THEOCRACY LYRICS

1. Paper Tiger

Fake tears in the aisles
Lies, fear, and denial
Glass cages and rivals
False threats of reprisal
One more rally cause and off we go
We've got 'em primed and ready to explode
The narcissist machinery, forging a self-made victims' new society
This world is growing more demented by the day
We let in fear along the way
Now for political advancement we've co-opted pain
Beware snakes in the dark; don't set them free

One more life, for the glory to bear Your name
The honor to share that cup of shame, we've burned it away
On we go, with our dream flags unfurled
While they die in chains around the world, and we dance on anyway

Selling false persecution, rage, and de-evolution
Martyr complex we're feeding; paranoia we're breeding
Inventing problems for all to see
Caught in the cycle, self-fulfilling prophecy
We're living lives fit for a king
And most of us have never known real suffering
So join the pageant, fake the hurt, take up the cause
Lay in the paper tiger's jaws
Walk the stage now, take a bow and soak in the applause
Beware snakes in the dark; we set them free

One more life, for the glory to bear Your name
The honor to share that cup of shame, we've burned it away
On we go, with our dream flags unfurled
While they die in chains around the world, and we dance on anyway

[Solo: Jon / Solo: Val / Solo: Both]

Fear and paranoia bring a false sense of entitlement
Pretend we're persecuted, love the sound of our own voice
Media fear mongering is just a paper tiger
Because don't you know that misery is oftentimes a choice?
Caught up in our drama, we pretend that we have problems
While across the world our brothers are beheaded in the streets
Malcontents and dissonance uncover our indifference
Wolf's cry obsolete

One more life, for the glory to bear Your name
The honor to share that cup of shame, we've burned it away
On we go, with our dream flags unfurled
While they die in chains around the world, and we dance on anyway
Burn the tiger down today

2. Ghost Ship

Messenger of ages, carried on the wings of second birth
Unto the silent secrets of the earth
Justice generation, anthem for the sense of purpose we lost
We rise above and count the cost
We are the ones the others left behind
Breath of life from the four winds
Watch these bones of death now march again

Pay the piper, here we go
Got a ticket for a one-way journey
Slay the viper, come follow, even if you're ordinary
There's a place for you here
Raise the anchor, all aboard as the Captain calls his misfits
This Ghost Ship
Sets off to shake the world – let's go!

Cast off for the journey, join us as we sail the open seas
Unto the great adventure – follow Me
All the world's unwanted
Come aboard and leave your darkness behind
Desperate to count, redeem the time
We are the ghosts awakened to the light
Forged and branded in His name
Ancient workmanship before ordained

Pay the piper, here we go
Got a ticket for a one-way journey
(There's revolution in the air)
Slay the viper, come follow, even if you're ordinary
There's a place for you here
(Though you were dead, come alive)
Raise the anchor, all aboard as the Captain calls his misfits
This Ghost Ship
Sets off to shake the world – let's go!

[Solo: Val]

Pay the piper, here we go
Got a ticket for a one-way journey
(There's revolution in the air)
Slay the viper, come follow, even if you're ordinary
There's a place for you here
(Though you were dead, come alive)
Raise the anchor, all aboard as the Captain calls his misfits
This Ghost Ship
Sets off to shake the world – let's go!

3. The Wonder Of It All

Paradoxes of all time, limitations of the mind
Darkly looking through a mirror, parallel distorted lines

All our knowledge and our plans, every circumstance of man
All the wisdom that we've gathered never reaches the divine

(Wake the wonder of it all)

Hear the fool's soliloquy: cannot grasp, it cannot be
Life unfiltered and unfocused, in a broken sanctuary

So we seek through every flaw, and we contemplate in awe
Ever trusting through the madness that one day we all shall see

Some may rise, some may fall, wake the wonder of it all
Raising seasons and kings, hidden deep and secret things

Giving to receive, you'll be exalted through humility
True freedom found through slavery
Behold: what a mystery!
Last shall be the first, a living water for eternal thirst
Two natures and a virgin birth, all woven in this story's tapestry

Die to live and live to die, you lose it all to save your life
Become a fool to be as wise, and see when you close your eyes
Saints shall serve to lead
And you'll be strong when you are weakest
Finding joy through trials and grief
It all shall be told upon the other side

Some may rise, some may fall
Wake the wonder of it all
Raising seasons and kings, hidden deep and secret things
All shall bow at Your throne, for Your ways are not our own
That You would hear my call, in Your holiness
This is the wonder of it all

[Lead Break: Val / Solo: Val]

Three in One and One in Three, my burden's light and yoke is easy
Grace sufficient for you to glory in infirmity
All of God and all of man incarnate, soul's redemption plan
The Lamb's blood spilled by human hands shall clean
And wash the stain away

Some may rise, some may fall
Wake the wonder of it all
Raising seasons and kings, hidden deep and secret things
All shall bow at Your throne, for Your ways are not our own
That You would hear my call, in Your holiness
This is the wonder of it all

4. Wishing Well

Concrete and coldness, cobwebs and chaos
Poison and promises, liars and lies
Deception falls like ashes from the skies
Intentions and motive lost to distraction
It sometimes seems easier to leave it alone
And sort through the wreckage
When the buzzards leave the bones

Empty ruins rumble, wake and come alive…

One awaits for a rainy day, while there are stories left to tell
One more chose to look away, a penny for the wishing well
Blood in the water, the saint and martyr will stay
Wish away

[Lead break: Val]

Watching and waiting, fearless and faithful
Strength in surrender, survival and hope
Another taking hold by letting go
One lowly vessel, scarred imperfection
Converging pieces in the Master's design
To work in the potter's field while there's still time

Father, night is coming… mercy for the dawn…

One waits for a rainy day…

[Solo: Val]

Beware – the silence
When apathy sets in like a disease
Reliance – on anything that pulls us off our knees
Approval – a vigilance to storm the gates of hell
Refusal – of sideline lethargy and wishing well
From ashes, a vision
Angel of Mercy arise
With no action, it withers up and dies

Fire – immortal
The hands of God to touch the face of pain
The loyal – to dust them off and lift them up again
The fervent – a refuge for the broken souls in need
The servant – unto the least of these as unto Me
From vision to action, there's a new story to tell
When living beyond the wishing well

5. Around The World And Back

Hey weary traveler, have you finally lost your way?
You dream of turning back the clock to yesterday
What seemed so simple then has now faded away
And you'd often wonder why
The truth surrendered as the years went by

You grabbed the simple gift and held it as a child
But faith became encumbered
Chained after awhile
And then your journey just got harder every mile
But it's an endless game, you see
Forget the rest and just come back to Me

Reaching out, reaching in
Faith to works to doubt and back again
You've been around the world and back
Love and loss, vanity
Just believe and leave the rest to Me
You'll see
Around the world and back

Grace has a way of building hope out of despair
Peel back the layers of the baggage that you bear
And watch your great confusion vanish in the air
Now the lies have gone away
You found that child from long ago today

Reaching out, reaching in
Faith to works to doubt and back again
You've been around the world and back
Love and loss, vanity
Just believe and leave the rest to Me
You'll see
Around the world and back

You will never reach as high as heaven's door
You could never build a bridge to Me
Your greatest acts are filthy rags
But grace alone is free
So rest in Me

[Solo: Jon]

So many try to qualify the promise that I've made
To twist the gift into some kind of trade
But grace bears no allowance
For your works to make your way
Be not afraid
Your price is paid

Reaching out, reaching in
Faith to works to doubt and back again
You've been around the world and back
Love and loss, vanity
Just believe and leave the rest to Me
You'll see
Around the world and back

6. Stir The Embers

A supernatural visitation of the highest order
Reanimation of the flame once blazing
Somewhere along the way we lost the spark of passion to replacement
Complacent
Amazing

Glimpse of heaven
Reclaiming glory raining down
We once were
Anointed
Appointed
A broken crown

Falling down below
Walk with me, I'll never be the same again I know
Bring down fire from the sky
Take the ash of sin
Turn our hearts from slumber back again
Again
We cry
Come and stir the embers

A broken spirit of the ways of man
Forever paved with sorrow
A new awakening, arise today
No waiting for tomorrow

Falling down below
Walk with me, I'll never be the same again I know
Bring down fire from the sky
Take the ash of sin
Turn our hearts from slumber back again
Again
We cry
Come and stir the embers

[Solo: Val]

Falling down below
Walk with me, I'll never be the same again I know
Bring down fire from the sky
Take the ash of sin
Turn our hearts from slumber back again
Again
We cry
Come and stir the embers

7. A Call To Arms

We march to the beat of a different drummer
Duty, decree, and a sense of wonder
Enemies gathering on all sides
A single voice echoing deep inside
Destroying the fear
And drowning out the thunder

Listen soldiers, gather 'round
All the strongholds must be found
Burn 'em down!

This is a revolution, this is a call to arms
So put your war paint on, it's time to sound the fight song
The saints of absolution
Heed the call, give it all, make war
So fall in line this time, 'cause this is what we came for

The saints come alive with a different power
Awake to survive the eleventh hour
Enemies scrambling for the shores
Confusion and chaos evermore
A life free from chains is a life worth fighting for

Search the battlefield within
Find the stronghold nests of sin
Hit 'em again!

This is a revolution, this is a call to arms
So put your war paint on, it's time to sound the fight song
The saints of absolution
Heed the call, give it all, make war
So fall in line this time, 'cause this is what we came for

This is a revolution, this is a call to arms
So put your war paint on, it's time to sound the fight song
The saints of absolution
Heed the call, give it all, make war
So fall in line this time, 'cause this is what we came for

[Solo: Val]

This is a revolution, this is a call to arms
So put your war paint on, it's time to sound the fight song
The saints of absolution
Heed the call, give it all, make war
So fall in line this time, 'cause this is what we came for

8. Currency In A Bankrupt World

She's alright, she lies and tells herself
Through every artificial smile
Since he walked, and left her with their unborn child
Denial

Stop the world
Life's a rip-off and she's more than paid the price
Looks around at what's left of her burning paradise
But don't you know…

When hope is gone
Looking for a reason just to carry on
To lay that burden down you've carried way too long and
Holding on
When the dream's foreclosed and life is overdrawn
There's currency left in this bankrupt world after all

[Lead break: Val]

Take a bow
He says "I've blown it all
And burned my whole world to the ground
Checking out
'Cause no one will miss me now"
Lost it all
Thinks he defaulted on this life
Beyond the pale
Sixteen pennies short of his coffin's final nail
But it's not for sale…

When hope is gone…

On the darkest day, they all went away
One by one, they turned and walked the other way…

In despair and desperation
She calls upon a long-forgotten friend
Always there, closer than a brother 'til the end

When hope is gone
Looking for a reason just to carry on
To lay that burden down you've carried way too long and
Holding on
When the dream's foreclosed and life is overdrawn
There's currency left in this bankrupt world after all

9. Castaway

Destitution, all the others have gone
Left you there all alone
Don't be afraid, this world is not your home
Disillusioned, just a pilgrim passing through
Disdained in everything you do
But there's a single light that's shining through the dark
Because of you

A sense of honor with no care for reward
But they set their sails and left you there on the shore
To look on 'til they're gone
Disappeared past the horizon

One by one they sailed away, for a brighter day
Now you're just another castaway
So fly the flag 'til your ship comes in
Keep the faith, my friend, and one day we'll be together once again

Isolation, always counting the cost
Always bearing your cross
But in the end your gain will far outweigh
The things you've lost
So when the world has passed you by, and every promise was a lie
And all the friends you had
Have turned their backs on you
Don't wonder why

You're shunned and cast out just for taking a stand
Left on an island all alone in the sand
Off they go, but you know your ship is coming in tomorrow

One by one they sailed away, for a brighter day
Now you're just another castaway
So fly the flag 'til your ship comes in
Keep the faith, my friend, and one day we'll be together once again

Start a fire and stay alive, you're so far from home
Everyone is gone, but I won't leave you alone, I promise
This is the covenant I've made 'til the end, my friend
A blood promise, and some things last forever

[Solo: Val]

One by one they sailed away, for a brighter day
Now you're just another castaway
So fly the flag 'til your ship comes in
Keep the faith, my friend, and one day we'll be together once again

Marvel not if the world hates you, 'cause it hates Me, too
For the heart of man is nothing new
So eye the prize for the race you've run
Well done, my son, enter into all that I've prepared for you

10. Easter

Three days in darkness far below
Death hearkens from an age ago
The ancient promise that we waited for so long
Has gone away

All hope is lost, left upon that cross
A bloodstained robe
It seems redemption's dream has died

Visions and the prophecies all washed away in vain
Groanings of creation as it cries out in pain
Sacrosanct the stories of what is and what will be
All foretold this was supposed to end so differently

All nature mourns in unison
Creation forms its requiem
Branded with the mark of sin and shame
A life laid down, a cursed name
A crown forsaken, burden, blame
Another cycle just the same
Is this the end of Promise
Dying all alone?

Easter morning's Son will rise
Radiance warming tear-stained eyes
The Son of Man shall be raised up on the third day
The grave denied

Run and see the stone has rolled away behold the way
They're trembling in terror at the grave
(Is this an empty promise, that we've been waiting for?
Because I'm so afraid to get my hopes up anymore
Is this a cruel illusion? Or could it really be
The miracle of miracles unfolding right in front of me?)
Blinding angel, white as lightning
Violent earthquakes, do not fear
Why seek the living among the dead?
Behold, He is not here

Glory! Glory! Hope is alive
And lifted up, before your eyes
Waking all the world, open gates to paradise
Now it's done, life has come
Death has died
Easter glory, what an ending to the story
My Son, arise!







THEOCRACY LYRICS