Firefly
Jon Oliva's Pain Lyrics

As we live our lives like... a flicker of star light
Our lives are brief and fleeting, like a tiny glimmer of light in the vast expanse of space.

On these battle fields... the smell of death is real
The reality of war is death, and it permeates every aspect of the battlefield.

In fear of attack in a night cold and black
The darkness and coldness of the night creates a sense of fear and vulnerability for those on the battlefield.

Show me where I can run...
The artist is desperate for a safe place to escape from the danger and violence of war.

Where no one carries a gun
The artist longs for a place without violence or conflict, where weapons are unnecessary.

The enemy lines I'm now caught behind
The singer finds themselves trapped behind enemy lines, cut off from their own forces and in danger.

Favor neither a side... Show me a place I can hide
The singer feels caught in the middle of a conflict they don't believe in, and just wants a safe refuge from the violence.

... This firefly
The firefly represents a fleeting glimmer of hope and light in the midst of darkness and violence.

Try to understand this war
The artist wishes for others to comprehend the complexities and horrors of war.

Wasn't in my plans... no
The artist did not choose to be a part of this war, and it was not their intended path in life.

The fight for freedom and liberty
The larger ideologies behind the war are rooted in the concepts of freedom and liberty.

Will go on indefinitely... I know
The artist is resigned to the fact that this conflict will not be resolved easily or quickly.

My Life, my home is where I belong
The singer finds their true belonging and sense of self in their life and home, rather than in the midst of war.

Tell me why must this be
The singer is grappling with the senseless violence and destruction caused by war, and is questioning its necessity.

An unsolved mystery
The origins and outcomes of war are often unknowable and perplexing, adding to its sense of senselessness.

Lives have been lost, who's adding the cost
The price of war is the countless lives that are lost or forever changed, and it's not always clear who or what is responsible.

Broken families, left only with memories
Those left behind by the casualties of war are left to deal with the emotional and practical aftermath, and are often defined by their loss.

Of fireflies
The memory of the fleeting moments of happiness and hope represented by the firefly lingers on, even in the midst of darkness and despair.

Now we're facing annihilation, the end to all we know
The larger stakes of war become clear as the singer sees the potential for total destruction and ruin.

Devastation soon replacing the end to all we grow
The destruction wrought by war not only ends lives, but also destroys the potential for growth and development.

Can't you see the power and greed
The artist sees the darker motivations behind war, such as the lust for power and wealth.

That's sure to doom us all
The consequences of these motivations will lead to the destruction of all involved.

They won't rest, now all that's left
The insatiable desire for power, wealth or victory means that there will be no rest or resolution, leaving only destruction in its wake.

Is for the world to fall
The artist sees the destructive potential of war on a global scale, and fears for the future of mankind as a whole.

Now I can see my opponents as scared as me
In a moment of clarity, the singer is able to empathize with their enemy, recognizing that they are also driven by fear and desperation.

I know he feels inside all those things we try to hide
The singer recognizes that their shared humanity means that their opponents, despite their differences, are still dealing with the same fears and emotions as they are.

The fighting must cease for the world to have peace
The only way to achieve true and lasting peace is to end the fighting and violence once and for all.

Live and let live I believe
The artist finds hope in the idea of peaceful coexistence and nonviolence.

See what it's like to be free
True freedom can only come from the absence of fear and violence, and the artist wishes others could experience this.

You may just find that somewhere in time
The singer is hopeful that in the future, peace will win out over violence and conflict, and that humanity can learn to live in cooperation and harmony.

Together we all will be
The ideal end state is one where everyone works together for the common good, rather than fighting against one another.

To live out eternity... as fireflies
Ultimately, the artist hopes that humanity can achieve a sense of peace and contentment, akin to the fleeting moments of happiness and hope represented by the firefly.