dan-smith-of-listener
American
Dan Smith is the lyricist / talker for the 'talk music' band Listener. / / http://iamlistener.com / / This site is a dedication to Dan Smith's amazing poetry. I have nothing to do with Dan Smith or the band Listener in other than the fact that I think more people should listen to them.
Our heart burns broken at the ends, they fail us, keep building
my lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, well I’m breathing
this back breaks walked on from carrying friends, can’t stop now, still working
your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
and it’s alright, it’s alright, we are not right now complete
and I’m alright, you’re gonna be alright, we might never be complete
but the water keeps rising, it’s rising, everybody get into the water
and hold each others hands and lives, let’s all push our hearts together....
we’re gonna leave these shores right now, be everything we’ve never been
but you gotta swear to promise that we’ll never go back again, ever again
and we’re not just islands lying beside each others shorelines
we’re all bound with veins and hopes, we are not each others ghosts
our hearts are abridged, let's build bridges to each other
so this river won’t take us under
filled with monsters and goblins, they keep dragging the bottom
our life is a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
and pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
I’m trying not to confuse: being used, with giving all I am
by: being used, and giving everything I have, all I am
so I’ll build a bridge with hollow bones filled with hollow teeth
inside a hollow heart, with the insides carved
and let the blood in these veins freeze
let the water in these veins freeze and break and flood the dam
we are all we have, this is all we need, hold on it may never end
and I might have to drink my teeth again if I wash up on the coast
so I’ll build a bridge with all that’s left, & not make any more new ghosts
show me your life, wide and bright, I hope that patience fills the seams
keep what’s inside, dry and right, you arch the frame I’ll span the beams
our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
from every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
cause one day we’re gonna close our eyes for death or rest
and abandon ourself, this weak mind and breath
and the columns we made, and roots we grew down deep
will be pulled and gathered in to firewood, and burnt for heat
but when the tension shifts, and these braces turn
I’ll try and build a better bridge
and when all our piers burn, and the hinges miss
I’m gonna build a better bridge
our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
so we don’t take ourselves under
Our heart burns broken at the ends, they fail us, keep building
my lungs are wax inside my ribs, you’re burning, I’m still breathing
this back breaks walked on carry friends, can’t stop now, still working
your life’s like rain drops on my tongue, I believe you, keep raining
our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
from every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
so this river won’t take us under, so we don’t take ourselves under
our lives are a bridge, let’s build bridges to each other
and pray we don’t go under, oh these careless waters
our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
from every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
our lives are a bridge for us to give, I want to build a better bridge
from every wrong we’ve done to each other, if I forgive will you forgive?
our hearts are abridged, let’s build bridges to each other
so this river won’t take us under, so we don’t take ourselves under
May 12, 2012
May 12, 2012 at 3:26 PM UTC
I lost my best friend to sadness
speaking these words at arms length
he said: to shake things up as hard as you can
and if you figure it out by god tell everyone
he said: failing is not just for failures
it's for everyone, failures just have more experience
but you can't quit now, you have to climb all night
climb everyone of their towers, and show them your life
but if I'm a quitter now, I promise I'll quit her in the end
I don’t need these weapons, I’ll set my heart to win
with the weight of the world trying to stop me
breathe out, then inhale my little heartbeat
and I'll do this for you, because the world might need it
if I don't I'll lose hope, and we'll end up losing it (oh well)
I lost my best friend to sadness
Even though we tried and tried, I guess we really didn't
I haven’t seen my chin since last may
I’m gonna hold my breath. Let's all hold our breath together
and turn this graveyard into a garden and grow from here
we give words to colors and swear we're not blind
we must be the last of our kind, claiming all the world as if we'll never die
we are the ones living right now clamoring around on top of everyone
but it has to hurt of it's to heal, well my god it must be healing
it's like a knife in the heart, and I'm starting to lose feeling
it's gonna hurt before it heals, but the pain is getting bigger
this dams about to go, and I'm running out of fingers
it'll hurt but it will heal, I'm starting to believe it
eyes wide open in the darkness, but I really can't see it
it’s burning right now and I want you to feel it somehow,
but without the pain of knowing it
when all is lost I won’t think of you
there's nothing in this world that ghost can do
no matter what's ahead I'll push on through
for your life or through your death, I’ll keep on
Until I've reached the sea where I can go no further
when all these possibilities keep forcing me towards their goals
confronted with their true self most men run away screaming
with nothing as their enemy it's hollow and it's whole.
stuffing sorrow in their souls
until all hope is lost in the infinite
I won't ever say goodbye because there's no good in it
I'll stay the course, you've sailed away
while my path leads to God only knows
I'll finish this race, you've quit so early
I'd invite you to swim but drifting is not swimming
and this is it, you've given me no choice
but to use mere words to stay alive. while you've paid them no mind.
and I'll tell stories about your life, you are no hero but I'll lie...
because, when all is lost I won’t think of you
there's nothing in this world that ghost can do
no matter what's ahead I'll push on through
for your life or through your death, I’ll keep on
May 12, 2012
May 12, 2012 at 8:01 AM UTC
I met a shell of a mountain who knew she was finished
claimed she grew up from a grain of sand
with every year wider she bloomed a little bit longer
to the roof of the sky with outstretched hands
she made friends with the sun, shared enemies with no one
counted weeks like she should of counted days
and swallowed handfuls of night so she could sleep tight
and turn her thoughts from its stone cold ways
and this was the beginning, the start of the ending
you can't die from a broken heart
but from the time the sun rose
to the space where it fell away
she would love, and it wouldn't take part
and every every day she would echo echo
in every single way she should let go let go
but it had her in its sights cupids icy arrows
so she caught every one with her heart like it was her duty
it walked the wrong wrong way down her one way plan
she was surrounded by forests, rivers and beauty
until that glacier froze over the land
and so she blamed herself hated her wealth
she was born at too young of an age
and every night her dreams were touched by witches fingers
until her heart was caged.
with every morning spent not caring if she cares or not
sleeping in the melt and mud, waiting for the earth to rot
burying herself alive she scrapes the hole that it left open
empty as her very heart, that mountain was all broken
all broken, that mountain was all broken
now I can see that her bloods red and she’s got feelings and they always get spilled both without thinking
May 11, 2012
May 11, 2012 at 11:29 PM UTC
We’re all born to broken people on their most honest day of living
and since that first breath... We’ll need grace that we’ve never given
I've been haunted by standard red devils and white ghosts
and it's not only when these eyes are closed
these lies are ropes that I tie down in my stomach,
but they hold this ship together tossed like leaves in this weather
and my dreams are sails that I point towards my true north,
stretched thin over my rib bones, and pray that it gets better
but it won’t won’t, at least I don’t believe it will...
so I've built a wooden heart inside this iron ship,
to sail these blood red seas and find your coasts.
don’t let these waves wash away your hopes
this war-ship is sinking, and I still believe in anchors
pulling fist fulls of rotten wood from my heart, I still believe in saviors
but I know that we are all made out of shipwrecks, every single board
washed and bound like crooked teeth on these rocky shores
so come on and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember
I am the barely living son of a woman and man who barely made it
but we’re making it taped together on borrowed crutches and new starts
we all have the same holes in our hearts...
everything falls apart at the exact same time
that it all comes together perfectly for the next step
but my fear is this prison... that I keep locked below the main deck
I keep a key under my pillow, it’s quiet and it’s hidden
and my hopes are weapons that I’m still learning how to use right
but they’re heavy and I’m awkward...always running out of fight
so I’ve carved a wooden heart, put it in this sinking ship
hoping it would help me float for just a few more weeks
because I am made out of shipwrecks, every twisted beam
lost and found like you and me scattered out on the sea
so come on let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, just some tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember
My throat it still tastes like house fire and salt water
I wear this tide like loose skin, rock me to sea
if we hold on tight we’ll hold each other together
and not just be some fools rushing to die in our sleep
all these machines will rust I promise, but we'll still be electric
shocking each other back to life
Your hand in mine, my fingers in your veins connected
our bones grown together inside
our hands entwined, your fingers in my veins braided
our spines grown stronger in time
because are church is made out of shipwrecks
from every hull these rocks have claimed
but we pick ourselves up, and try and grow better through the change
so come on yall and let’s wash each other with tears of joy and tears of grief
and fold our lives like crashing waves and run up on this beach
come on and sew us together, were just tattered rags stained forever
we only have what we remember
May 11, 2012
May 11, 2012 at 11:24 PM UTC
I can’t remember.......making all these visions in my head
but they’re moving in this room........fighting together above my bed
shadows swirling hand in hand........making new faces in the wind
keep trying to help me forget my name, and I keep trying to leave them
our ghosts fill up these hollow walls, empty hands filled with silence
we are still alive from what I’ve seen, heads hanging in the balance
I’ll keep on in this sleep......I’m never gonna find that perfect cure
I’ll hold on to my name, because it’s the only thing I still know for sure
look at the sound of all these people on fire.
I want to be on fire, do you want to be on fire?
but we don’t love ourselves enough, we pack our hearts with medicine
choke our lungs with broke down tries of lesser men
I’d rather give you my name instead of just forget it
because I carry it, but I don’t want to carry it
and so I’ll follow you vision
and listen with my eyes every maze and twist and bend
try to go where you point, step where you recommend
oh lead what I should see great specter
you say: give up, give up, don’t give up
then I won’t give up, because I know I’m not alone
I know that all roads lead to home in some way
and I’m on my way, are you on your way?
show me your life, living, speaking in the night above us
we all survived, in this one place forever with our eyes closed
you are alive, you said it would never be this way, you promised
I am alive, and I said I would never go away, to believe me
but I’m awake now, and I still see you...do you see me.
I am alive............though I might be dead or sleeping
I have survived.........trying to find my way out of leaving
and I’m having trouble leaving........I keep breaking all these oars
I can’t mold what’s not mine.......that ship won’t sail anymore
the journey is the thing................and I’m barely following
like this mirage from inside the back of my head, from just outside my reach
you are survived, you are not alone, don’t give up
‘cause one day I’m gonna write my dad into my dreams
and tell him how his friends still remember him here
show him I became a man, because they all cared in his absence
and I know you held us, your wife held on tight enough for both of you
she still holds your hand every day........
and try to live out your last words............
you are survived, even though we’re still here sorting it all out
we all survived, and are amongst the living and the dead
this name is no longer mine, I can see who I am without it
but I can’t just go around dreaming about luck like that
but we all still bleed, we still need help to breathe
and that’s all mine to carry, help me remember when I wake up
I know that all roads lead to home in some way
and I’m on my way, are you on your way?
show me your life, walking, drifting in the air around us
we all survived, forever and always as we sleep
you are alive, you said it would never be this way, you promised
I am alive, and I said I would never go away, to believe me
but I’m awake now and I still see you...do you see me
May 11, 2012
May 11, 2012 at 11:22 PM UTC
You've got beet blood in your mouth and lies in your artichoked heart
you’re black eyes stalking through me
with a birdcage for ribs, that vultures trying to get out
it’s scratching your kidney wings
we’re no longer feeding ourselves, the raccoons are eating our dreams
pushing past our feeblery to keep them out, this morning I heard one sing:
there's a whole big world out there my son, be careful don't believe them.
there's a crazy old lady in the sun, she's angry can't you feel it?
if you don’t work hard you’re no son of mine, well I’ve earned these riverbeds
& I’ll drown you out until you’ve made me proud if you won’t learn you’re better off dead.
so, I’m digging in this farm yard trying to find the seeds
forgetting all I have left in this world of course that includes me
so I’m building and I’m learning and leaving nothing unsaid
all I am is all I have, I’ll take this garden for my bed
and these are not just words built like a city of dreams, we have no use for this kingdom
I’m proud of you my friends, may your lives be a symphony of freedom
I don't want to live forever. I just want to live for now
but the angel on my doorstep keeps pointing me towards that plow
so I’m digging in with both my hands, keeping one eye on the door
If I go looking I’ll probably find it, ...and get all I’ve been asking for
I don't want to live forever. I just want to live for me
but your faces just keep haunting ...sometimes it’s all I see
so I’m working hard at learning all I can I’m gonna give it all to you
I’ll keep making payments, until we’re all so straight and true
I want to paint seeds together, and follow you right up to the edge
filled up and spilling like carried cups, and watch the sun go red
but there’s poison right here in our water, and a shark somewhere in the well
I wanna show you my life, show me your life and tell me it’s not the devil
I guess I I feel the way I feel, you make me feel like I‘m alive...
and I’m alive, am I alive, i am alive so you can live...
please come and live, why don’t you live, you can live inside of me...
there’s a home for you inside me, inside of me there is a fire
inside my fire, there is more fire, and in that fire there is truth
but we take our furnace-chests, and run em neck deep into that lake
and let the coals stare us down, one last glare of doubt & hate
but we were wrong, no I was wrong, we’ll just be wrong about some things
and it will never be, it can never be, it should never be this easy
to wash away the fire that burns, we wash away our flame
my eyes saw fire, my heart said escape
i said my eyes saw fire, my heart did escape
it’s the beauty in the struggle has me going keeps me shook
sometimes I can see it in your face God but not in the pages of a book
and there's something in your eye that's asking
I got no answers, just clues for a path to truth
I thought it was you. but yeah, I thought it was me too.
I don't want to live forever. I just want to live for us
but the head on my shoulders keeps driving me to be careless
our brains don’t want to listen, ears squinting for some honesty
it’s gets slippery here, hold on....we are not ourselves probably
I don't want to live forever. I just want to live for you
but the devil round my doorway keeps singing me something new
so I’m listening with idle hands cupped tight around both ears
my minds open like a burned down house, I haven’t died at all this year
May 11, 2012
May 11, 2012 at 11:20 PM UTC
I saw 13 black crows as black as 3AM
and as big as vultures eyes
with wings hanging to their sides like laundry on the line
they were standing in a circle letting their tongues dry
they’re coming for me like thieves or ghosts
stealing songs, and whispering poems to themselves
about nonsense and existence
I don’t want to die
I saw 4 black eagles, with horns growing towards the ground
like columns or anchors reaching for the bottom
their feathers folded like hands on a man resting in his coffin
bending over each other rattling my bones
drumming out the answers in ways I will need one day
their hooves are giving me growing pains
I sleep like a tornado
I saw 18 black hawks, with beaks full of teeth
roaring like a pack of wolves in perfect V
with hoods over their eyes to cover up what they’ve seen
secrets bouncing off the insides of their lips meant for me
they landed on my life like spears, ears tucked back like arrow feathers
wings spread wide like storm clouds over kansas
hailing on me teaching me their dances, they gave me armor
we will never die, we will never die, I don’t want to die, we will never die
we will never die, but we don’t want to try, I don’t want to die, I won’t let you die
we will never die, we won’t even try, but if we never die, then we never really live
I saw 9 black owls, they were quiet as death
they had talons like antlers growing from their hearts
and they were tearing me apart
each bird was tagged like cattle with one word
and they burned them in to my mind...they read
you have never lived because you have never died
May 11, 2012
May 11, 2012 at 11:09 PM UTC