Natives of Detroit, Michigan, Battlecross has had the privilege to share the stage with the most incredible bands such as Overkill, Gwar, The Absence, Dying Fetus, Woe of Tyrants, Vader, The Faceless, Vital Remains, Paul Dianno, and Mushroomhead. BX toured in Fall/Winter of 2011 with Diamond Plate & Rose Funeral, and were hand picked to play the CMJ music fest with Turbid North, Kvelertak, & Skeletonwitch in Brooklyn NY on 10/21/11.
The band recording their first full-length album "Pursuit of Honor" (recorded and co-produced by Josh Schroeder) at Random Awesome Recording Studio in Bay City, Michigan.
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Ghost Alive
Battlecross Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Poisoned by atrocities
Slow death seeps rotting out of the soil
An empty shell of his former self
A breathing corpse, a ghost alive
The constant onslaught of pity and guilt
That can drive a man to take his own life
Deaden the urge to escape
To be rid of the horrors this swelling loss of insanity
Only time will heal the wounds
Salvation from becoming a breathing corpse
A ghost alive
A mind left scarred warped and mangled
From the twisted faces of the dead
Only time will heal the wounds
Salvation from becoming a breathing corpse
A ghost alive
Each waking day
Merely a curse in disguise
Subjected to visions
Of blood and murder in reprise
Crushing dreams of normalcy
Fleeting thoughts of perseverance
Are barely enough to survive
An empty shell of his former self
A breathing corpse, a ghost alive
The constant onslaught of pity and guilt
That can drive a man to take his own life
The above lyrics to Battlecross's song Ghost Alive depict a haunting image of a man who is slowly decaying from the inside after being exposed to horrific events that have scarred him mentally. The opening lines of "Hidden to the naked eye, poisoned by atrocities" suggests that the man's pain and suffering is not apparent to others, and the tragedy of his situation is that he is slowly being consumed by his own internal agony. The use of the metaphor "slow death seeps rotting out of the soil" is powerful in conveying the sense of decay that the man is experiencing, and the overwhelming sense of despair and hopelessness that has permeated his psyche.
The chorus highlights the internal struggle that the man is facing as he battles to stay alive. The line "a breathing corpse, a ghost alive" suggests that he is still physically present, but his spirit has been crushed by his experiences. He is also described as being subjected to a constant "onslaught of pity and guilt" which can "drive a man to take his own life". The use of the term "medication blunting the pain" refers to his attempts to numb his pain, but it is clear that this is not a long-term solution. The final lines of the chorus suggest that he is holding on to the hope that time will heal his wounds and that he will eventually find salvation from the torment that is tearing him apart.
The second verse continues the theme of the man's mental anguish, and the descriptions of his mind being "scarred, warped and mangled" highlight the lasting scars that have resulted from his traumatic experiences. The final lines of the song, "An empty shell of his former self, a breathing corpse, a ghost alive. The constant onslaught of pity and guilt that can drive a man to take his own life" serve as a haunting reminder of the terrible toll that trauma can take on the human spirit.
Line by Line Meaning
Hidden to the naked eye
The problems and struggles the person is facing are not visible on the surface.
Poisoned by atrocities
The person has been harmed and traumatized by terrible events.
Slow death seeps rotting out of the soil
The pain and damage done by these events is pervasive and long-lasting.
An empty shell of his former self
The person is a mere shadow of who they used to be, because of the emotional and mental toll of their experiences.
A breathing corpse, a ghost alive
Even though the person is technically alive, they feel dead inside, and their trauma haunts them constantly.
The constant onslaught of pity and guilt
The person feels sorry for themselves and feels like others pity them, which only makes them feel worse.
That can drive a man to take his own life
These negative emotions can become so overwhelming that the person feels like they would be better off dead.
Medication blunting the pain
The person is taking drugs to try to cope with their pain and trauma.
Deaden the urge to escape
The drugs make it easier to resist the temptation to end one's own life.
To be rid of the horrors this swelling loss of insanity
The person wishes they could escape the mental anguish caused by their trauma and depression.
Only time will heal the wounds
The person knows that they need time to recover from their trauma, and there is no quick fix or easy solution.
Salvation from becoming a breathing corpse
If the person can overcome their trauma and depression, they can regain a sense of true life and vitality.
A mind left scarred warped and mangled
The person's mental state has been severely damaged by their experiences, and they are struggling to cope.
From the twisted faces of the dead
The person is haunted by memories of death and suffering, which are causing them great distress.
Each waking day
Every day is a struggle for the person.
Merely a curse in disguise
Despite appearances, each day is actually extremely challenging and difficult for the person.
Subjected to visions
The person is plagued by mental images and flashbacks of traumatic events they experienced.
Of blood and murder in reprise
These mental images are often violent and disturbing.
Crushing dreams of normalcy
The person's trauma and depression are preventing them from living a normal life, and they fear they may never be able to do so again.
Fleeting thoughts of perseverance
Despite their despair, the person occasionally has moments of hope that they will be able to overcome their trauma and depression.
Are barely enough to survive
These moments of hope are fleeting and few, and the person is struggling just to keep going from day to day.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DONALD JOHN SLATER, HIRAN DERANIYAGALA, KYLE GUNTHER, SHANNON MICHAEL LUCAS, TONY ASTA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind