be, I know that I would

Understand something that I forgot

Awake, I saw the rails

All grown over, empty shells

Of strangers searching for something they can tell

A dream is just a dream

The past has passed, but what that means

Is still lost on me

If I could only see, the world the way I

Know it used to be, I know that I would

Realize what it means to pass the time