The Artist In The Ambulance

the air my lungs first loved
carves craters from my eyes
they said "breathe deeply son
or be the next to die"

Beneath the falling night
and heaven's shutting gate
pray keep your tongue held tight
or suffer the same fate

the blood on our black gloves
it is none of your concern
if you want to call our bluff
get in line and wait your turn
and watch the witches burn"

Don't flinch when innocents
are dancing with the flame
if they wanted to live
they'd learn to play the game

You can still walk away
if you just hold your tongue
if you'd just walk away
you'd live to see the sun but"

Under this killing moon
under this burning sky
the fire's shining groom
I hold my breath and close my eyes

"The blood on our black gloves
it is none of your concern
if you want to call our bluff
get in line and wait your turn
and watch the witches burn
we'll watch the witches burn"

wake up everyone! It's not too late
to save the remnants of our hearts,
so stop giving up our last shot at love,
our only chance to find the meaning of
the beat beneath the blood

we laugh at honor and are shocked to
find knives in our backs
we follow those who cheat and steal
men without chests are making a comeback
our only compass smashed under our own heels
reason abandoned to appetites and addicts arms
shotguns and silence have always been the best of charms

wake up everyone! it's not too late
to save the remnants of our hearts,
so stop giving up our last shot at love,
our only chance to find the meaning of
the beat beneath the blood

we laugh at honor and are shocked to
find knives in our backs
we champion those who cheat and steal
men without chests are making a comeback
our only compass smashed under our own heels, under our iron will

the abolition of man is within the reach of science
but are we so far gone that we'll try it?

one day the dreamers died within us
when all our answers never came
we hid the truth beneath our skin but
our shadows never looked the same

a ghost is all that's left
of everything we swore we never would forget
we tried to bleed the sickness
but we drained our hearts instead
we are the dead

and when we couldn't stop the bleeding
we held our hearts over the flame
we couldn't help but call it treason
after that we couldn't fill our frames
after that our shadows never looked the same

in summers past we'd challenge fate
with higher pitch and perfect aim
and standing fast, we'd radiate
a light we loved but never named
but the answers never came
and our shadows never looked the same

a ghost is all that's left
of everything we swore we never would forget
we tried to bleed the sickness
but we drained our hearts instead
we are the dead
a ghost of everything we thought but never said
we tried to bleed the sickness
but we drained our hearts instead

we are the ones who lost our faith
we dug ourselves an early grave
we are the dead, can we be saved?

paint the target
we don't need no evidence
flood the market
we do it all in self defense
you're a smart kid
never work without your gloves
if you're a smart kid
you'll stay the hell away from love

and if it comes to murder
don't tell and we won't ask you how
you sleep at night when the lights go out
and you're all alone
with all the ghosts of lesser humans
whose lives you've spilt to suit your own

sit and think of
all the dollars and the cents
and your blue blood
you'll see it all makes perfect sense
drink from this cup
a better life awaits us all
you're one of us
remember conscience comes before the fall

your actions all are justified
your actions all are justified

and if it comes to murder
don't tell and we won't ask you how
you sleep at night when the lights go out
and you're all alone
with all the ghosts of lesser humans
whose lives you've spilt to suit your own
but don't we all bleed red blood?
don't we all bleed red blood?

they are sick, they are poor
and they die by the thousands and we look away
they are wolves at the door
they are not going to move us or get in our way
cause we don't have the time
here at the top of the world
yeah we're doing just fine
here at the top of the world

we hold our own by keeping our hearts cold

different god, darker skin
they are just not a burden that we'd like to bear
they are living in "sin"
just throw out any reason for us not to care

cause we're feeling all right
here at the top of the world
yeah we're doing just fine
here at the top of the world

we've learned that money matters most
so we keep our cards held close
here at the top of the world

we hold our own by keeping our hearts cold
we learned what matters most so we keep our hearts cold
they are no one
they are no where
they are not our problem
not worth saving
nonexistent if we keep our hearts cold

they are no one
they are no where

Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I feel an angel lift me up
And I open bloodshot eyes into fluorescent white
They flip the siren, hit the lights, close the doors and I am gone
Now I lay here owing my life to a stranger
And I realize that empty words are not enough
I'm left here with the question of just
What have I to show except the promises I never kept?
I lie here shaking on this bed, under the weight of my regrets
I hope that I will never let you down
I know that this can be more than just flashing lights and sound
Look around and you'll see that at times it feels like no one really cares
It gets me down but I'm still gonna try to do what's right, I know that there's
A difference between sleight of hand, and giving everything you have
There's a line drawn in the sand, i'm working up the will to cross it
Rhetoric can't raise the dead
I'm sick of always talking when there's no change
I'm sick of empty words, let's lead and not follow
Late night, brakes lock, hear the tires squeal
Red light, can't stop so I spin the wheel
My world goes black before I feel an angel steal me from the
Greedy jaws of death and chance, and pull me in with steady hands
They've given me a second chance, the artist in the ambulance
Can we pick you off the ground, more than flashing lights and sound