Nomad
The Crisis Lyrics


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Long ago, a crumbling whole of me was split in two.
Spat forth into darkness and light, like the Birth from the womb.
I live like this in stillborn life.
I shed my skin and blood and vein, still I couldn't find my way home again.

So climb inside and rot here for a while.
Outside I can hear this dying world screaming.
Displaced from my earthly home, like the corpse from the tomb.
So climb inside and rot here for a while.

This pain I own, A gift in return for a taking, a wounding, a breaking.
This is our childhood's end. Can't remember when it all began.
I want to burn the masters and the slaves and those who pray that I'll repent and be like them.
A gift in return for a taking, a wounding, a breaking.

This is our childhood's end. Can't remember when it all began.
I want to burn the masters and the slaves and those who pray that I'll repent and be like them.
I'm in exile. I'm in exile. Eternally bleeding, but not broken.
The price I pay for vision, I'm not broken.

After all, what can one see with blind open eyes.
I'm in exile. Eaten the dirt from my own grave.




Chosen to be a certain slave. Now in this way I die.
Yet I am more alive. Yet I am more alive, I'm in exile.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Crisis's song "Nomad" are deep and thought-provoking, outlining the feeling of being lost, displaced, and disconnected from oneself and the world. The opening lines, "Long ago, a crumbling whole of me was split in two. / Spat forth into darkness and light, like the Birth from the womb," create a vivid contrast of light and darkness, birth and death, which represent the duality of human existence. The singer is split between two opposing forces, unable to reconcile and find his way back home, which is a metaphor for wholeness.


The following stanza, "This pain I own, A gift in return for a taking, a wounding, a breaking. / This is our childhood's end. Can't remember when it all began," reveals that the singer is willing to embrace his pain and transform it into a gift, a sign of maturity and growth. However, he also acknowledges that this process started a long time ago, in his childhood, and he can't remember the exact moment when it began. This creates a sense of nostalgia, regret, and yearning for a past that can never be recovered.


The chorus, "So climb inside and rot here for a while. / Outside I can hear this dying world screaming. / Displaced from my earthly home, like the corpse from the tomb. / So climb inside and rot here for a while," is a bleak and haunting call to embrace one's despair and stay in it, rather than trying to escape it. The singer is aware of the decay and destruction of the world outside, which mirrors his own inner turmoil. He feels alienated from his earthly home, as if he were a corpse in a tomb, waiting to decay.


Overall, "Nomad" is a powerful song that deals with themes of identity, loss, pain, and hopelessness, but also resilience, transformation, and self-discovery. It's an emotional journey that invites the listener to reflect on their own experiences of displacement and longing, while also celebrating the beauty of imperfection and the power of darkness.


Line by Line Meaning

Long ago, a crumbling whole of me was split in two.
In the past, I experienced a great trauma that divided me into two parts.


Spat forth into darkness and light, like the Birth from the womb.
I was separated into worlds of darkness and light, similar to a newborn being born.


I live like this in stillborn life.
I exist in a state of being alive but not truly living.


I shed my skin and blood and vein, still I couldn't find my way home again.
I have shed everything that made me who I am, but I still cannot find a sense of belonging.


So climb inside and rot here for a while.
Come and experience the pain and suffering with me for a time.


Outside I can hear this dying world screaming.
The world is in agony, and I hear its cries of pain.


Displaced from my earthly home, like the corpse from the tomb.
I am lost and disconnected from my place of origin, like a lifeless body removed from a grave.


This pain I own, A gift in return for a taking, a wounding, a breaking.
My suffering is a result of the harm inflicted upon me, but it has given me perspective and insight.


This is our childhood's end. Can't remember when it all began.
We have reached the point in life where we lose our innocence, and it's hard to recall when that process started.


I want to burn the masters and the slaves and those who pray that I'll repent and be like them.
I desire to rid myself of those who hold power over me and those who blindly follow them.


I'm in exile. I'm in exile. Eternally bleeding, but not broken.
I am isolated from society and always in pain, but I refuse to allow it to completely destroy me.


The price I pay for vision, I'm not broken.
I am willing to suffer for my ability to see the world with a clearer, more truthful perspective.


After all, what can one see with blind open eyes.
What good is it to see the world with eyes that are open but not truly perceiving?


I'm in exile. Eaten the dirt from my own grave.
I am isolated and consumed by my own suffering to the point where I feel like I am buried alive.


Chosen to be a certain slave. Now in this way I die.
I have been forced into a position of subservience, and it feels like a form of death.


Yet I am more alive. Yet I am more alive, I'm in exile.
Despite everything, I am more in touch with the truth of life, and that makes me feel more alive than ever before.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: HENDERSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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