FRAMESHIFT LYRICS

1. Human Grain, Part I: An Absence Of Empathy

[Human Grain I - An Absence of Empathy]

Flashing news, flashing lights
TV says we're alright
Transmitting pain by satellite
I think there's some of that inside
All of us a little bit
Fight the evil deep within
Is some of what I fear in me
Close my mind, fall asleep
Play my games to fill the need
Quench that thirst, make 'em bleed
All pretend, just
Killing fingers get my fix

Spread your mind wide open
Let your conscience be free
What you will not show them
You must show to me
Let me look through your eyes
Let me see what you see
Let me see who I am

Every day the same ol' shit
Doesn't bother you a bit
Stories of another day
Pull me in between the grey
Flip the pages black and white
Reading headings line by line
See the print crawl up on me
"Just one more proves too many"

You're afraid to show me
What evil might be
But I'm gonna find out
Absence of empathy

Flashing news, flashing lights
Blinding pain in my eyes
TV says we're alright
Does it take a tie to tie
Wanna know more what they ignore
If you do you must explore
So here I am kick down the door
I'm tapping louder than before

Once I get inside
The grain of my own kind

2. Just One More

[Murder I - Serial Killer]

Guilt is forcing me
To act unethically
When I think I've killed enough
A voice is waking up
Propaganda in my head
Another woman dead
Tunnel vision no white light
Giving in to avoid a fight
Masters pull my strings
Control of everything
That happens on this stage
A puppet of their rage
I try to run away
Desire makes me stay
Every time I try to turn my back
I find them still attached

Tell me is it really sin if all I do is just give in

Gimme just one more that's all I need
To quench this thirst inside of me
Feeling satisfied but beyond the door
The need still cries give me
Just one more

Guilt is forcing me
To act desperately
Must add to my collection
Still improving my reflection
On the outside I appear
There is not a thing to fear
In the basement with my tools
Gotta check your principles
When I work I feel the rush
Dead and living things I touch
Use my skill to take apart
Creating twisted works of art
I know there'll come a day
I might give this away
I'll have to make a choice
Bear the shame or blame the voice

Gimme just one more don't take it back
The next one's gonna be
The best we ever had
Feeling satisfied before the final score
I'll be begging you for just one more

And at their graves they don't mention me
Even though I'm the one
Who put them to sleep
I'll make my name in privacy
For you and I it's time to meet - hello

The need still cries - grant me
Just one more

3. Miseducation

[Violence in Schools I - The Teacher]

This is it
We can't take it
No more pointing at the problem child
Raise your first
We'll start a revolution
I think this time you stepped over the line

Come through that threshold
From eight ten to three
A different vision for everyone I see
Doctor, soldier, a teen beauty queen
A garbage-man, can he even read
Thank God for those four up front we can agree
Honest hard work - bound to succeed
You're not like them what are you doing here
Just sit in the back, stay out - beware
If you aren't on my level then I just don't care
Shut up and stop talking, taking up my air

Can't resist
We're not gonna stand here
Watch you take those down
Who can't put up a fight
Hit by Hit
Time to start the revolution
Time to say what's on our minds

You're incompetent, incapable in every way
I'm the authority - you don't make the grade
Take you down, take you out, take the pain away
You don't belong in here -
You need a simple place
A little help, a little push, a little of dignity
Three things you'll never get from me
I find your talents and turn them into salt
In the end you'll think
It's all your fault

Do ya feel singled out, do ya feel mistreated
Put the book right down, turn around and leave it
Yeah you ain't on my level then you don't belong
Look around you're the only one
Marching to a different drum

Teach this time I think you stepped over the line
Psycho pit - this is it - revolution
We're not gonna stand here
No matter what, I refuse to live your lie
Raise your fist - time to start a revolution

4. I Killed You

[Murder II - Impulse Killer]

Beautiful love what makes it up
The pull to end up in your arms
Freeway's packed
With people so naïve
As I found out I could be
Off the ramp on down the street
Stop for nothing I can't wait
To feel the press of your lips
On the mouth
That praises you all day
Turn the key enter the house
Up the stairs look around
Fingers feel for my love
Who is that I'm thinking of

Never saw this coming
Backed away hit the wall
Never thought I'd fail you this way
What happened next I don't recall

I killed you -
I guess I just blacked out
I'm still holding the gun
And now there is no point to go on
Without you in my life
All that's left to do
Is to sing you one more song

Now that the deed is said and done
Here comes the violent flashback
Ran down the hall
Got daddy's gun
Blood of the unfaithful
Three bodies one's still breathing
God I wish it wasn't me
I hit 'em both without feeling
You unleashed a beast

Never thought
You'd fail me this way
Betrayed me once,
Once and for all

I killed you - I guess I just blacked out
I'm still holding the gun
And now there is no point to go on
It's your own damn fault
Can't make right what's wrong
There was so much pain so
I killed you
Without you in my life all that's left to do
Is to sing you one more song

I can't believe it's true
What you've done and what I'd do
For my revenge to get back at you
But the beast in me would follow through

You killed me - it's all over now
We should have talked it out
But it's all over now
Nothing to talk about

What the fuck did you think
You could cheat on me
You turned Jeckyll and Hyde
And I made you bleed
I think you got what you had coming
And now I'm free
To let Hyde go home
And let Jeckyll in me
Weep

Why could I not control my rage
Control my anger
Why did you not love me for who I am
And be my life

Yes I killed her and I have to face
That she is gone
Nothing can make right what's wrong
But I won't suffer long

All that's left to do
Is to sing you one more song
To stare into my gun

5. This Is Gonna Hurt

[Torture I - Torturing]

Me and you alone now
Are you frightened are you scared
Let my little toy show you how
To scream so loud no one can hear
We're gonna play a game that I enjoy
We won't stop 'til you tell the truth
No matter what - I won't believe
'Cause I just like hurting you:
And that's the truth

This is gonna hurt when I turn it on
We'll be real close till the pain is gone
This is gonna hurt till you tell it all
217 the writing's on the wall
This is gonna hurt gonna make me smile
Think I'll make it hurt for a little while
This is gonna hurt - ain't telling lies
You'll see yourself inside my eyes

Got all kinds of instruments
Each one plays a different tune
A chord of pain, a scale of tears
Now don't be a fool
A grinding rhythm for your bones
A forte for your flesh
Help me write my symphony
Hear the music make a mess

The prettiest thing I have ever seen
Is the sight of you suffering
I don't need to explain
Let the beauty fade and the misery reign

I can't understand why
But your pain keeps me alive

6. Push The Button

[War I - Modern War / Impersonal]

Caged in metal - my protection
Coordinates they read this direction
Whatever happened to
"Don't fire 'til you see their eyes"
New rules, new ways, more questions
How can I use my discretion
My brothers run by armed and eighteen
While I sit here controlled and waiting
I'd be the first to trade my button for a blade
Battlefields are brought to homes
Where children, babies, mothers roam
One button wills a game
While another one
Blows you away

I can kill with a finger
Can I kill without eyes
I can kill on demand
Can I kill without why
While humanity cries
I will kill in a box
Will I kill in the streets
I will kill my own conscience
Will I kill the peace
When I push the button in my dreams
And you scream
Silent screams
Corporate Schemes
Killing screams

Kill a few to save a lot
Don't tell me, I know the cause
There's no time to make up my mind
Army brass breathing down my back
In a think tank - life in the abstract
We are programmed to attack
When this flag goes on the war path
I'd rather fight this war with just a blade
No more metal sunk into my foe
How can tanks go toe to toe
I get a medal if you go down in flames

Walk away from this fate
Where children scream and cry
Take a new name
Move away from the safe
Out to where the bombs fly - I'll pay
For my sin -
In the state that you're livin' in
Don't wait on me let's begin again
Let me face the consequence
Never gonna hear a soldier cry
Unless you're killin' him
Still gotta push the button

7. In An Empty Room

[Rape I - The Victim]

Here you sit innocent, your beautiful face
Everything all at once taken away
Even though not everything can be replaced
Yesterday's gone and you still have today

I can see you
Hiding behind broken eyes
It'll be fine please don't cry
You will be OK with me
I can see you, living inside scared and blind
I am right here please don't hide
Close your eyes my child

To rid your mind of all the hurt
And turn gray skies blue
I'd wash away the memory
And make your heart new
No comfort in these clumsy words
No solace no truth
Just to exchange one life for pain
And I'd give mine for you

Oh how time went by - you and I
Used to live that life - that made us smile

I know right now that you don't want me here
Soon the stain will fade -
I'll wipe away your tears
'Cause without you in my life
It just does not seem right
I'll wait right by your side 'til you come home

I can see my presence
Is dragging us apart
It's hard to be so closed off
From you in my heart
Flesh and blood
Can heal and hurt
Time will take away the pain
I'll back away
Give you space
Until you feel no shame

8. Outcast

[Violence in Schools II - School Shooting]

Inside I know there's two of me
Can I conquer this duality
I try to fight this demon seed
If these walls could talk
You'd hear a piercing scream

(Dear Classmates)
Can I ask what it is like
To win at everything
Some of us were born to lose
'Least that's how it seems
Never had a love that lasts
I'm an outcast looking in
Never had a friend in class
Gave all I had to give

This day might be my last
And after class
I'll settle the score

(Dear Parents)
You know that you failed me
At just about everything
Too busy fighting there were nights
I couldn't even breathe
You know at nine
I just wanted to be loved
But now at seventeen
I know I'm way past that,
I need company in suffering
Bad behavior up to bad parenting -
Oh tell me father where have you been
It's gonna be the worst thing
You've ever seen -
I call it proof, you call it sin

(Dear Teacher)
We could've been more
Than you gave us credit for
Everyone can do something
And in home room you will soon know that
Fuck you! We're capable and you turned it all to salt
Your bitter show of doubt know that what I do is all your fault
We are all capable of something good or bad
You heard them pick on us - didn't do a thing
You're pushing me too far... way too far

Inside there still are two of me
I can conquer this duality
I try to fight this demon seed
If these walls could talk
You'd see what I mean

9. Blade

[War II - Historic War / Personal]

For heritage love and pride
And for this land I'll give my life
Guard against the raping flag
Here's a blade now you're a man
From horse to flaming arrow
You may take a mortal blow
They will underestimate
Damage one man fighting for his home can make

I have no choice but to defend

I draw a line in this dirt with my metal blade
Not gonna cross if you don't believe that
In the end they may take all I love away
But not today

Walls of rock on an empty plain
Give way to greed when it invades
But there's a creed that builds a bridge
Of strength and honor in this village
Stench of death seeps from the ground
I see their eyes fade and turn to stone
Their faces haunt and follow me back home

It is time to take a stand
I have no choice but to defend

I draw the line in the sand
And I'm asking you
Brother of mine
Won't you follow through so
In the end they may
Take all I love away
But not today

With this blade in my hand
I'm ready to conquer
Ready to fight for it all
And if I should die
I will go with honor
Take one more life before I fall
With this blade in my hand
I'm ready to take back
Take back what's rightfully mine
And if I should die
My brothers will come through
Victory's here for my kind

10. How Long Can I Resist

[Rape II - The Assailant]

They never see me coming
I know their every step
I am the perfect hunter
They'll fall into my trap
You're stronger than temptation
You're a better man than that
A game we both are playing
She doesn't know she's in
I count the times she passes by
Sitting, waiting, getting closer
Can almost feel her skin
Will I make her mine

How long can I resist
No escaping this
You'll never control
The desire that's in me
It's burning my soul
It's a fire of envy

Don't do anything
That you might soon regret
'Cause the mirror must still show
A man you can respect

A girl's just a pawn
A means to an end
I don't dare approach
Never find a lover -
Always find a friend
The answer still is no
The other day she talked to you
No means no - you don't have to
It's not a want, I have a need
And I can feel it rise
Past the point of no return
Then it dies

Please help me
It's taking control of me
I can't hold back much longer
I must set it free

How come this life's a bitch
Why can't this break be fixed
They always persist
Though the thoughts are appealing
I cannot resist them
The siren is calling

Beautiful - I can't escape the pull
Unapproachable - I never get too close
Horrible - the images I keep
Cinema - of filth inside of me
Undeniable - my insecurities

Chain these hands
Before they burn out her light
Make it impossible
For her to face her life
You're stronger than temptation
Please don't lose respect
Up to my neck
Sinking in this quick sand
Begging please hear
This last call
From this desperate man

The girl's just a pawn
A means to an end
And I don't dare approach

11. When I Look Into My Eyes

[Torture II - Being Tortured]

It's just you and me
And a single light to expose my fear
You're holding something in your hand
And I admit I am scared
Your face shows you're enjoying this
I swear I told you everything
It seems as if no matter what I say
You're gonna do it anyway

I can feel you - I can feel me
Now I want it back the way it used to be

When I look into my eyes
I can feel me touching, hurting
And I know the kind of pain
I'll go through
'Cause I've been you

My body feels like you're playing a wrong chord
Like you hit a note out of key
Every part of me is wailing
In perfect harmony
There's a pounding running through my marrow
There's a beat I cannot shake
It's like an anthem to the sick and sorrowed
Your smile's a witness to your hate

I can hear you
I can hear me
Singing screaming melodies

When I look into my eyes
I see you touching, I see you hurting
And I feel the pain inside
I'm not through cause I am you

How could I be the man behind those eyes
And if I am I'm gonna lose my life
But when I do I guess we both will die

I want you to stop, stop all of this
You wrote a score that doesn't fit
I can hear you, I can hear me
Singing screaming imperfect melodies

In the silence I can hear a sound
It makes my heart skip a frame
It's your laughter from another room
I guess I'm not the only one

12. Human Grain, Part II: What Kind Of Animal

[Human Grain II - What Kind Of Animal]

Cradle - Sleeping
Four walls protect my baby
What will your tiny hands hold
Safe in my arms today
Hidden from what I've seen
I hope you never meet anyone I've been

Right now - doubting
If there's anything worth saving
The answer's somewhere on this globe
It's not in politics
Religion cannot fix
Should we turn towards our young

What kind of animal are we
Is there anything else to us
Inside a child is hiding behind the grain

Why die trying
Is there any use in fighting
Let's do right by our own sons
It's not in politics
Religion does not fix
We should turn towards our young

I've searched a million memories
Cut my finger on the frame's rough
And I know I'll never be the same

I've seen pain, so much pain
In every shape and size
I feel scared, oh so scared for human kind
I gotta say, no I gotta scream
What's on my mind

And I
Know I'll
And I know
Know I'll never be the same

What kind of animal are we
Is there anything else to us
Inside a child is hiding behind the grain







FRAMESHIFT LYRICS