The Artist In The Ambulance
Thrice Lyrics

Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
In a moment of fear, I lose control of the vehicle and the brakes lock, causing a terrible sound.

Red light, can't stop, so I spin the wheel
I'm so afraid of stopping at the red light and being caught in a dangerous situation that I keep driving and turn the wheel too fast.

My world goes black before I feel an angel lift me up
I lose consciousness and have no idea what's happening until I feel a guardian angel picking me up from the accident site.

And I open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white
I wake up in a hospital bed with blurry, bloodshot eyes in a bright white hospital room.

They flip the siren, hit the lights. Close the doors, and I am gone
The paramedics use the ambulance sirens, lights, and a stretcher to rush me out of the hospital quickly.

Now I lay here owing my life to a stranger, and I realize that empty words are not enough
I'm indebted to a stranger (the paramedics) for saving my life, which makes me realize that cliches and empty words are not enough to express my gratitude.

I'm left here with the question of just what have I to show except the promises I never kept?
I'm reflecting on my life and wondering what I've accomplished, given that I've made a lot of empty promises and failed to follow through on them.

I lie here shaking on this bed under the weight of my regrets
I'm deeply remorseful and upset about my past mistakes, and it's affecting me physically as I shake in my hospital bed.

I hope that I will never let you down
I vow to live my life in such a way that I won't disappoint others who have invested in me or believed in me.

I know, that this can be more than just flashing lights and sounds
I'm aware that life is about more than just flashy material possessions or superficial pleasures.

Look around and you'll see that at times it feels like no one really cares
Sometimes it seems like no one cares about you or your problems when you look around.

It gets me down, but I'm still gonna try to do what's right
Even though it's disheartening, I'm going to keep trying to do what's morally right and good.

I know that there's a difference between sleight of hand and giving everything you have
I understand that there's a distinction between doing something with deceit or trickery (sleight of hand) versus giving it your all and being honest.

There's a line drawn in the sand. I'm working up the will to cross it
There's a definitive boundary or limit that I need to go beyond, so I'm mustering the courage to step over it.

Rhetoric can't raise the dead. I'm sick of always talking when there's no change
Merely speaking persuasively or using fancy words won't bring back the dead, and I'm fed up with people who do nothing but talk without taking concrete action.

Rhetoric can't raise the dead. I'm sick of empty words. Let's lead, and not follow
I'm tired of meaningless words, and instead, I want to lead by example and make a positive impact on the world.

My world goes black before I feel an angel steal me from the greedy jaws of death and chance
Again, I lose consciousness, but this time it's an angelic savior who rescues me from an unpredictable fate.

And pull me in with steady hands. They've given me a second chance. The artist in the ambulance
The paramedics carefully pull me into the ambulance and give me another shot at life. They're like artists, delicately crafting a new tableau of my being.

Can we pick you off the ground? More than flashing lights and sounds
Can we help you up? There's more to life than superficial things like flashy lights and sounds.