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Dying to Exonerate the World

by Counterpunch

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1.
I feel like a shooting star That can do no wrong Burning out so bright while Dying to exonerate the world Feel the burn of re-entry As a glimmer of hope it Lumbers through my dried veins The air’s too thin to keep fueling the flames I am but a spark A memory held hostage in such high revere A neurotoxin cocktail mixed with fear And I won’t live like this With discrepancies and sorrow Following in the distance While the skeletons are waiting for their call Your heroes are our ghosts Nothing but a film of dust That hides the truth As stubborn winds blow by And it’s blocking the sunlight And infecting the air Just let it out The predators are patrolling the roost Protecting their false idols and their great ideals Holding back their sure fire fall from grace From a demigod down to an anti hero The legacy’s been locked in place A stacked deck up the sleeve just in case And I won’t live like this With discrepancies and sorrow Following in the distance While the skeletons are waiting for their call Your heroes are our ghosts Nothing but a film of dust That hides the truth As stubborn winds blow by We all have our demons waiting in the night Standing just beyond our sight But time conquers all The heroes that you speak of Are nothing but a ghost to me Another log on the funeral pyre Dripping with deceit like gasoline Time conquers all And their time will come The skeletons are so patient Waiting for their call Your heroes are our ghosts Nothing but a film of dust That hides the truth As stubborn winds blow by We all have our demons waiting in the night Standing just beyond our sight But time conquers all And it’s blocking the sunlight And infecting the air The skeletons are so patient Waiting for their call
2.
Oh God help me out of this quicksand Waist deep in apathy the struggle brings us closer to the ultimate demise Appease the emptiness no need to fill the void cause time and space never factored in This attachment to a childhood dream It’s the struggle that brings us together It’s the smile on a perfect stranger And as the tide rolls in on the demons within reality loosens it’s hold And it’s cold It chills to the bone And all I can think of is home Try not to sit on your hands this life will pass you buy Don’t take for granted a single breath I know it’s not the easiest concept Were not just creatures of habit here to punch the clock It’s the struggle that brings us together It’s a smile on a perfect stranger And as the tide rolls in on the demons within reality loosens it’s hold And it’s cold it chills to the bone and all I can think of is home Gravity This party’s over and I’m gunna lose it I can feel the strings pulling me down now My cover’s open Too late to start it over And now I feel that I’m losing control And it’s cold it chills to the bone and all I can think of is home And how I want to leave this place get out on the road Get out on the road and never come home Let’s go! So grab my hand save me from sinking I’m all out of faith and hope so trust is all we’ve got I never saw the light at the end of the tunnel You came into view but out of focus
3.
How can you sleep next to me? So pleasantly and so peacefully Knowing what I know Each day it seems our lives will be Shortened by poor philosophy Can you hear me now? Don’t you let me down We can only watch and wonder as moments pass us by The atmosphere is so electric I think I know why I’ve got nothing that you want Nothing that you need Waiting for the sweet disaster in between Let’s plant the seed of doubt Between us both Trampling on our four leaf clovers Instead of looking down Let’s work it out You’re taking aim on your sworn enemies But you’re slightly off the trajectory Don’t let me down Don’t you let me down Can’t pull the trigger now can you On an honest plague that feels at home The buildup is killing me Can somebody please break this clean
4.
This is our holiday From ducking down or keeping quiet Not to my dismay Your fate hangs Next to the gallows It’s no big surprise Your charms are on display You better watch your step ‘Cause this one minds his prey Oh no he’s lost his place ‘Aint that a shame The congregation sure wants in Cause they know him by name Everybody says that you’re an asshole Guess I can say that you’re an asshole I can say that you’re an asshole now Just stand quiet No body’s listening anyhow No honey don’t try it No-no-no-no-no-no-noooo Once a prodigal son Now a tip-toeing fool Keep your distance Cause this one just might lose his cool Oh no he’s lost his place Aint that a shame The congregation sure wants in Cause they know him by name Everybody says that you’re an asshole Guess I can say that you’re an asshole I can say that you’re an asshole now
5.
I wrote this song because I need a little therapy for free Face the facts that have come to pass Clean the slate and drop the dead weight Cause I don’t think I’ve never had the time I’ve learned to just react Every time I’m on the edge of a breakthrough The bulb just popped inside my head I see the light in total darkness The gray matter sprayed against the wall And I will do my best to reconnect receptors neural filament Add color to the cold and lifeless eyes And bear witness as I pull the plug on Constraints and anchors It won’t take long To pick up the pieces and say I will be the best memory that you fuck up It’s just my luck You’ve ripped me from the inside Save me from your history ‘Cause I don’t want to hear it anymore Look into your broken past Like the thought of me would mend those cracks Falling through a few years back the truth Did you really think you’d keep your secret And all this time I thought I knew you So I was wrong about you Does that mean I have to suffer I guess this is goodbye to what we had I guess this is goodbye And bear witness as I pull the plug on Constraints and anchors it won’t take long to pick up the pieces and say New beginnings start from an ending What doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger I made a promise to myself to never forget….never forget I will be the best memory that you Fuck up It’s just my luck You’ve ripped me from the inside Save me from your history ‘Cause I don’t want to hear it anymore It’s the same old story
6.
We go through our lives Never knowing what is real As time passes by We neglect what we think we feel With the curtains closed They carry out their sick sick dance ’cause With the curtains closed they’ve buried my eyes Come closer We’ll stack the bodies for warmth Our security blanket’s integrity’s compromised It’s been picked clean of its skin As we follow the invisible diligent worker bee Making his way back Down into the landslide The conditions are perfect Rest assured the anxiety’s high Just lie still in the darkness They can’t hear your cries With your finger on the trigger It’s no matter that you’re feeling all alone Pulled by the strings of another Have you forgotten how to play with buried eyes Don’t pay attention To the beacon burning a pale red Dimming, as aspirations will wear thin and dissapear Like hopes born from grandeur Our heavy hearts sink deeper To the bottom of the bay How dare you tug back now Have you decided that you’ve lost your will to live The scars on your back now Will turn into broken neck If you don’t turn back Stay close now They’ve taken away all the slack An egregious act drawn out While fickle desperate men maintain control Is there anybody listening anymore? Is there anybody left to find a cure at all? Does anyone still care for it? With your finger on the trigger It’s no matter that you’re feeling all alone Pulled by the strings of another It’s no matter that your heart feels just like stone With your finger on the trigger It’s no matter that you’re feeling all alone The pauper and the puppeteer Their twisted dance plays ever on
7.
We Believe 03:09
You come crawling Like a wounded child No need to stop you now You’re tail’s tucked straight between your Legs that are failing you now You’ve broken down Right before our eyes and it’s no surprise We believe We believe in this The unseen Feeding on apathy We can’t fall asleep while stuck behind the wheel While others struggle to maintain content to suffer As we move on From the past our grave concessions will weigh heavy on our hearts But we’ll push on until we reach beyond We seek the truth Will the hardened Kindly place their scowls A justified recourse Convenient half-truths Can you swallow Being left behind A twisted photograph doctored and leaked I’m fine We believe We believe in this The unseen Feeding on apathy You’re falling down and wasting time Behind the ruins The choice is yours I won’t persuade Behind the ruins You try to drag our dreams through the mud While they’re still treading down our backs We believe in this Life we won’t fall in line Or be left behind Here with nothing to hide We won’t be denied You’re falling down and wasting time You’re falling down I know you aren’t speaking true Old enough to finally see through The bullshit of better days With open eyes
8.
Hold on! Stay strong! White knuckled and bruised We’re going down Knocked around so long It’s hard to tell what’s up from down Derailed! Entrails! Dropping drastically further unto the floor The air has been let out Now we’re dropping like a rock Tuned in utter disbelief All we’re left with is what we’ve been told Brought to you by the highest bidder I can’t believe it still surprises you to learn We’ve been sold out! And I’m holding on to a photograph Of the American dream gone wrong Shattered by intolerance and greed Turning a blind eye and shadow casting While you’re in your time of need Tyrant! Despot! The rats you’ve hatched are home to roost Why can’t you understand? They’ve already barged through The reckoning will be so swift and bittersweet So sorry to have ruined your day A paper tiger will never catch its prey Post the video for all to see Inflated high and proud How can we still find the balls to pound our chests While the foundation’s crumbling from under our feet From under our feet Did you notice? We’ve been sold out! Come see your favorite pundit finally coming clean We’ve made our bed but we’re scared We won’t go to sleep A recipe so ripe for hate The sugar buzz is wearing off it’s getting late This bed of roses smells like rotting piles of shit And the lullaby is sounding more like empty rhetoric Meanwhile the tiger marches to its drunken beat Fucked up on Valium and huffing cans of kerosene You better take my hand You better hold on tight I think we’re going down My God we’re going down I’m holding on To a photograph stripped Down to black and white Hanging crooked in the frame At least we know where to place the blame I’m holding on to these photographs Of the American dream gone wrong Shattered by intolerance and greed Turning a blind eye and shadow casting While you’re in your And I’m holding on to these photographs Of the American dream goes wrong Shattered by intolerance and greed Turning a blind eye and shadow casting While you’re in your time need Tyrant! Despot! It’s done! The rats we hatch come home to roost
9.
The architect, iconoclast, martyr and the money changer Modern knights of the round table With their finger on the trigger A puppet show the world’s to blind to see Attach the strings of destiny Watch the rich eat the poor blind and dumb It’s been like this for years and our actions Crave more poverty more neglect more reason to disconnect This loss of focus is their master plan Now they have the upper hand Don’t expect to be cut free From the strings of destiny Don’t expect to be cut free From the strings Taste the revolution on your lips As the world economy watches you slip through the cracks of time The truth holds bittersweet responsibilities The writing’s on the wall but not cast in stone Our culture has been whitewashed It’s time to take it back It starts with education based on fact Not graphic novels scribed by the victors Oral tradition and hope based scriptures Don’t expect to be cut free From the strings of destiny Don’t expect to be cut free From the strings of destiny With one foot on the hill this knight stands proud Shoulders back as they gaze on the horizon At this proud moment we get our chance To charge the cracks, chew the flesh Push them back until they see We’ve cut the strings of destiny Until we’re truly free
10.
When it seems like life has got you on the ropes and on the run Slow down you don’t want to miss a thing Once again you’ll have your back up against the wall Don’t turn around this might be your curtain call With the same old song and dance We leave the blind leading dumb The deaf will lead the mute To an ideal point of view While marching on Drawing closer to the tolling knell Here’s to pushing right back at their call Before it’s too late to tell if we’ll disconnect I’m on borrowed time And I’m in over my head I’ll swallow my pride This time I’m fine Forget the pomp and circumstance We’re bleeding out while moving on A tiny price to pay for a second chance To bring them to their knees We’re not breaking rank not just yet Because they might still suspect So we’ll stay their course And we’ll take our chances Before it’s too late to tell if we’ll disconnect I’m on borrowed time And I’m in over my head I’ll swallow my pride This time I’m fine After all we’ve done This kettle is finally boiling over I just hope that it goes a little more sweet than sour With your head in your hands and your heart in the ground This isn’t close to over now that I’m scaring sober When you think that you can’t keep falling down Wipe the teardrops from your eyes and heed the call When you can’t cotterize the wounds Even while your back is breaking, don’t let your hands keep shaking With a head full of steam and your heart filled with guilt This isn’t close to over thank God I’m scaring sober I’m on borrowed time The ghosts I’ve left behind are slowly catching up to me this time But I’ll be fine I’m in over my head The currents take me deeper Slowly disappearing Desperately choking down the air
11.
So we stare at the sun While we flap our clipped wings Never understanding the burn we received From what we believed was right Add to this if they had known Who knew? It’d be taken away The truth lies just beneath this A piston popping with no release valve now The outward-bound cast to dwell in this downward spiral Our backs are broken from the weight of the fall Star-ward gazing while we stand up and we stand tall ‘Cause we both know that we might get our shot tonight To be something more than this Our blessed curse sealed with a deadly kiss Full speed ahead on these half drawn sails Our breath won’t fail us now You can save the world a million times but get credit for the fall Even though you had nothing to with it Nothing to do at all We kept this dream alive straight-laced with suicide Don’t slouch down boy You’ll only orchestrate your fall Fifty miles above this all You can hear the complacent complying And the ignorant few multiplying All while trying to wake up the already dead This is not what we believe A candy-coated lie filled with broken dreams That’s tearing apart at the seams But this time I will never turn my back on you No matter what’s been said or everything I had to do And when it’s time I hope I’m not the only one With guns out blazing But will you be awestruck staring? Without raising a fist or raising your voice Scoffed at the thought of a choice We wait for the eye of the storm to pass by Punch-drunk in pursuit of an abstract ideal When I’m just trying to feel out something real We kept this dream alive straight-laced with suicide Devoid of foolish pride All we have’s forsaken The heartless have just taken it for themselves Just walk away Don’t shoulder the weight of the world
12.
Parasites Digging deeper with every bite To pick apart your soul Hold on or you’re gunna lose control Can’t you see Everyone else is listening But you’ve tuned them out The drones chime in Singing all along As they scream C’mon join the crowd Forget about the proving ground And fall into the easy way out Stop making choices Stop thinking for yourself It’s time to just roll over and accept what’s been laid out for you Why can’t you Lead by example Why can’t you Be who you are I’ve got one burning question Can you picture someone else inside yourself? Quit grazing in their pasture Sipping from the same trough They’ll make it smell so sweet It’s cotton candy for the masses So plain but it’s so hard to resist Join in! The water’s warm and everyone is waiting for you there Stop wasting time Just fall in line Hey mom and dad Are you thankful that they’ve listened thus far To all your broken records Blood stained red Burn it all down Call in the wrecking crew The bandwagon’s way off course The driver is dead at the wheel Resist! It’s so hard to resist! It’s time to make a scene Cause this one’s been stripped clean of it’s life Won’t redeem So broken No hearted queen of denial Stop running from the past Cause we all feel the same So broken No Hearted Discarded we can deny ‘em Quit grazing in their pasture Temptation! Suffocation! It’s cotton candy for the masses They’ll make it smell so sweet Scenester kids at the punk rock show Staring at me now Staying put but primed for reaction Hey there kids Where do you tuck your balls? Are they back up in your pants Tighter than my favorite spandex What are you searching for? Do you think that you’ll find it here? Is it acceptance you want? Smugly hidden in your stare Hey there kids At the punk rock show Do think that you’ve seen it all? Does something big lie on the horizon? For you and all you friends Headed for the door Well I won’t say goodbye Because you never said hello
13.
So Long 04:41
I'm down at the end The end of my rope Hanging by a thread And I can't recall How I got here at all Things were so grand Dreams were so big The hurdles in between Seemed small to me Now they're everything I see eclipsing me But there's no turning back as I patiently wait For the overburdened sole to drop it's weight It's dreams like this that kill a man It's dreams like this that make me say So long goodbye my friend You're never gunna make it Never gunna make it on our own Please don't speak and make this harder than it has to be On either one of us Don't think I haven't thought about it So much time I've spent here wondering just where you're at Are you here with me? Can you hear me now or never The wasted years and sleepless nights Has led me here to a dream that just might kill a man It's dreams like this that make me say Goodbye to second chances The scales haven't tipped your way I've heard it all before It's a tired story The road least traveled might not be your way

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released May 31, 2011

Recorded with Mark Michalik at Drasik Studios.

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Counterpunch Chicago, Illinois

Skate/90's melodic punk rock band from Chicago, IL. Half Blackhawks fans, half Red Wings fans. We like beer, kebabs & good tunes. Featuring ex-members of We Are the Union (Paper + Plastick Records), Voice of Addiction, & She Likes Todd. Check out our pages & follow us on twitter! Merch available online at BigCartel. Cheers! ... more

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