The Disillusionist
The Church Lyrics

In autumn he comes to this town
Every year, when it's time for the leaves to turn orange and fall, he makes his way to this place

When the peoples guard is down
He trickily arrives at a moment when the people are least expecting his coming

On a day like today
On a gloomy, overcast day when the sky is gray and everything is dull

Bells were all ringing
The church bells were chiming as if calling for divine intervention

The birds stopped their singing
Even the birds silenced their songs to avoid being heard, frightened by the stranger

The wind caught in the trees
It caught the leaves and branches, creating whistling and rustling noises

Screaming to be free
Seemingly, the wind was struggling to break free, attempting to release itself from the clutches of the man

He alights from the platform
He steps off the train in his usual style

In his usual uniform
He keeps dressing the same way he always does

His skin looks like he slept in it
His skin appears worn out, as if he has not slept in days

Or had something rotten kept in it
He looks as though he has kept something rotting in his skin

And snakes stir in the thistles
The snakes lurking in the overgrown weeds become active in his presence

Back of cats neck bristles
An indication of how the cat's nervous system is reacting to the infiltrator

Round vicious lips the fur is stained
The fur around his mouth is stained with blood

The disillusionist is back again
The disillusionist has returned to deceive the minds of people again

They say that he's famous from the waist down
He has an established reputation for his sexuality, specifically for his lower body

But the top half of his body is a corpse
Although his lower body may be desirable, his torso seems dead and unfeeling

His gold won't buy him sleep
Despite having so much wealth, he still struggles to find peaceful sleep

His poverty runs so deep
His poverty is all-encompassing and profound, full of depression and despair

In winter he cracks, in summer he warps
Depending on the season, he either breaks apart mentally (winter) or becomes even more twisted (summer)

Hang around the backstage door
Follow him wherever he goes, especially when he is backstage

But he knows what you're waiting for
He is well aware of why you are following him and what you want from him

You rub yourself against his fame
You are using his name and popularity to your advantage

Already ready to bear the blame
You know very well that you will receive criticism for being with him

He asks you "Did you like my show?"
He's curious to know if you enjoyed his act or not

As if he really wants to know
But he does not actually care what your answer is

Then doesn't wait for your reply
He does not wait around for your answer before taking you back to his room

You've started feeling dizzy
Eventually, his tricks make you start to feel lightheaded and disoriented

It isn't you or is he
You are unsure who is causing the dizziness

Persuade you mentally
He tricks you simply by using the power of suggestion

Undress you incidentally
You start to remove your clothes unknowingly

Down the swaying corridor
Through the hallway, tottering and shaking

People you feel sorry for
You start to pity the other workers that he surrounds himself with

But when he puts the gaze on you
But when he looks at you, you feel alluringly special

You're amazed at what you'll let him do
You become surprised at how much you're willing to let him do to you

He can turn wine into water
He can make you believe in miracles

Mother against daughter
He can drive a wedge between even the closest of family

Juggles busy deadlines
He can balance so many conflicting schedules

Gets himself off headlines
He knows how to play the media and get what he wants

Surrounded by his minions
He is always surrounded by his loyal assistants

Who never have opinions
In their constant attempts to gain his approval, his followers never challenge him

Performing little tricks for you
He uses his friends to entertain you

Puts it in a fix for you
He creates a situation that makes you uneasy

Smashes your watch with a hammer
He uses violence as part of his act

Caresses you with camera
He interacts with you through a screen

And says the magic words
He always knows exactly what to say

That nobody's ever heard
Nobody has ever heard those words before

Now the slur is fading
The drinks are starting to wear off

Reality all-pervading
The real world is starting to become clear again

It only makes you want him more
Paradoxically, the more powerless he seems, the more you're attracted to him

It only make you fawn him more
The more you get to know him, the more you become infatuated with him

And he does the Indian rope trick
He performs the legendary, other-worldly trick that leaves everyone awe-struck

The one that makes you seasick
The one that makes you disoriented and dazed

And he keeps on filling up your cup
He keeps pouring you more alcohol, making you even more confused

But you keep on filling up
But you don't seem to mind, as you keep filling up your own cup

And some of it's done with mirrors
He uses mirrors to create the appearance of something that isn't there

And some of it's done with scissors
He uses scissors to put on an illusion

And some of it's done with cables
He uses high-tech cables and gadgets to power some of his stunts

And his hands under the table
But some of it is simply sleight of hand

It doesn't matter you want to believe
The truth is something that you actively want to avoid

It doesn't matter if you have to leave
You can't leave because you're too mesmerized

You won't escape his orbit
You'll always be somewhere within his pull

And the things that you must forfeit
And if you keep following him, you will lose more and more until you're left with very little

And the audience seems familiar
All the faces in the crowd seem to be the same, familiar people

Some of them in particular
You have a feeling that there are some people in the audience who you might know personally

Bet you they are his plants
You suspect that he placed a few trusted people in the audience

When he plays the game of chance
When he makes his most daring maneuvers and creates an ambiance of risk and danger

He reads the minds of jilted girls
He makes it look as if he can see inside the minds of heartbroken women

And the story really unfurls
This is when he displays the climax of the show, the moment when everything comes together

Cast a fortune for the man in the suit
And when everything seems like it might be over, he tries to secure one last big payday

Who's suffering is very acute
Despite his outward show of success, underneath the surface he's still struggling

There's a rabbit in his hat
He surprises everyone at the end with one last unexpected trick

But I thought I smelled a rat
But by now, you've grown suspicious that something underhanded is afoot