After signing with Wind-up Records, Alter Bridge released their debut album One Day Remains in August 2004, much of which was written by Tremonti the previous year. The album reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and, received mixed reviews, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in November 2004. This was followed in 2007 by the more positively-reviewed Blackbird, which marked the beginning of a long partnership between the band and producer Michael Baskette. The album reached No. 13 in the U.S. and was certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry.
Following continued activities with the members' other bands and side projects, Alter Bridge released AB III in 2010. It received critical acclaim and commercial success on Roadrunner Records, with its lead single "Isolation" topping the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Alter Bridge released Fortress to further acclaim in 2013, as the band's members continued splitting their time between various projects. The Last Hero followed on Napalm Records in 2016, becoming the band's first album since its debut to reach the top ten of the Billboard 200, and its first to reach the top five of the UK Albums Chart. Their sixth studio album, Walk the Sky, was released in 2019, and was followed by Walk the Sky 2.0 in 2020. The band's seventh album Pawns & Kings was released on October 14, 2022.
As of 2023 Alter Bridge has sold over 5 million records worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alter_Bridge
Studio albums
One Day Remains (2004)
Blackbird (2007)
AB III (2010)
Fortress (2013)
The Last Hero (2016)
Walk the Sky (2019)
Pawns & Kings (2022)
Fortress
Alter Bridge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Perhaps for the rest of my days?
If all that has been surrounded will just go to waste
You left me out in the distance
To wander this world on my own
Sometimes it's so hard to admit it but I can't let go
I can't let you go
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
One thing I know is for certain
We cannot have all we want
Still this will not stop the hurting, It is never gone
Now I hold on to the one thing
Too fragile to stand on its own
The fortress we built it is crumbling still I can't let go
I can't let you go
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
Oh, there'll come a time, yes I know
There'll come a time you'll look back and regret when it's gone
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
Oh, here'll come a time yes I know
There'll come a time you look back and regret when it's gone
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
In the end, too far gone, this I can't deny
Still I keep holding on and on
There's still time
On the outside looking in everything seems fine
But the fortress caving in comes down
On me tonight
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Fortress coming down
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
Everything is gone
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
Fortress coming down
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Just take it all
Just take it all
Just take it all
The first verse of Alter Bridge's song "Fortress" expresses a feeling of hopelessness and the fear of being lost and wandering forever. The singer seems to be reflecting on the fact that everything that once surrounded him has turned to waste. The second verse reveals that the singer feels abandoned by someone and has been left to navigate the world alone. The chorus repeats the phrase "Fortress coming down" which can be understood metaphorically as the collapse of something once strong and unwavering. The singer seems to be grappling with the idea of letting go of something that is already falling apart.
The bridge of the song is where a sense of regret and loss kicks in. The singer predicts that there will be a time when they will look back and regret letting something go. The final verse suggests that there is a feeling of being too far gone to change what is already happening, but the singer is still holding on. The ending of the song repeats "Just take it all" which can be interpreted as letting go of everything and accepting the collapse of the fortress.
Overall, "Fortress" is a melancholic reflection on loss, the fear of being lost and the inevitability of things falling apart. The lyrics touch on themes of abandonment, regret, and trying to hold onto something that is already crumbling. The title of the song, "Fortress" can be interpreted as anything from a literal fortress that has been built, to a symbolic fortress that represents something that was once strong and formidable.
Line by Line Meaning
Am I lost to wander forever
Will I forever wander aimlessly?
Perhaps for the rest of my days?
Is this my fate for the remainder of my life?
If all that has been surrounded will just go to waste
If everything I've achieved is going to be for nothing
You left me out in the distance
You abandoned me and left me alone
To wander this world on my own
To navigate this world without your support
Sometimes it's so hard to admit it but I can't let go
I struggle to accept it, but I can't move on from you
I can't let you go
I can't bring myself to move on from you
Go on and take it all, go on and take it all
Take everything I have, I don't care anymore
Fortress coming down
Everything I've built is collapsing
I know we can't save it all I know we can't save it all
I realize that not everything can be rescued
Everything is gone
I've lost everything
Oh I have seen it all Oh I have seen it all
I've experienced every possible disappointment
One thing I know is for certain
I'm certain that I can't have everything I want
We cannot have all we want
My desires will never be fully satisfied
Still this will not stop the hurting, It is never gone
Despite this realization, the pain lingers
Now I hold on to the one thing
I cling to the one thing that remains
Too fragile to stand on its own
But this one thing is weak and vulnerable
The fortress we built it is crumbling still I can't let go
Our structure is falling apart, but I can't move on
Oh, there'll come a time, yes I know
Eventually, I know I'll regret this
There'll come a time you'll look back and regret when it's gone
I'll regret not being able to salvage what was lost
You'll look back and regret when I's gone
You'll regret not being able to save me
In the end, too far gone, this I can't deny
I can't deny that everything is beyond repair
Still I keep holding on and on
But I keep holding on despite everything
There's still time
Maybe there's still time to save something
On the outside looking in everything seems fine
To an outsider, everything may appear normal
But the fortress caving in comes down
But my personal life is falling apart
On me tonight
I have to face the consequences tonight
Just take it all
I've given up and am willing to give away everything
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MARK TREMONTI, MYLES KENNEDY, SCOTT PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind