House On Fire
Tom Shear Lyrics

Sifting through the ashes
Looking through the remains of what has been destroyed

With unsteady hands
Hands that cannot remain steady due to an overwhelming sense of emotions

Searching for the remnants
Looking for what is left after something has been destroyed

Of a broken man
The remains of a person whose soul and mind have been destroyed

A history of hollow lives
A life lacking in substance

And low ideals
A set of values that are not ambitious or worthy

A backlog of wrongdoing
An accumulation of bad deeds and actions

We can never conceal
We cannot hide what we have done or who we are

I stand up
I gather the strength to rise up

And walk away from the dross
Leaving behind things that are worthless and meaningless

Towards the doorway
Moving closer to an exit or escape

Of our mutual and harrowing loss
A tragic event that has affected both of us deeply

The only way I know
The only method I am familiar with

To shake myself of this curse
To rid myself of a negative fate or destiny

Is to bring myself to something
Only by experiencing something else

That is measurably worse
A situation that is objectively more difficult or painful

I sought refuge in a house on fire
I tried to find safety in a situation that was dangerous and destructive

I took shelter in a wall of flame
I found protection in the midst of intense heat and destruction

I built a prison in my own subconscious
I created a mental prison for myself, trapping myself in painful thoughts and emotions

There's nothing else left
No other options or possibilities

Emerging from the wreckage
Coming out from a disastrous situation

Of a life that once was
From a past existence

Confounded by the damage
Feeling completely baffled and confused by the destruction

My own psyche does
The damage in my own mind and soul

I bear the scars
The physical or emotional evidence of enduring a traumatic experience

Of an insufferable will
A personality trait that cannot be tolerated or endured

And the tyrannical reign
The oppressive control that has taken hold

It threatens to instill
The power and control that threaten to take hold and establish itself

Some seek control
Some look for ways to take charge of their lives

By grabbing hold of their lives
Taking control of their own existence

In a futile attempt
In an unsuccessful effort

To help themselves survive
Trying to stay alive or keep going when things are tough

I dig myself
I intentionally put myself in a difficult position

Into a much deeper hole
A more dangerous and inescapable circumstance

Running from a fate
Trying to escape from an inevitable destiny

That I can never control
Something that will happen regardless of my actions and wishes

I woke up
Regained consciousness

In a column of ash
Surrounded by the remains of something that has been destroyed

While the world came down
While everything was destroyed around me

In a horrible crash
A catastrophic event

I was naive
I was too trusting and inexperienced

For ever wanting this much
For hoping things would turn out better

Using self-deception
Lying to myself

As my only crutch
The only thing I could rely on

Footsteps diverge
Paths separating

From the path they once walked
From the past way of life they had

Words are eclipsed
Words are obscured or concealed

By the language they talked
By the way they used language to confuse truth with lies

Actions betrayed
Actions were not true to one's intentions or promises

By promises broken
Due to the act of lying and false promises

Flames consume intentions
The fire completely destroys one's intentions

Best left unspoken
Things that are better left unsaid

Nothing else left to blame
There is no one else to blame for my own actions