TONGUE OF CHAINS
(Ambient feedback. Palm-muted riff.)
VERSE 1
Bite the edge of my tongue again
Taste the blood, hold the poison in
Every word's a loaded gun in disguise
But I lock the chamber behind my eyes
Smile for the room, play the role they need
While my thoughts are choking on the air I breathe
Every fake laugh weighs another ton
And I'm so damn tired of becoming none
PRE-CHORUS
I carry the weight of a thousand truths
Buried beneath these clenched-up teeth
One more second and the pressure breaks
One more second and the mask will bleed
CHORUS
I'M HOLDING BACK THE STORM INSIDE
A THOUSAND SCREAMS I NEVER LET FLY
EVERY FILTER FEELS LIKE A CAGE
EVERY SILENCE BUILDS THE RAGE
I KNOW THE COST OF SPEAKING FREE
BUT THESE WORDS ARE BURYING ME
ONE DAY THE WALLS ARE GONNA CRACK
AND THERE AIN'T NO STUFFING IT BACK
(Lead guitar melody over driving drums.)
VERSE 2
Everybody wants the watered-down version
A polished lie with perfect wording
Nobody asks what's underneath
The sharpened edges grinding their teeth
I'm not cruel, I'm just tired of pretending
That every broken bridge is worth mending
Sometimes the truth comes rough and raw
Not every wound was made by flaws
PRE-CHORUS
I feel it rising through my chest
Like static sparks beneath my skin
The war between restraint and honesty
Starts all over again
CHORUS
I'M HOLDING BACK THE STORM INSIDE
A THOUSAND SCREAMS I NEVER LET FLY
EVERY FILTER FEELS LIKE A CAGE
EVERY SILENCE BUILDS THE RAGE
I KNOW THE COST OF SPEAKING FREE
BUT THESE WORDS ARE BURYING ME
ONE DAY THE WALLS ARE GONNA CRACK
AND THERE AIN'T NO STUFFING IT BACK
BREAKDOWN
(Drop C riff. Half-time drums. Dubstep-style stutters between chugs.)
BLEGH!
CHOKE IT DOWN!
CHOKE IT DOWN!
CHOKE IT DOWN!
BUT IT NEVER STAYS BURIED!
Guitar riff: DUN-DUN... DUN-DUN-DUN...
Every thought a chain!
Every chain a scar!
Every scar reminds me who we really are!
(Machine-gun triplet chugs)
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
RAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!
I'M NOT ANGRY—
I'M JUST DONE HIDING!
(Massive open-note breakdown)
SAY IT!
SAY IT!
SAY IT!
OR LET IT ROT INSIDE!
BRIDGE
Maybe wisdom is knowing when to stay quiet
Maybe strength is refusing the riot
But every saint has a breaking point
And every silence has a voice
FINAL CHORUS
I'M HOLDING BACK THE STORM INSIDE
NO MORE RUNNING, NO MORE HIDE
THE TRUTH MAY CUT, THE TRUTH MAY BURN
BUT SOME LESSONS YOU NEVER LEARN
IF I SPEAK, I'LL STAND ALONE
IF I DON'T, I'LL BREAK MY OWN SOUL
THE HARDEST FIGHT I'VE EVER KNOWN
IS HOLDING MY TONGUE WHEN I WANNA LET GO
(Outro riff fades into feedback and distant screams.)
"Some battles aren't fought with fists... they're fought with restraint."
