Winter Takes All
Common Market Lyrics

This ain't no place for a man of faith
A place of gambling and immorality is no place for a man of faith, who is lost in his ways.

I gamble it all away, tumble into fall abased and ablaze
Gambling and losing all of his possessions, he falls into a state of shame and is feeling passionate.

Can't fault or blame fam, they parade arrays of aid and praise
He can't blame his family for trying to help him and show him love through their support and encouragement.

Saints patronized by the razor blade
People with religious beliefs are being challenged by temptations of coming close to committing sin.

Dismayed and fazed and maybe I assay the prize
He feels unhappy and overwhelmed, trying to figure out his objectives and their payoff.

Stay alive or prepared – scared aint no way to die
He must either choose survival and be alert or submit to his fears and perish.

Though if my ache could be assuaged by sin
Even though he knows that sinning won't lessen his pain, he feels tempted to go down that path.

I'll make it bleed fate, racing to the gate pleading "take me in," I'm
He believes that by sinning he can alter his destiny and reach his ultimate destination.

Down, unable to prevail unassisted
He feels defeated and powerless without any support.

Will the tempest hail another victim in cyclical rhythm? Please
He wonders whether he will again become a victim of his recurring problems and begs for it to stop.

Break it, 'cause honestly the lie "I try tirelessly" is cowardice
He pleads for a change, as he knows that the excuse of 'trying' without actual action is cowardly.

Powerless am I to fight this avarice, I'm
He knows he is not strong enough to fight his desires and his greed overwhelms him.

Down, to give over control, the soul's solely yours
He is willing to surrender his control to a greater being, as he feels lost without direction.

Deal and dispose, but keep it real close and don't
He trusts that his fate is in good hands, but reminds his savior to keep it close and not lose control.

Break it, 'cause they gon' take it hard if I don't make it through
He fears the disappointment of the people around him if he fails to recover from his struggles.

And some are reaching for reason to hate you.
Some people are seeking a reason to blame and resent him for his actions.

Time and time again I've been told
He has been repeatedly advised.

That I focus on the flaws of man's off-center ten-fold
He is told that he tends to focus on people's imperfections more often than he should.

Stricken with the winter cold, sippin' the burnin' hot
He is suffering from the harsh reality of winter, while trying to consume something warm.

A spill will blister, learn not to leave skin exposed
He must be careful of his actions that could result in painful consequences in the future.

Stitch it up and pray the kid recover nicely
He hopes that he can heal the wounds and make amends for his mistakes.

And I might have if not for daddy's bad advice
He acknowledges that his wrong decisions may be the result of his father's bad influence.

He's the type to fight God but not a vice
His father tends to go against God but doesn't take responsibility for his negative habits.

Grip the heater twice as hard – it's this reality I battle nightly
He is struggling with harsh, painful reality every night, and he feels like he has to be armed to fight his way out.

Even in sleep it seems flight's unattainable
He is unable to flee from his struggles in his dreams and finds himself trapped within them.

Upon waking the facial expression deigns a satiable exchange
Upon waking up, his expression shows a slight sense of satisfaction, but it's not completely fulfilling.

Weather shades drawn, either side a storm rages on
Despite the weather outside that is fierce and chaotic, he shuts his windows and doors to avoid it.

Patiently the fawn awaits the day the rain's gone
He is waiting patiently for the storm to pass, just like a baby deer waiting for the rain to stop.

In my defense I claim it's obvious I'm not him
He defends himself that he is different than his father and shouldn't be compared to him.

Probably it's the toxin – sorry it's a lot been unresolved
He justifies his behavior as the result of his addictions, and apologizes for all the unresolved issues he has.

Sick since six, seen 'em revolve around a small town
He has been quite sick since he was six years old, and he has seen people around him struggle to break free from the cycle of a small town.

'Click,' call it quits – bring all them walls down
He decides to let go of his past that has kept him trapped, and bring down all the barriers he has created.

Down, finally I'mma defeat the rival
He feels like he's finally going to conquer his demons.

With a rifle, writing my epistle titled "try cycle," I
Through his written work, titled 'try cycle,' he feels like he can defeat his opponents with a rifle-shaped pen.

Break it, so never they perpetuate the malady
This time, he wants to break the cycle for good, and not let his negative habits continue to spread.

Abashedly accommodate mortality, undoubtedly I'm
He feels embarrassed to accept his mortality and knows that he is not invincible.

Down, to reconsider, I'll stay if you can make a promise though
He is reconsidering letting go of control, but needs the assurance of a promise from a higher being to stay.

Please keep it real close and don't
He asks his savior to keep his fate close, and not let it slip out of control.

I'm warning, not strong enough to take it now
He warns that he is not strong enough to handle defeat at this moment.

And I'm investigating other ways out
He is on the lookout for other ways to overcome his struggles.

Will rebuilds what the bottle destroyed
His hope is that he can restore what his addiction has taken away from him.

I'm downhill standing still at the bottom of Roy
He feels like he's stuck at the bottom of a hill in Roy.

Where the pass over I-5 looks alive much as anything
Even in the midst of darkness and despair, there are still moments of life and hope he can cling to.

Cling to the side and any sign of your memory
He clings to memories of people he has lost that fill him with hope and remind him of who he is.

My creative liberty is tempting me to hasten to the point of penance
The potential to be creative and take risks is tempting him to move toward the idea of punishment.

We could be rejoined if you employ forgiveness
He believes that forgiveness can rejoin people he has lost and resolve conflicts between them.

Sell it all, tell 'em hell is nothing but a cell wall
Life is fleeting, and even Hell can be seen as a minor obstacle.

I'mma soar even as the shell… fall…
Even though his physical body may not be at its peak, he believes he can still soar and achieve his goals.

Down, shed not a tear for my exodus
He is leaving the past behind, and doesn't want anyone to mourn his departure.

I'm here in the protectorate, the fear I held was delicate, to
He is in a safe place, and realizes that the fear he held was fragile and unimportant.

Break it, simply took a leap of faith and virtue
He discovered that the key to breaking the cycle was to take a leap of faith and make a change.

Serve through, I never meant to hurt you, for certain I'll be
He is dedicated to serving through and making amends for any hurt caused to others.

Down, to revisit the dearest of my kinfolk
He is ready to revisit and reconnect with loved ones he has been separated from.

Hold the spirit near, keep it real close and don't
He reminds himself and his family to hold onto their spirits and keep them close, and not let them slip away.

Break it, the creed is all we got until we meet again
Their beliefs and principles are what they have to hold onto until they meet again.

I'm prayin' you're gon' make it through the season.
He hopes that those he cares for are able to make it through their struggles and walk hand in hand towards the light.