The Mute
Radical Face Lyrics

Well, as a child I mostly spoke inside my head
As a child, I preferred the thoughts in my head to spoken words.

I had conversations with the clouds, the dogs, the dead
I imagined talking to inanimate and animate objects, as well as the deceased.

And they thought my broken, that my tongue was coated lead
People believed that I had a speech impediment or difficulty communicating.

But I just couldn't make my words make sense to them
However, I was actually just struggling to articulate my thoughts to others.

If you only listen with your ears I can't get in
If people only listen superficially to my spoken words, they won't really understand me.

And I spent my evenings pullin' stars out of the sky
In the evenings, I would engage in fanciful activities such as pretending to pluck stars out of the sky.

And I'd arrange them on the lawn where I would lie
I would then lay on the grass and create artistic arrangements with the imaginary stars.

And in the wind I'd taste the dreams of distant lives
I would experience the sensation of the wind as if I were experiencing the dreams of other people living in distant lands.

And I would dress myself up in them through the night
At night, I would metaphorically envelop myself in the dreams of others.

While my folks would sleep in separate beds and wonder why
Meanwhile, my parents would sleep apart from each other, perplexed by my behavior.

And through them days I was a ghost atop my chair
During the day, I would feel invisible and disconnected, almost like a ghost.

My dad considered me a cross he had to bear
My father saw me as a burden or trial that he had to endure.

And in my head I'd sing apologies and stare
I would create mental apologies and maintain a fixed, almost vacant gaze to avoid conflicts.

As my mom would hang the clothes across the line
Meanwhile, my mother would hang laundry on the clothesline.

And she would try to keep the empty from her eyes
However, she would try to avoid expressing sorrow or emptiness through her eyes and facial expressions.

So, then one afternoon I dressed myself alone
One afternoon, I decided to pack my things and leave on my own.

I packed my pillowcase with everything I owned
I put everything I owned in a pillowcase.

And in my head I said goodbye, then I was gone
I left without saying a proper goodbye.

And I set out on the heels of the unknown
I embarked on an unpredictable, unfamiliar journey.

So my folks could have a new life of their own
So my parents could move on with their lives and find happiness.

So that maybe I could find someone
And so I could find someone who would truly understand me.

Who could hear the only words that I'd known
Someone who would listen to me not just with their ears, but with their heart and mind.