The Mass of the Earth
The Agonist Lyrics

I just wrote home to tell you this; I did just my very best
I tried my hardest and wanted to let you know.

I went far but got stuck there
I traveled a lot, but got caught up in something.

I picked up the pieces
I tried to fix things and make them better.

I was your vigilante soldier
I fought for you, like a hero.

But the mass of the Earth just weighed too heavily on me
I was burdened by the weight of the world's problems.

How can truth be opinion?
The truth cannot be subjective, it is objective.

How can fact be right and wrong?
Facts are objective and cannot be right or wrong.

The familiar turned strange good and evil unhinged
Things that were once familiar became unfamiliar, and morality became blurred.

My utilitarian comfort unsettled
My practical approach to problem-solving left me feeling uneasy.

Consequentialist moral reasons
Choosing actions based on the consequences they will have.

Categorically examined – Self-knowledge is a loss of innocence!
Examining things in categories led me to realize that knowing more takes away from my naive innocence.

I heard your call to arms set off the doomsday alarm
I heard your plea for help, but it seemed like things were beyond fixing.

But never heard back
I did not receive any help or response to my plea for aid.

So I set out alone
I decided to take matters into my own hands and go it alone.

I don't believe all I've been shown
I am not easily swayed by what I have been exposed to in my travels.

A quest for truth and fact
I am on a mission to discover the truth and facts about the world.

I passed a desert town
While traveling, I came across a deserted town.

Uninhabitable pastures of ash brown
The land was barren and not suitable for living.

Abandoned structures littered like an Aerstan scene
The town was in ruins, like a scene from a horror movie.

But then desperate people appeared
However, people in dire need suddenly appeared.

They had lived in constant drought for ten years
The people had been without water for a decade.

Ever since pollution got the best of them – wiped them clean
Pollution caused their water supply to become contaminated, eventually leading to their plight.

So I thought I'll take their curse away! Let them flourish I'll take the pain"
I decided to help them by removing their problem, freeing them from their suffering.

I lifted their drought and went on my way
I provided them with water and then moved on.

So I'm asking you help me carry? I'm Atlas Jesus and Hades Please someone just take this weight of me
I am asking for help with the burden I bear, it has become too much for me alone to handle.

The destination is obsolete the journey is bitter-sweet
The goal no longer matters, it's the journey itself that leaves a mixed taste in my mouth.

Logic and consistency Do not mix with morality
Rational and consistent thinking doesn't always align with moral considerations.

Justify the atrocities the trump card never fails
Certain actions are justified even if they go against morals because they achieve powerful results.

Remove the greed and the ego and the conscience prevails
Overcoming selfish and self-serving attitudes allows the conscience to lead instead.

No longer empty-handed I stopped at the coast to rest
I reached a new stage in my journey and took a break at the shore.

But found a flood of people drowning in a sea of hatred
However, I found people suffering greatly as a result of intense anger and aggression.

They begged and pleaded "End this war! Have acceptance and Peace restored!"
The people begged for the end of war and the restoration of peace and understanding.

So I drank up all their poison oaths
I got drunk on their promises and vows, hoping that they would bring change.

Global systems all degrading
All the systems that govern the world are beginning to fall apart.

I'll take the problems so the World can breathe
I will take on the world's problems, to make it a better and more sustainable place for all.

And I have nowhere to take them
Despite my best efforts, I have no solutions for the problems the world is facing.

So forever they'll accompany me
I will carry these problems with me always, with no hope of a solution.

The future is so much longer than the past
The future holds so many possibilities, however the past holds many mistakes.

I picked up wrongs along the way removed them from the mass
I have tried to fix what was wrong in the world, even if it felt like a small change.

But I still had to jettison things to outrun gravity
In order to keep moving forward, I had to abandon things that were weighing me down.

And not wanting to further pollute I just left behind parts of me
I wanted to avoid causing any more harm or problems, even if it meant losing a piece of myself.

I'm collecting your tradition your religion your depression
I am taking in and absorbing the pain, struggles, and customs of others.

I'm trading in your affection to put us all to sleep
I am sacrificing the love and sentiment of others to create a sense of unity and contentment.

So here I lay bent shoulders broken ribs I sink into the Earth and all I can hope is to take this baggage to the grave
I am tired and beaten down, but hopeful that all the problems, weights, and troubles I carry with me will dissipate after death.

One more step I cannot take By the time you read this I'll have passed away
I am at my limit and cannot go on. By the time you read this, I will have died.