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ALCHEMY X LYRICS
"11:59:59" (2003)
1. Shifting Images
2. A Kiss Before Dying
3. Renaissance
4. The Dance
5. Penance
6. Reverie
7. Interlude (More Real than Real)
8. Space Between Walls
9. Beyond the Veil of Sorrow
10. Looking Glass Memoirs
11. 11:59:59
12. Afterimage
13. The Dance (reprise)
1. Shifting Images
2. A Kiss Before Dying
In silent shades…the early dawn colors the mourning sky
As I awake - as I awake from fitful sleep and memories
Does time exist to torture love and cripple dreams?
The words that cut so deeply
What I felt for you
It seems so far away...
Alone yet unforgiven
Your lips the cold machinery
Turned low by the morning light
All the pain we share means nothing
When I stare into the vacuum of your eyes
What hope could there be now?
Why do we take this path that leads to certainty?
Hoping that just this once
The movie has a different ending
But there you are in cruel repose and here am I alone
Another chapter in this book of fools
Waiting for the walls to crumble as the light shines in
The poison words - the gentle daggers to a jaded shrine
Who’s to know what eloquence became a fait complit?
An actor’s line that echoes always in my mind…
Falling - Falling - in and out of my life
Falling - Falling - is this really truth or lies?
In all my fevered dreams - you never say the words
The world it always wins
This afterimage burns my memory
Falling-Falling-in and out of my life
Falling-Falling-like embers from a fire
In all my fevered dreams
We go our separate ways
It always ends the same
Frozen cries Lifeless eyes
A kiss upon my lips before I die…
3. Renaissance
Part I - “Cee-faring”
Part II - “Lullaby for a baby plastic giraffe”
Part III - “Penguins on a grand parade”
Part IV - “Surely you’re joking, Senor Gorski!”
Part V - “Oddz and Endz”
Part VI -“Go Rob Go!”
Part VII -“Gee-Whiz”
Part VIII -“Gidhorra”
Part IX -“Gee-Whiz” (reprise)
Renaissance Notes
Part I- “Cee-faring”-
The name says it all, doesn’t it? A little corny to be sure, but the whole idea of naming all the subsections of a bloated instrumental is right up there with Rush’s “La Villa Strangiato”. As I’ve said so many times, we take the music extremely seriously, but never ourselves, hence all the self-deprecating stuff you’ll find herein! From the piano outro of “Kiss before dying” into Rob’s long solo, the whole section is in the key of C, hence the illuminative title-I think I do a fair job trying to play “jazz bass” on this section as well
Part II- “Lullaby for a baby plastic giraffe”-
Just an 5-10 second blurb that separates sections 1 & 3, but the genesis of the plastic giraffe (those 2 or 3 hardcore fans of ours in the world today will remember that was the name of our limited corporation back in the late 90’s) was a drink ornament I used to carry for good luck- in fact Mr. Plastic Giraffe is missing both a hind and front leg, but he continues to soldier on at Chris Scorsese’s recording studio! “LLLAAAOOWWWLL” (for those unfortunate few who are uninitiated, that is the phonetic spelling of the virtually unpronounceable sound made by tiny plastic giraffes everywhere-
Part III- “Penguins on a grand parade”-
Cute name for Chris Fox’s shredding solo section, made famous by my predilection for flightless birds in a former life
Part IV- “Surely you’re joking, Senor Gorski!”-
To know him is to love him! Everyone’s favorite soul-less corporate suit continues to be a friend of mine back since our college days-I was considering for the “11:59:59” album cover the idea of featuring my old pal in a Hugo Boss special, evicting homeless shelters while cashing stock options, but the rest of the guys wanted something darker- in all seriousness, I had written this little Spanish guitar piece many years ago, and had promised Gorski I would make him famous some day, so here we are!
Part V- “Oddz and Endz”-
Another throw-away piece from many years ago, I figured I’d compensate for it’s general monotony with those cool, modern spellingz! No diggity you all!
Part VI-“Go Rob Go!”-
Um, I didn’t mean this literally, how was I to know Rob would end up in Madison, WI before he knew I was kidding! A “Rob Schreiber-special”, great riff actually, a little DT-ish, but hey, when has a day gone by that someone HASN’T compared us to them?
Part VII-“Gee-Whiz”-
Me at my wittiest, as this little 10-second connecting riff is in the key of-you guessed it! G! Again, something I wrote as a link piece a long time ago- it’s a good thing we’re so underground, if we were ever commercially successful, I’d be out of good material by now!
Part VIII-“Gidhorra”-
Probably the best part of “Renaissance”, the vaguely “Destroy all Monsters” sounding main guitar line is referenced around Rob and Chris tearing up the scenery with reckless abandon! We played this section live several times in 2003 and their soloing really brought down the house, so I think this section is here to stay!
Part IX-“Gee-Whiz” (reprise)-
Even the most self-indulgent technical monstrosities have to end sometime, right? And if you’re still reading at this point, you’re either a hopeless prog-freak, close friend/family member, or beyond help! In any case, keep buying our records so we can someday reach the dream of being thousand-aires!
4. The Dance
5. Penance
Green was my deceit
Like fickle embers to a flame
How came I to this?
So many faces without names
Final moments of a hundred eyes
Witness sacrifice divine
There’s no justice
No retribution for our crimes
Sweet was my descent
Indulgence in the blackest eyes
Mercy from a god
Corruption was complete my friend
Hearing nothing but the lamb’s shrill cry
Witness sacrifice divine
Cruelty in defeat
Receive this fallen angel
Empty are the words
This bitter silence holds no solace
No proportion to the pain we bring
None to make us feel the same
There’s no justice
No retribution for our crimes
Only torment
From within a fractured mind
6. Reverie
7. Interlude (More Real than Real)
To feel the warmth of your smile
Upon the embers of my cheek
To cast aside this Winterset
A respite from the rain
This interlude
More real than real
Has overshadowed all the rest
A nourishment from others pain
And everything has changed
Softly the night has come undone
Replaced by morning’s light
(Chorus)
So many times
It slips away
Never to become
Again...
It’s not a dream
So many times
We say goodbye
So long before the show begins
I look into your wistful eyes
The beauty lies within
After the night has come and gone
Long before the fall
(Chorus)
So many times
It slips away
Never to become
Again...
It’s not a dream
So many words
Such precious time
We paint the perfect lovers view
Your embrace
Will keep me warm
Always You
(Chorus)
So many times
It slips away
Never to become
Again...
So many times
It slips away
Never to become
Again...
It's Not a Dream
It's Not a Dream ...
8. Space Between Walls
9. Beyond the Veil of Sorrow
It was a cold December morning
When I knew it was over
Tried to show our best face
But we can’t go on pretending nothing's wrong
The tender threads
That bound us - frayed
At the edges of sanity
Till there’s nothing left but anger in the place we’ve known so long…
We’ve known so long
Welcome my friends, the scenes about to play
The act is free, and so the denouement
Revealed to all the skull beneath the skin
Can you tell when the real performance starts?
This time there’ll be no daring escape
As silence morns the hero evermore
Pity that it’s come to this - a serenade of bygone days
Of bygone days
Beyond the veil of sorrow
I see only myself...
Beyond the veil of sorrow
Welcome my friends, the scenes about to play
The act is free, and so the denouement
Revealed to all the skull beneath the skin
Can you tell when the real performance starts?
10. Looking Glass Memoirs
On the other side of romance, beats still the broken heart
Ashes scattered in a storm, the lyric mutes the sea
Forbearance proved to be expensive
As I listened by the door
A Masquerade in subtle shade
I see what you want me to see
Accolades and neophytes
Tell me what you want me to hear
On the other face of innocence, acceptance on the half-shell
Coined the perfect catch-phrase - expedience and doom
You never thought it could happen to you
Anonymity in full
A Masquerade in subtle shade
I see what you want me to see
Lonely in its reticence
Dangerous to all those who believe
You come apart amidst the wreckage
Bleeding heart seeps condensed aggression
Broken by conventional charity
Apocalyptic in my apathy
We come together under stars of latency
Wasted ambition
Umbrage and clarity
Drawn towards the flame of disparity
Time to change the reality
11. 11:59:59
The turn is here - The end is here
Last words are spoken - All of my crying
All for nothing - Blood of my sins
Awashed on victims - Shot in Darkness
Eleven Fifty Nine.. Fifty Nine
The eyes are staring - all uncaring
Reflecting my sins - of my undoing
Grins they widen - my pulse dissipates
Pull the lever
Watch me quake and die
Eleven Fifty Nine… Fifty Nine
Now it’s so cold - the years have grown old
Trapped in nothing
Never to escape again
Too late for remorse - too late for sympathy
The lives I’ve stolen - are now lynching me
Eleven Fifty Nine… Fifty Nine
Lights out!
12. Afterimage
13. The Dance (reprise)
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