Lyrics

Scratch the surface if you’re still afraid to dive
Don’t be nervous, we’re two wrongs that make a right
Close the curtains, tell the world to stay outside
Be uncertain, let this all stay undefined
–
I hung a thousand pictures on the wall because I knew I’d need
A thousand words a thousand times to say you what you mean to me
–
‘Cause we’ve found a way to Eden but it’s just the long way around
Found a hope that floated then we ran it aground
So come down, I’m done chasing angels with my head in the clouds
‘Cause you’re not that perfect but you’re coming around
While I’m breaking you down
You can’t be everything I need
–
I’m your danger, I’m what makes you come alive
I’m your chaser when your chest is filled with fire
The exception to rules you swore were ironclad
I’m the best bad influence that you’ve ever had
–
Never the charming caricature, I’m the sand that’s still between your toes
When you left your high heels in the trunk and got ocean on your Sunday clothes
–
Girl, I promise you when it’s said and done
That there is nothing you could do to change this love
–
Robe and slippers, sipping coffee from behind
Picket fences, maybe somewhere down the line
But tonight there’s a tree we haven’t climbed
A back road we need to drive and a devil in your eyes
–
You can’t be everything I need
But right now that’s all I want to believe

I need this, your secret, the speechless energy
So I can resist the pretense and creep into memories
And feel the weakness, defenseless, exempted from Sentinel
To build a stronghold by tearing down the walls
–
I will trace curves on paper and create words that set apart
So my savior’s the eraser that you are
–
I dream of a sanctum with mirrors removed
So I can only see myself, reflected in you
And echo like sunlight in night
–
I had promised myself that the world would fall apart
Instead the veil just fell away
–
My pride’s in remission, the king is dethroned
As these smaller kingdoms wave every white flag they own
–
I dream of a sanctum with mirrors removed
So I can only see myself reflected in you
And echo like sunlight in night

You want me to fight for you?
If that means fighting with myself, then I’ve risked my life for you
You wanna be forgiven,
but you don’t wanna know your crimes, just the bliss of innocence
–
I don’t know what you expect from me I’m not a damn thing like I was
Haven’t I hurt you enough to convince you, I’ve hurt you just because?
–
You wanna trust me, except when I tell you that you can’t
‘Cause I’m nothing lovely
Beneath this skin, I wanna be like you
Want you to see yourself in me, and live in my nightmare
–
Smiles and beauty never fade in photographs
They hide in sheets while bodies try the same
Time becomes the fragrance of the frozen past
And haunts the hearts that live outside of frames
–
Would you mind if I break you, dethrone and disgrace you, in the name of Love?
You’re my scarlet forgiveness, my merciful mistress, unjaded and stung
–
Would you mind if I kill you, betray and reveal you, in the name of Love?
You’re my unholy scripture, enabler, and victim, of all that I’ve done
–
You wanna be enticing, to an endless appetite
Darling, It’s still lying.. if you lie to yourself
–
Let me ask you a question, let your “yes” be “yes” and your silence the same
Is your back to the darkness, the same way your god’s is, in heavenly shame?
Do you pray to disarm the mirror, and pose like the picture, of all that you claim?
If you’re as sick as your secrets, are you barely breathing, and cold in your veins?
–
You want me to fight for you? Who’s your worst enemy?

Why this unsettling peace?
Did tears make up our chemistry?
I don’t want you to be ok without me
The truth is I wanted to run
But I’m digressing back into love
‘Cause you weren’t supposed to get over me
–
Shades of honesty
Staged apologies
Our peace offerings that never could stop the war
Wasted energy
On our favorite enemies
The fate of everything rests in these unsaid words
–
I’ve waited my life for this night
And now with a battle to fight
I’m pushing away, trying to lay down my sword
I’m biting my tongue as we come undone
Kissing your lips instead of listening
And killing myself trying to even the score
–
Shades of honesty
Staged apologies
Our peace offerings that never could stop the war
Wasted energy
On our favorite enemies
The fate of everything rests in these unsaid words
–
Truth is I’m missing you now
Truth be told I’m missing you
–
Shades of honesty
Staged apologies
Our peace offerings
–
Truth is I’m missing you now
Truth be told I’m missing you

I’ve been trying to write myself into a better state of mind
Stared so deep into the mirror that the stranger stepped aside
And I saw the man that I wish I was not
–
See this bitter taste of happiness has turned my stomach sour
There are smiles on every face around but I can’t find the power
Or understand, is there something I’ve lost?
–
I want the excuse
I want the nonchalance
I want to fade into the ambiance
I need to know that I’m not crazy to think it’s lazy to be the same each and every day
–
I’m just so recently strong
–
Tell me why’s it so easy for you to say it’s all ok?
How much of your life have you spent trying to hide it all away?
Some say it’s strength, I can never see denial that way
And I hate to be the one to bring the smoke and mirrors down
I can see the plank in both our eyes, not how to pry it out
And I can’t pretend I can’t see the tears on your face
–
I miss the excuse
I miss the innocence
I miss the bruise that barely pierced the skin
I miss the chance to choose to maybe be the same each and every day

Lower the white flag, don’t give up on anything yet
This love has a price tag and you should never hedge your bets
If love is a circus take a leap and hold your breath
This far from the surface, you can t even trust your net
–
This love has a cost and you know what is lost will be found
–
One way or another love is gonna find you yet
But a bulletproof lover never seems to break a sweat
You smile for the camera, fingers crossed behind your back
But hearts are insurgents and suckers for the sneak attack
–
This love has a cost and you know what is lost will be found
But you can’t win a thing ’til you lay your dignity down 

I took a poll of white picket fences
And all the people with social senses
Living lives of opportunity
And those who spent a couple nights on old park benches
Like a throne of their own invention
‘Cause God, it feels good to be so naive
–
While the pessimist’s love is passed around like an audible drug
‘Til it’s out and it’s never enough, just a mediocre masterpiece
Though my lies are rarely honest just like an alcohol proof promise
From a camera shy celebrity, I’ll be who I pretend to be
–
Even though they said I was a rebel
I was saying amen with the Devil
And grace wasn’t amazing enough for me
And when I get to Heaven I will praise him
Though I may live in the basement
Because even in God’s wildest dreams he never thought he’d see me
–
I don’t need your classrooms full of white collar lectures
Don’t need a house for the architecture
I’m not the kind of boy your parents want you to see
Though I could probably court you into a pretty picture
With a clip on tie while I’m quoting scripture
But that’s just about as much fun as it seems
–
So call me Mr. Never Enough
I guess music was an audible drug
But one I’d never want to give up though I’m a couple notes from the brink
And I may be too gone to make a promise
But at least this bottle makes me honest
Though my imagination had one too many drinks and it doesn’t care just what I think
–
Even though they said I was a rebel
I was saying amen with the Devil
And grace wasn’t amazing enough for me
And when I get to Heaven I will praise him
Though I may live in the basement
Because even in God’s wildest dreams he never thought he’d see me

Thrive under the sunshine
Fade under the clouds
And you know I can not get out
–
Fly over the border
Straight into the sun
And I’m sure I’m not the only one
–
These wings could never carry you
But could you find the courage to
Lift up your eyes
You may never find the strength to move
Or a plan that’s bulletproof
Just list up your eyes and go
–
Life after the promise
Rage into the sky
Even though I’ll get home tonight
–
Just lift up your eyes and go

Words you spoke like feathers
They hit me like they’re stones
And shake the steely tethers
Of the apathetic lens I hold
–
‘Cause I’m a boy designed for immortal fights
With a useless, uncertain prize
–
I know very well living in this symbiotic hell
At least I’m not alone
–
Let me rest a spell ’til forgiveness
Learns to mask itself as a means to atone
–
So take what you love about me and lay it to rest
And bring me the words you find for what is left
If we’re to die on this hill send me instead
So I can be weak and die on my feet with a soldier’s death
–
The candle feeds the flame
Glad to show its worth
Does it know you can’t reclaim?
That there is no second birth?
–
Yes, I know very well living in this symbiotic hell
I could not build alone
–
Let me rest a spell in the endless fragments of myself
That can hardly make a whole
–
So take what you love about me and lay it to rest
And bring me the words you find for what is left
If we’re to die on this hill send me instead
So I can be weak and die on my feet with a soldier’s death

Faith isn’t only for the reverent
Prodigals and saints will all be saved
You’ll see my footprints on your way up to heaven
Maybe wonder why they go the other way
–
Reaping what you sowed was once rewarding
Now the downside of redemption is living life by grace
If your sun forbore to shine tomorrow morning
How close would you be to the flames?
–
God has saved the chosen, I will seek the lost
When they’re locked away and broken we will be much better off
My children do not fear
We didn’t turn our backs when they nailed him to the cross
–
I’ve walked the dusty trail of Eden
With the same two feet that stand before you now
I’ve touched the halos of every heathen
Learned the secrets of the saints and the horns beneath their crowns
–
The opiate of the masses is wearing weaker
It was only a placebo from the start
You agnostics and fellow believers
These chains can heal your broken hearts
–
God has saved the chosen, I will seek the lost
When they’re locked away and broken we will be much better off
My children do not fear
We didn’t turn our backs when they nailed him to the cross
–
Faith isn’t only for the reverent
Prodigals and saints will all be shamed
You’ll see my footprints on your way up to heaven
Maybe wonder why they go the other way

You told me everything before you ever said a word
And I didn’t have to speak just to let my voice be heard
–
26 letters in a thousand chains
Tiny toy soldiers that we rearrange
Let the games begin
–
Shouldn’t your weaknesses show me the reason for my strengths?
Couldn’t my silences be more than a threat you rail against?
–
Yesterday’s flowers and tomorrow’s weeds
These moments we crush between our teeth
The battle never ends
–
We’re fallen people with lovers’ hearts.
Lighting candles in the rain to fight away the dark
Who are we to be happy?
–
I am a cigarette, these are the ashes I will leave behind
You are the avalanche, a whisper that waits to bury me alive
–
I’ll live by the fire and die by the same
But you’ll be reborn in tomorrow’s rain
‘Till we meet again

God bless the tie that binds us as it gradually unwinds
I’ve shored up all the levies, as the soul pours from your eyes
We’ve boarded up the windows, we’ve perfected all our sins
And clutched our ears as darkness settles in
–
Cursed needful things
Infinitely incomplete
–
Break me down before you say it’s over
Take my weaknesses and call it closure
It’s not over
–
These days there are no fairy tales, just epics and tragedies
So I wear my heart on my sleeve, black goes with everything
Tomorrow’s no more optimistic than these scars allow
A broken glory waits if we’d just take the blame for now
–
Bless these broken things
Anchored down by flightless wings
–
Bless these ties that bind us
Break these ties that bind us

I haven’t been alone with my thoughts in so long that I can’t remember
Legions of voices inside and out
But I have been in places so beautiful even they bit their tongues
Content not to make or hear a sound
–
Hiroshima is where I left my God behind and in Amsterdam I burned though my virtue
And Carolina doesn’t feel like home these days
But I have broken bread with sinners so holy the church can’t let them in
Because they misspelled Jesus name
–
Steady now, we’ve got so far to go
–
I haven’t found the courage to return half the love that’s been given to me
But I have stared in faces so beautiful that for a moment they set me free
I haven’t learned to love enough of myself to forgive the rest that haunts me still
The antidote and poison’s interchangeable if all you want is to feel

You want me to fight for you?
If that means fighting with myself, then I’ve risked my life for you
You wanna be forgiven,
but you don’t wanna know your crimes, just the bliss of innocence
–
I don’t know what you expect from me I’m not a damn thing like I was
Haven’t I hurt you enough to convince you, I’ve hurt you just because?
–
You wanna trust me, except when I tell you that you can’t
‘Cause I’m nothing lovely.
Beneath this skin, I wanna be like you
Want you to see yourself in me, and live in my nightmare
–
Smiles and beauty never fade in photographs
They hide in sheets while bodies try the same
Time becomes the fragrance of the frozen past
And haunts the hearts that live outside of frames
–
Would you mind if I break you, dethrone and disgrace you, in the name of Love?
You’re my scarlet forgiveness, my merciful mistress, unjaded and stung
–
Would you mind if I kill you, betray and reveal you, in the name of Love?
You’re my unholy scripture, enabler, and victim, of all that I’ve done
–
You wanna be enticing, to an endless appetite
Darling, It’s still lying.. if you lie to yourself
–
Let me ask you a question, let your “yes” be “yes” and your silence the same
Is your back to the darkness, the same way your god’s is, in heavenly shame?
Do you pray to disarm the mirror, and pose like the picture, of all that you claim?
If you’re as sick as your secrets, are you barely breathing, and cold in your veins?
–
You want me to fight for you? Who’s your worst enemy?

Girl I’ve been thinking
If there’s anything I could say to settle your mind
Because my world is still shrinking
But no matter what comes next I’m never surprised
–
After all of these roads
The only thing we can know
If the places we have been
We’ve been trying so hard
To keep our backs to the dark
But that’s where it all begins
–
Girl I promise just give me time
I’ll be there on the other side
You don’t have to wait forever
For me to find my way home
–
I can barely feel the ground beneath my feet
Your steps beside me are the soundtrack of my dreams
Why do we say heaven above
When it’s right here in this love tonight
It’s feeling things we can’t see
And saying words we can’t speak
That keeps our souls alive

Your scarecrows and fences
Are convincing lies
But these cobweb defenses
Only fuel the fire
God may stand as witness
But on whose behalf?
While you hold the pin to
The grenade in my hand?
–
It’s as natural an exchange
As when paper meets the rain
We could soak in every drop of the pain
–
Or we could be lovers
–
Say “we’re only human”
Say “we’ll never change”
Feed virtue to ego
As you take the blame
–
You’re the brightest day
With a starless night
I’m the perfect pain
That proves you’re still alive
We could curse our stripes
And scream till stars align
–
Or we could be lovers

Now this may sound crazy
But I’ve been trying to lie to you
Ever since you stole my apathy
Why would you lock the door
If you crack the window when you sleep?
–
But do I have strength enough
Strength enough to survive the truth?
Or does your innocence mean I can’t do it tactfully?
It’s taking everything
Not to close the distance we keep
–
Right now I want you, right now, I need you
‘Cause it’s easier to run from love when you can’t see the face you’re running from
And you don’t know the rest you can find from the arms you’re dying to leave behind
I’m too close to missing eternity again
–
Now I can’t promise you anything but this
No reserves, no regrets, no retreats this time
Please forgive my restlessness
It’s harder to accept than fight
It’s not that I can’t let you go
It’s that I can’t let go of you
–
The scene will never be perfect but
Maybe two wrongs can make it right
From ashes to everlasting
I think the test of time
Has better questions than we’re asking
–
Right now I want you, right now, I need you
But unlock the door so we don’t leave broken glass should we leave
–
What if we fall?
What if we break?
What if we lose our way
A day’s stroll from heaven’s gates?
I could go blind today
If the last thing I saw was your face
–
I’ll make you trust me again
I’ll make you love me again
You don’t have to worry this time
I’ll make you believe in me again

I watch as my fears line up in rows
And I sink down farther than ever before
Tell me I’ve been sleeping
–
I stand as my plans go up in flames
And I lose my way, my grip, all I’ve gained
Tell me I’ve been sleeping
–
I’m going down with the ship 100 feet from land
But how can I learn to swim when I can barely stand?
–
I’m not the man who still can stand as broken as I’ll ever be
What hasn’t killed me left me nothing but the air I breathe
–
I reach through the tension far as I canAs peace washes over and through my hands
And I realize I’m not sleeping
I scream empty words like ballads for the dead
An antidote too late for the poison unsaid
And I realize I’m not sleeping
–
Tossing and turning in an ocean of dreams and the seas become haunted
When life’s a burden on the backs of the weak what can keep us from falling?
But I’ve fallen and now I see
–
I’m not the man who still can stand as broken as I’ll ever be
What hasn’t killed me left me nothing but the air I breathe
And every remedy’s a waste ’cause I’m addicted to the therapy
The toughest pill to swallow’s, that when I wake tomorrow
I’ll still be

Must I always leave it all to feel alive the way I do now?
詰め込んだ季節はまだ少しあふれてる
(I haven’t finished packing the seasons I’ve spent here)
Finding yourself is a lonely road, you got what I need but I have to go
–
Hiroshima, you’re making it hard for me…
–
夏のおわり別れの日気づくかけがえのないもの
(The end of summer, I realize priceless things on the day of my departure)
Just long enough to care not long enough to be bothered by the things
That make you see the inside
Finding yourself is a lonely road, you got what I need but I have to go
–
Hiroshima, you’re making it hard for me…
–
Finding yourself is a lonely road, if I never came would I ever know?
–
I’ll still be walking your streets when I’m a thousand miles away
遠く離れてもなくならないように
(Even though we are far apart we won’t lose it)
‘Til I pass that point where leaving brings me back again
I will miss you

It’s not that we were never meant to be, just meant to be a chapter
‘Cause you’re no Juliet, dear Rosaline, a prototype disaster
You’ll be the “someone” I recall, but have no reason to remember
I’ll be your summer and your fall before a cold and lonely winter
–
It’s funny we can never dare believe
When our love is blind, so we force the signs
And now I’m the only one to see
That the leaves have died, girl you tried
–
But you call yourself a lover
and love don’t even know your name
I’m just waiting for the thunder
To see if you can stand the rain
–
I’m sure that somewhere and someday
You’ll find your answer to the pain
Love isn’t something you create
–
You say “I love you” like a question, like you hope I have the answer
Measure our memories in likes and shares, the feeling’s just a factor
I don’t wanna be the one you call just to cause a scene for the world to see
You’re trying to prove your love to everyone else, just come and prove yourself to me
–
I still can feel you hesitate
If this is love why be afraid?
The truth is written on your face, yeah

Just scratch the surface, if you’re still afraid to dive
Don’t be nervous, we’re two wrongs that make a right
Close the curtains, tell the world to stay outside
Be uncertain, let this all stay undefined
–
I hung a thousand pictures on the wall because I knew I’d need
A thousand words a thousand times to show you what you mean to me
–
‘Cause we’ve found a way to Eden but it’s just the long way around
Found a hope that floats and then we ran it aground
So come down, I’m done chasing angels with my head in the clouds
Cause you’re not that perfect but you’re coming around
While I’m breaking you down
You can’t be everything I need
–
I’m your danger, I’m what makes you come alive
I’m your chaser, when your chest is filled with fire
The exception to rules you swore were iron clad
I’m the best bad influence that you have ever had
–
Never the charming caricature, I’m the sand that’s still between your toes
From when you left your high heels in the trunk and got ocean on your Sunday clothes
–
Girl I promise you when it’s said and done
There is nothing you could do to change this love
–
Robe and slippers, sipping coffee from behind
Picket fences, maybe somewhere down the line
But tonight, there’s a tree we haven’t climbed
A back road we need to drive and a devil in your eyes
–
You can’t be everything I need
But right now that’s all I want to believe

I’ve been trying to write myself into a better state of mind
Stared so deep into the mirror that the stranger stepped aside
And I saw the man that I wish I was not
–
See this bitter taste of happiness has turned my stomach sour
There are smiles on every face around but I can’t find the power
Or understand, is there something I’ve lost?
–
I want the excuse, I want the nonchalance
I want to fade into the ambience
I need to know that I’m not crazy to think it’s lazy to be the same each and every day
–
I’m just so recently strong
–
Tell me why’s it so easy for you to say it’s all ok
How much of your life have you spent trying to hide it all away
Some say it’s strength, I can never see denial that way
And I hate to be the one to bring the smoke and mirrors down
I can see the plank in both our eyes, not how to pry it out
And I can’t pretend I can’t see the tears on your face
–
I miss the excuse, I miss the innocence
I miss the bruise that barely pierced the skin
I miss the chance to choose to maybe be the same each and every day

Our foot prints hide under falling leaves
As the sun peaks in through the naked trees
The colors sure bring life to this old scene
–
We found the corner where mystery’s born
And grows into wonder before too long
Cause I swear your eyes hold the truth that my heart needs
–
I stepped in quicksand with every kiss
I cried more tears than I thought exist
But your worn out halo still shines in my mind
–
So I’ll lose my sleep getting right with God
And protect our hearts from the firing squads
I pray this victory needs nothing more than time
–
If I can save you from myself It’d be the greatest thing I’ve ever done
But I can’t say you’re not better off alone
Skipping stones between heaven and hell Is just the latest game we’ve never won
But it still beats fighting and losing on my own
–
Love won’t come down to pros and cons
And it can’t boil down to what’s right and wrong
It all comes down to one thing you love
And the things you’d burn to keep it
–
Oh, I know it’s iron that sharpens iron
But your finger tips are so soft they grind just your standard miracle
that hides in the shadow of a secret

Must I always leave it all to feel alive the way I do now?
Don’t plan to call I won’t reply, if birds don’t mind I can do the same
Finding yourself is a lonely road, you got what I need but I have to go
–
Hiroshima, you’re making it hard for me…
–
The making of friends is best when the time of departure is known and near
Just long enough to care not long enough to be bothered by the things
That make you see the inside
Finding yourself is a lonely road, you got what I need but I have to go
–
Hiroshima, you’re making it hard for me…
–
Finding yourself is a lonely road, if I never came would I ever know?
–
And you’ll be miles away, but in my mind you’re down the hallway
I will miss you

I was falling back into thoughts of letting go
I’ve been living to react, ’cause virtue is such a lonely road
See I was a commercial in her reality
A dream that she forgot in a thousand other thoughts
That came after me
–
There’s no way to lose this until we lose control
So I won’t let you take this unless you take it all
–
Sometimes I wish every hour had a sunset and a vow
That we could start again
Instead you walk around with your head in the clouds
Leaving too much to forgive
And I just couldn’t keep up with staged romances
How can I fight for this when each and every kiss
Is life or death?