Lyrics from the album, "Killed for Kings"

MORE OF THE SAME

Big world
Big star
How much?
How far will you go to get it all?
How high you build your castle walls
I see your church up on the hill
Never prayed there, never will
You drink his blood by the blessed light
I don’t know how you sleep at night

The king, he likes his money,
like he likes his fame
He prays to heaven only for more of the same,
more of the same

I had a seed, but it turned to dust,
a coat of armor ‘til it turned to rust
I made a child within a child,
born hungry, growing wild
I wake up
tick tock
kiss her cheek
punch the clock
come home
disappear
wonder what we’re doing here

The king weighs his offers,
while we drag our chains
But he can’t be bothered,
wants more of the same,
more of the same

Big world
Big star
How much?
How far?

SECONDS

Witness?
No time for a witness
White light in the distance, out there in the stillness
Faded from a cry of forever to a whisper of never,
but it helped me remember crawling on my hands and knees,
falling like a cut down tree in the backyard of my daddy’s house,
Red Rover, ‘til the moon spilled over the willow,
counting satellites in Acadia with the ocean’s song for a pillow,
and the Milky Way for a cradle,
where I made a vow that the only thing I’d ever need,
was open wide in front of me,
and the only life I’d leave behind was full of love before my time was through,
in a second or two

Wasted on the road to replacement
White lines on the dashboard from Miami to Graceland
Breakdown over Gunnison Canyon
Two nights in the backseat, until we left it abandoned
Held out for another season
Sold out
Couldn’t find a reason to face me
Didn’t take too long to replace me
Had to sing that song to get over on a red dirt girl out of Yuma,
with a one-eyed dog in a trailer and a dealer named Montezuma
Said he knew ya.

‘bout the only thing I didn’t see was laying right in front of me
and the only life I left behind that ever flashed before my eyes was you,
for a second or two

Good lie...

Witness?
Can I get me a witness?
Ten years in the shadow of the light of forgiveness
Staring in the other direction,
one ear to the heartbeat of my own resurrection
Wired to a lightning rod
Still waiting for an act of God to ignite me
Shouldn’t take that much to excite me
Didn’t take that much
when the only thing I’d ever need
was open wide in front of me
and the only life I’d leave behind
was full of love before my time was through
in a second or two

WHERE BELIEVERS DON'T GO

Light me up fast, shoot me down slowly
My roller coaster crashed
Monday morning train is Daddy's big secret
He's off the track again, saying
Hate me, love me, or carry me home,
where the high boys know me and believers don't go
If I had the money, I'da bought you some fun
Now, hate me, love me, or carry me home

Gentleman Sublime has gone to write verses
He couldn't buy a rhyme
He wrote himself a dream that never quite ended
He never found the time, to
hate me, love me, or carry me home,
where the schoolboys own me and believers don't go
If I knew the words, I would'a written you some,
like "hate me, love me, or carry me home."

I heard the screen door slam, but I never saw nothing
I couldn't bear to look at them
I spun the wheel again, put it all on temptation,
and she didn't change a thing, so,
hate me, love me or carry me home,
where the bad girls show me and believers don't go
I might've found somebody, but I lost me someone,
who would take me, love me and carry me home

CLIMB

Send me a signal, show me a sign
Tell me a riddle and I'll tell you mine
Gonna hold on to this feeling inside
and never let go of you

Stake your position, cover your back
Your apprehension is under attack
Better lay down with your honor intact
and never let go of me

Strike my igniter, burn down your wall
Nothing shines brighter than stars when they fall
Wanna love you by the light of them all
and never let go of you

I might be a rebel, I might be a prince
I might be the devil
Do you wanna dance?
Better hold on to this dizzy romance
and never let go of me

Here on the ceiling, everything’s fine
Blood turns to water, and water to wine
If you don’t believe me just climb, climb, climb

Hit the ground running, don't miss a turn
Keep the lie coming, don't say a word
Better hold on to that promise you heard
and never let go of me

Feed your desire, swallow your pride
Strung on my wire, wasting your time
trying to break free of this temple of mine
Never let go of you

Here on the ceiling, everything’s fine
Blood turns to water, and water to wine
If you don’t believe me, just climb, climb, climb

Enter my sinner, tell me it all
Nothing is cleaner than tears when they fall
Gonna drown you in the river, then I'll
never let go of you

DIAMOND MINES

Pistols and rags are coming over the hill,
looking for something to kill
You gotta do what you will
Missiles and flags are getting ready to fly,
and I don’t need to know why,
long as you let me inside
diamond mines
Isn’t that what you told me?
Diamond mines
Firing line
Diamond mines
Isn’t that what you showed me?

I keep my silence and you loan me a life,
three hungry kids and a wife,
something to sleep through the night
I drop my pennies in a jar by the bed
You keep a gun to my head
Still, I believe what you said

Diamond mines
Isn’t that what you sold me?
Diamond mines
Hiring line
Diamond mines
Isn’t that what you owe me?

You eat your secret to keep it concealed
Unlock your jaw, swallow it whole, soul revealed
Laid down my body to cover the odds
Paid off in blood, caught in the flood, cursing the gods

I rip my share from the soles of your shoes
I confess I'm confused,
but I got nothing to lose

Diamond mines
I don’t care what it costs them
Diamond mines
Mine, mine, mine
Diamond mines
I must be pretty awesome

IS ANYBODY THERE?

Mr. Denial is stealing a white limousine
Alone in the back ride a rocking horse king and his queen
Make up your mind, is it really a crime to be only half mad as you seem?
Nothing and All with a whole lot of days in between

Mystery Child sneaks up to the Unicorn King
Hops on his back for another immaculate fling
What does it matter she weeps in the saddle for such an unnatural thing?
A tear in the hand is worth more than a horse on the wing

Now she cries
Is anybody listening?
How she cries
Does anybody hear how she loved him?
How she loved him
Mama sighs, is anybody there?

Misery Queen on her elbows and knees by the lake
fixed at a pool on her unrecognizable face
So misconstrued was the man in the moon for the light he spilled onto this place
Caught in a mirror that only a cloud could erase

Now he fades
Is anybody looking?
How he fades
Does anybody see how he loved her?
How he loved her
Mama stares, is anybody there?

Mr. Denial is lying a while on the bed
All of those secrets still running around in his head
Chased a mirage to his one car garage with a finger held up to his head
Why could he never put three words together instead?

Shall we pray?
Is anybody listening?
Now we pray
Does anybody hear how we loved him?
How we loved him
Mama cries, is anybody there?

Now we sing
Is anybody listening?
How we sing
Does anybody hear how we love you?
How I love you
Mama smiles, is anybody there?

There's Only One

Don't call me Mister
Don't call me Sir
Don't try to whisper, child,
cuz I can hear every word
Born of disaster,
raised on the run
There's really no getting past it,
I'm the only one

Big Bang, Mona Lisa
Not to be outdone,
Father Time, Mother Teresa
There's only one

Faced my accuser,
tore off his mask
Broke bread with my abuser,
and all I had to do was ask
Cast out of Eden for having too much fun
It kind of stands to reason, Lord,
cuz I'm the only one

Big Bang, Mona Lisa
Not to be outgunned,
Kin Jong Il, Nebuchadnezzar,
There's only one

Now I lay me down,
on this spinning ground
Pray my life to take,
if I should talk before I wake

Don't call me Mister
Don't call me Sir
Don't ride the twister, child,
if you don't want to leave this world
Cuz it's never over, if the war's not won
So, I plan to live forever
I'm the only one

KISSES & CHAINS

Everybody knows about Fancy
Everybody smiles when she bleeds
Make you wanna take without asking,
is it real or make believe?

Shooting in a Hollywood basement
Playing to a hole in the ground
Waiting for a better engagement,
but nobody comes around

She saw him at a bus stop in Reno,
sipping from a bottle of wine
Slept on his lap from Delano,
to a station near Anaheim

But he wouldn’t let her break away,
from the kisses and chains,
in a prison of one-way mirrors
where nobody sees your face

And I want her on the inside,
by a penthouse mirror with the shades pulled down,
spinning round and round
But I hide it on the outside,
like a buckshot twister with a rainbow crown
Down, down…

Take It

In my dream, I blessed a man who would steal my water
In his hand a fountain pen,
a loaded gun in the other
In my sleep, I saw them crawl across a desert, praying,
on their knees,
while the thief rose before them, saying…

There it is… take it
Bottle your claim
Took an ice age to make it and five years to tame,
for the city of angels

A sinner ordained
Let it rain, rain, rain

There it is… taste it
Swallow your pride
Took an army to place it, and some of them died
Here’s to dust in the valley and mud in your eye

Let it rain, rain, rain

In my dream, devil’s fire spreading under me
Burns my feet
Paya, paya, kimati
In my world, day is dark across the windswept meadow
Cracks my tongue with a thirst that could last forever

There it is… take it
Holler your name
Turn the blood of this valley to piss and champagne,
in the city of angels,
a river of shame
Let it rain, rain, rain

There it is… wasted,
dumped on a lawn,
by the Beverly Hilton, for Hollywood pawns
Better smile for the camera before it’s all gone
Let it rain, rain, rain

What Are You Crying For?

What are you crying for?
What makes a life worth living a life worth dying for?
Who is the hunter now?
Who casts the shadow up upon your house of straw?

Nobody knows where you are today
Nobody huff and puff and blow your crib away
How many silver bullets held against your head?
How many gypsy spells to wake you from the living dead?
Full moon's coming so you had better stay inside
Full-on electric seesaw take you on that midnight ride
Don't tell me nothing about the wolf outside your door
Tell me, what are you crying for?

Who are you crying for?
Who showed you everything, now nothing evermore?
Where is the northbound train?
Where is the dog star light to lead her home again?

Nobody took no one else away
Nobody cares that it didn't have to be that way
How many petals on a summer wind?
Torn off and counted... don't you ever think of her again
Your guilty mind is stained like lipstick on a cigarette
Somewhere behind you there's a fire but you can't feel it yet
Mind over matter, like a walk across the coals
Tell me, who are you crying for?

What are you crying for?
What makes a silver dollar wash up on the shore?
What is the bottom line?
What is the difference between begged and borrowed time?

Nobody told you to spend it here
Nobody sold you a book of days filled with years
How long before all the words run out?
How long before you got nothing left to write about?
Deadline's coming, so you had better think again
But nothing rhymes with nothing,
and this old beginning needs an end
Sounds so poetic when you read it to the mirror
What are you crying for?
Why are you crying?

Nobody's waiting to cut your mane
No crown of thorns for the reigning king of pain
How many miles to the mountain top?
How many Jesus trips before all this bullshit stops?
You gotta choose between religion and reality
You gotta make it all add up now... one and one is really three
Don't leave me guessing, I can't take it anymore
Tell me, what are you crying for?

What are you crying for?
What kind of lamb could lead a lion to the killing floor?

Hammer Lee

They call me Wallace “Hammer” Lee,
clear all the way back to Tennessee
I broke my chains in Bristol town,
when there weren’t no one that could keep me down
But, they caught me running in Berryville,
put me on the line up at Matthew’s Hill
Where I shot their cannons, and cursed their pride,
as their metal rained on the other side
Hey, I’m no runaway
No runaway
Runaway

They dragged me back to the reverend’s farm,
and laid a branding iron into my arm
They gave me shelter and kept me fed,
and put the fear of god into my head
When I heard them lashing all night long,
at the colored man for his freedom song,
I found my courage, raised my nerve,
and by the morning, they’d got what they deserved
Hey, I’m no runaway
No runaway
Runaway

So, I made my way up to Chester town,
with my scars all hid, my head bowed down
I got some work at the navy yard
Kept the furnace hot, made the rudders hard
But, tonight I’m waiting up on this ridge,
for Ewell’s boys to cross that bridge
For all my brothers bought and sold...
By the grace of god, may there be no more
Hey, I’m no runaway
No runaway
No runaway

Last Train

When I was born, I never cried out,
until I had something to smile about
I never felt bad until it felt good,
breaking the hold of my father

God only knows why I had to be running
God only knows why I couldn’t have stayed

Never looked up
Never looked back
I wandered in circles to cover my tracks
Never enough
Double by half,
minus the souls of my brothers

God only knows if I need to keep running
God only knows if I need you to pray

Don’t bring the hurricane down on me
Tossed in the wake of your shadow
Darkness as far as the eye can see
Bottomless, empty or shallow?

In on the wind, from over my shoulder,
the riddle begins, "You’re not getting old..."
It’s a question of when to stop asking "what if"
No beginning no end, no one left unforgiven

Dawn of eternity shine on me
Out from the loneliest shadow
Morning as far as the eye can see
Faith once forsaken now hallowed

 

 

Lyrics from the album, "For the Loss of Divinity"

Sharks

It could have been you,
into the wild yonder blue,
With what you might have said if you only knew,
half written in a red diary,
falling to the jet black sea
Sharks in the water
bring me the news
Sharks in the water

It could have been me,
thirty-eight miles out of Kennedy,
dreaming in a field of fleur-de-lis,
crossing out words in a letter home,
pulled from the midnight foam
Sharks in the water
bring me the news
Sharks in the water
with video crews
"Are there any alive?"
Sharks in the water,
tears on demand
Devil's at the rudder
and we're watching the anchorman

What brought her down
is anyone's guess
Let me give you mine
I'm betting their skin's not white
And if it was them,
many more are gonna pay on their end
Now, I gotta get the sponsors in...
Sharks in the water
bring you the news
Sharks in the water
with video crews
"Are we live?"
Sharks in the water
Vengeance on command
Devil's at the rudder
and we're watching the anchorman

fourth of july

I hear the footsteps of Summer,
stealing like a runaway leaving home
Say another prayer for her
Let her go for the first time

Now July comes in bleeding,
swollen like a vampire crawling home
Shed a little light on her
Let her know for the first time

Freedom
Fly
Rocket high
Rainbow light shine down on us all
All I see is somewhere the stars fell from
All I hear whispers a wanderer's song
Always a long way to go
Funny, that she never may know,
when the end is in sight,
on this Fourth of July

Light the fuse, get away
Scare the colors into one more day
Chasing butterflies through minefields for the last time

Freedom
Fly
Rocket high
Rainbow light shine down on us all
All I see is somewhere the stars fell from
(One and all)
All I hear calls out the general's song,
"Liberty's on the way."
Strange that she never will say if the price is too high,
on this Fourth of July

Freedom
Fly
Rocket high
Heaven's light shine down on us all
All I see is somewhere the stars fell from,
(One and all)
All I hear rings out the mission bell's song,
Devil be gone to Hell
But, you know, he never did tell if the truth was a lie,
on this Fourth of July

Don't answer

If down was up, could you hold on?
You fall so easy
If love was a yo-yo, would you let go,
if it made you dizzy?
Don't answer
Don't answer for me
Don't answer
Don't answer for me

Some days you're a runner,
but, you're not sure why you're competing
Some games get you cornered by your own rules
Have we been cheating?
Don't answer
Don't answer for me
Don't answer
(Don't ask her)
Don't answer for me

I don't mind your behavior when you get lost,
if I find what pleases
But, you turned me into a savior on a double cross
Could I be Jesus?
Don't answer
Don't answer to me
Don't answer
You don't answer

shoot

Where would you be
if Daddy was a beltline salesman
who made you cry
and locked you in the shithouse basement?
Where would you be if Mama was an ice-cream sundae?
Sweet and cold and melted on the lips of someday
Some sunny day

Shoot, shoot,
another tattoo
might pull their eyes from the real world
to take notice of you
Head trip
Another pierced lip
might tear their ears from the real world
to take notice of this

Where would you land
if Daddy was an airplane crashing?
Overboard
pull the cord
and fall to rest in fields of fashion

Shoot, shoot,
another tattoo
might pull their eyes from the real world
to take notice of you
Guilt trip
Another pierced lip
might lay some blame on the real world
to take notice of this

Shine the bleeding skin,
you're not giving in
Turn the band of gold,
You're not getting old

Shoot, shoot,
another tattoo
might pull their eyes from the real world
to take notice of you
God trip
Another pierced lip
might offer prayers for the real world
to take notice of this

Shoot, shoot,
another tattoo
might pull their eyes from the real world
to take notice of you
Sex trip
The other pierced lip
could whisper soft for the real world
Take notice of this

You're not getting old...

I've got an answer

You wait another day
for some reason to chase my ghost way
But I am alive
in some other place
where spirits collide without a trace
I am alive
In the sun, 
on your border, 
through your walls, 
walking on your water, 
voice of the wind that lands on your shoulder, 
saying, "I've got an answer for you."

I dream in shadow light
on the faultline between our black and white
You are awake
on that rocky ground
where gray wild horses ride your heavens down
You are awake
in the sand
at my borders
through my hands
sinking in my water
sting of the wind that howls at my shoulder
saying, "I've got a question for you."

When did you know?
Where will you go?
For what price, freedom?

I've got a question for you
How far is deep?
Why still no sleep?
Who dared to love you?

I've got a question for you
When did you know?
Where will you go?
What price, confession?

I've got an answer for you.
How long is now?
Why drag this out?
Who dares to want you?

from the start

I don't know how to make sense of this
Promises...
You'd talk your way out, but the truth still silences
You don't show
You don't cry
and you don't care
Our blood is everywhere
How could you lie when the proof was already there?

Tell me truly
I need to relieve my heart
I don't want to go down believing
that it's been this way from the start

I have no place for what you hide from me
Mystery...
You show no faith in what's inside of me
I don't know
but I don't lie
and I don't care
My ghost is everywhere
How could we lose when the loss was already there?

Tell me truly
I need to relieve my heart
I don't want to go down believing
that it's been this way from the start
 
We don't live
We don't die
and we don't care
Our past is everywhere
How can we lose when the loss is already here? 
It's already here

for the loss of divinity

Streetlight halo
Outside she waits,
casting shadows of indifference,
like ghosts at my window pane
Slides the glass up,
glides 'cross the floor,
steals a minute of my sanity,
and leaves by the bedroom door
Admit no crime
Reveal no others
But, what you stole here is mine
I'm gonna take back my pride
I'm gonna pay back my brothers
I'm gonna break you inside
I'm gonna tear back your cover
All you owe me, you owe yourself,
for the loss of humility

Earthbound angel can't fly back home
Left heaven for the winter,
hell-bent and all alone
Lays the Devil,
then shows up one night,
with a song about redemption,
and I sold my soul alright
Confess no sin
Disguise your fire
But, if you burn me again
I'm gonna take back my pride
I'm gonna pay back my brothers
I'm gonna break you inside
I'm gonna tear back your cover
I'm gonna capture my soul
I'm gonna slay your old lovers
And, if you try to let go?
If you try to let go?
You owe me
You owe yourself for the loss of divinity

brothers

Everybody feels a chain reaction
I caught you sleepwalking again, 
into heavy traffic
Where the world is slowing down,
you're spinning faster,
on the white line between Mama's ghost
and Dad's disaster

Big brother, take two steps back
I'm not looking for an open hand
Been a while getting back on track
You don't need to think it over, or understand

Lay the bottle down,
now don't be silent
I've been there too
Our history shows we can't sneak by it

Every one's showing two sides
Every two make one more lie
If I look bad on the outside, brother,
inside I'm making one more try,
one more time,
to find my fears,
blind zero,
twenty-nine years,
my ego

And, it's one for the long road
More straw for the back
You carry on
Two more for their lost souls
New blood on the tracks
You carry on
One for tomorrow
Too late for the name we carry on
Carry on
One more time,
to find my fears,
blind zero,
twenty-nine long years,
my ego

Outside the walls of heaven
no love could ever, ever lead you back

Everybody feels a chain reaction

new year's day

There is a lost summer,
caught in a frozen cry, 
on the banks of freedom, 
on the brink, you and I
For your honor, maybe, 
for your release I might
make a wish now, baby
God, it's so cold tonight

There is no godmother
after the last bell chimes, 
spinning yarn for another
hand me down alibi
Shattering glass slippers, 
breaking the rules of flight
Did you hear me whisper
at the stroke of midnight?

We all belong
Survive
We all belong
Try

As it was, born of violence, 
crying out mother's tears. 
As it is, sworn to silence. 
Is it so many years?

File the old promise
under the newborn lie
When it wakes up hungry, 
better we say goodbye
Counting down our reasons
for so long it's been this way, 
that I don't know what to wish for, 
by the next New Year's Day

We all belong
Survive
We all belong
Try

As it was, born of violence, 
crying out mother's tears
As it is, sworn to silence
Is it so many years?

doubt

Oh my golden one,
do you see their eyes stare in wonder?
Oh my Holy one,
do you feel the spell they're under?
Tell me trusted one,
did you hear a voice on the mountain?
So why do you run like a fatherless child from the garden?

Oh brother,
it's a lone man's doubt
Tell them all brother,
it's a long way down

Oh my pretty one,
does he fill your heart with fire?
Oh chameleon,
what is the color of blind desire?
Oh my dirty one,
if the words of a man compel you,
can you overcome what the sweet lips of God long to tell you?                                                              
Oh sister,
it's a lone man's doubt
Tell them all sister,
it's a long way down.

Save me, save me
Wash my eyes clean
Show me how sure
Are my thoughts pure?

All the ones you saved,
to shower the roses
By their kiss betrayed
By their innocent rage you are chosen

Oh Father,
it's a lone man's doubt
Tell them all Father,
it's a long way down