(Slow, melancholy bass and guitar strums)
The air is thick with failure
And the neon glow so pale
Another bottle's nearly empty
In this motel, broken and stale
(Whispered, defeated tone: low, dry, slightly delayed)
My hands are stained with fortune
Squandered in every hole
The photograph's cracked now
But she still sees my soul
Trong morning alone
In this concrete tomb
With a bottle and a ghost
And bones of my old love
(Desperate, tightening vocal – slightly more strained)
No one answered my calls
Not that there was much to say
When everything falls apart
And every dream's blown away
(Chorus – growling, full voice, raw)
This is my hymn for the unforgiven
The tragic king of my own hell
My wife is but an echo
My daughter wants to break the spell
I've lost my home, my job, my pride
Wandering down this lonesome road
Just another broken soul
Destined to wallow in deep regret
(Verse 2 – ragged, cracked, more intense)
I saw her face in traffic
But she didn't see me
Hiding in plain sight
What a wretched sight to be
Her eyes were full of judgment
Watching this broken man fall
I knew in that moment
There would be no second call
(Frenetic, almost shouted – voice breaking)
I tried to run away
But no matter where I went
My demons followed close behind
In every dark intent
(Chorus – louder, more aggressive)
This is my hymn for the unforgiven
The tragic king of my own hell
My wife is but an echo
My daughter wants to break the spell
I've lost my home, my job, my pride
Wandering down this lonesome road
Just another broken soul
Destined to wallow in deep regret
(Bridge – vocal shifts to unstable, whispering)
I sold my soul for momentary thrill
Now there's nothing left to give
Just whispers in the night
And rivers that run wild and deep
I've reached the point of no return
My purpose now to burn
In the flames of my own making
For no one hears my unreserved
warning
([Musical: 20-second breakdown – scraping metal, distorted whispers, thunderous crashes] – no vocal)
(Whispered, quiet, cracked, but calm)
The whiskey burns just like she did
My hands are empty where her rings used to sit
The end is coming fast and furious
But I face it without fear
For in darkness, I have finally found
Some semblance of the man I used to be
(Closing – soft, resigned, peaceful)
This is my last hymn for the unforgiven
No longer king of my own hell
I've found not damnation but peace
As I finally tell my tale
And in the end, I'm forgiving
Even those who failed me
For in this moment of deep reflection
I realize I was the enemy
(Deep breath, then silence)
PrinceShawn
