nowhere left to go

I wrote and recorded all of the music (except drums) on the 31st, and had harmonica (technically mouth harp, if you’re being scholarly about this) as the main instrument. Planned on writing some lyrics after I had it all done, but it didn’t work out. Usually words and melody hit me at the same time and I go from there, so it’s a little out of routine to record all the instrument tracks before having lyrics. I really wanted words, perhaps Pogues-ish/Irish sing-alongy words, but whatever portion of Irish blood I have and my alcohol-free lifestyle wouldn’t work together, so I mixed it as an instrumental, maybe for somebody’s soundtrack. Carrie said I should try to write some words (I think she knew I was just being lazy). So, after spending a wonderful evening with her, her mom, and cousins, I came home and quietly wrote these words which are probably, vaguely, inspired by my recent obsession with the TV series Jericho.

the lights have gone out before we thought they would
and our friends have left us where we once stood
together, through dark nights and trials, it’s true
we must face our fates alone

the summer it burns and the winter it freezes
in our hands we hold everything we believe in
we survive, we have everything we need
and there’s nowhere left to go

the hope is the past, it’s not ours to own
the ghosts of our past, in shackles they moan
forever, in darkness, broken-hearted, true
they must face their fates alone

scavengers pick the bones of the world
the righteous reduced to beggars and cursed
and never, in trial or verse, will they learn
we must face our fates alone