Tyrant Kings
NEEDTOBREATHE Lyrics


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Shadows of greatness, yeah, it's the story of a small town
We wore the colors of our favorite little let down
The lies we told were never much, but who could keep track
Enough that we all left the fire and never looked back

The tyrant kings
We had everything
Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
I'm like an awkward conversation
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Whoa
Whoa

More times than not, the ones you love are who you let down
We're chasing something big our parents never tracked down
The hardest part is looking back and making sense of
The humble tries and troubled times of where we came from

The tyrant kings
We had everything

Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
I'm like an awkward conversation
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Whoa

Still I'm feeling like a vagrant
Lost in a world where no one thinks that we can make it
Don't you know time is like a fortune when we take it
Baby, let me spend my time with you
Whoa

The tyrant kings
We had everything
Still we run to you

We were like tyrant kings
We had everything
Still we run to you

Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
I'm like an awkward conversation
All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
I ain't gonna stop until I do
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa
Whoa





Shadows of greatness, yeah, it's the story of a small town
We wore the colors of our favorite little let down

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to NEEDTOBREATHE's song Tyrant Kings tell the story of a small town and the people who grew up there. They begin by talking about the "shadows of greatness" that loom over the town, suggesting that there is potential for greatness but it hasn't yet been achieved. The "colors of our favorite little let down" refers to how the people in the town are attached to things that have let them down, indicating some level of complacency or lack of ambition. The lines "The tyrant kings, We had everything" suggest that despite this, the people in the town had everything they needed to succeed.


However, the singer of the song still feels like a "vagrant" in his own town. He feels like an "awkward conversation" and can't seem to make any progress in his life. He's putting in a lot of work but not seeing any results, but he won't give up until he does. The song then reflects on how the people we love are often the ones we let down, and how the town is chasing something big that their parents never achieved. The hardest part is coming to terms with where we came from and the struggles we faced along the way.


The song ends with the lines "We were like tyrant kings, We had everything, Still we run to you," suggesting that despite the setbacks and disappointments, the people of the town keep running towards something - perhaps towards their dreams or their potential for greatness.


Line by Line Meaning

Shadows of greatness, yeah, it's the story of a small town
This song tells a story about a small town that aspires for greatness but is shadowed by its own limitations.


We wore the colors of our favorite little let down
Despite feeling let down, the people of the small town still harbored hope and pride.


The lies we told were never much, but who could keep track
The people told small lies, but their frequency made it hard to differentiate the truth.


Enough that we all left the fire and never looked back
The people eventually lost hope and left the fire of the town's ambitions behind.


The tyrant kings
The people of the small town believed themselves to be kings, but they were controlled by a greater force.


We had everything
Despite being controlled, the people had everything they believed they needed.


Still I'm feeling like a vagrant in my own town
Even with everything they had, the people still felt like they were lost within their own town.


I'm like an awkward conversation
The people's situation felt uncomfortable, like an awkward conversation.


All of this work and I ain't seein' any wages
Even with hard work, there were no rewards or payoffs.


I ain't gonna stop until I do
Despite the lack of rewards, the people were determined to keep working towards their goals.


More times than not, the ones you love are who you let down
The people did not intentionally let themselves down; rather, they often let down the ones they cared about the most.


We're chasing something big our parents never tracked down
The people of the small town were chasing something greater than what their parents had accomplished.


The hardest part is looking back and making sense of
Retrospectively, the people found it difficult to comprehend and interpret their past.


The humble tries and troubled times of where we came from
The people's past experiences humbled them and taught them valuable lessons.


Lost in a world where no one thinks that we can make it
Despite their struggles, the people of the small town were in a world where hope and success seemed like unlikely possibilities.


Don't you know time is like a fortune when we take it
The people recognized the value of time and did not want to waste it.


Baby, let me spend my time with you
The people were willing to spend their time with their loved ones.


Still we run to you
Despite feeling let down, the people of the small town ran to someone or something for support when they needed it most.




Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Nathaniel Rinehart, William Rinehart

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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