VNV Nation - Empires (1999)

Our domain, this kingdom come
Now godless lands whose ways are lost
Without the strength to carry on
All values lost, all virtue none
Did you think you'd be saved
By burning flags to cleanse yourselves of shame?
Or are you afraid, are you afraid,
As you stare back at your face?
Or are you ashamed, are you afraid,
By destroying what the gods once gave?
Do you think that you'll be saved?
Do you think that you'll be saved?

And I believe that we'll conceive
To make in hell for us a heaven
A brave new world
A promised land
A fortitude of hearts and minds
Until I see this kingdom's mine,
I'll turn the darkness into light
I'll guide the blind
My will be done until the day
I see our kingdom has been won

No more the servants of the weak
Devoid of thought or light to seek
I'll leave no walls, no stone unturned
Every tower must be razed
To the dust from which it came
And none will be spared, no remnant saved
And are you ashamed, are you afraid,
Of the gods and idols that you have made?
Do you think you'd be saved
By the gods and idols you have made?

None will be saved
None will be saved
None will be saved

And I believe that we'll conceive
To make in hell for us a heaven
A brave new world
A promised land
A fortitude of hearts and minds
Until I see this kingdom's mine,
I'll turn the darkness into light
I'll guide the blind
My will be done until the day
I see our kingdom has been won

Do you think that you'd be saved?
Do you think that you'd be saved?

None will…
None will…
None will be saved

And I believe that we'll conceive
To make in hell for us a heaven
A brave new world
A promised land
A fortitude of hearts and minds
Until I see this kingdom's mine,
I'll turn the darkness into light
I'll guide the blind
My will be done until the day
I see our kingdom has been won

Praying for myself
These thoughts I try to hide
I have faith in me, and hope this will survive
But it's tearing me apart
I can't hear the words by which I guide
So I must ask again, who will carry me?

I cannot deny, nothing can defend
From the helplessness that's cutting deep inside
And I can't prevent the thought that nothing's real
It seems I'm waiting years for this day to end

The strength I need to feel, the pride inside of me
Are not there behind the face that's staring back at me
The anger and the pain of knowing where I am
I have come so far and I cannot return

Nothing I can do that I have not done
No words I can say, no truth left that I can see
So must I let this end, and everything fall apart?
Before I live my life as I have always done

Tell me what to do so I do nothing wrong
Something I can hope for, something real that I can see
So nothing falls apart, so this does not end
I cannot return, I can't start again

Nothing to deny, nothing to defend
From the helplessness that's cutting me so deep inside
And I can't prevent the thought that nothing's real
It seems I'm waiting years for this day to end

Praying for myself
These thoughts I try to hide
I have faith in me, and hope this will survive
But it's tearing me apart
I can't hear the words by which I guide
So I must ask again, who will carry me?

Nothing I can do that I have not done
No words I can say, no truth left that I can see
So must I let this end, and everything fall apart?
Before I live my life as I have always done

Tell me what to do so I do nothing wrong
Something I can hope for, something real that I can see
So nothing falls apart, so this does not end
I cannot return, I can't start again

Nothing I can do that I have not done
No words I can say, no truth left that I can see
So must I let this end, and everything fall apart?
Before I live my life as I have always done

Tell me what to do so I do nothing wrong
Something I can hope for, something real that I can see
So nothing falls apart, so this does not end
I cannot return, I can't start again

As the stars appear
I know I'll find you staring at the sky
Pointlessly reaching for some light
You hope to guide your sorry way

Your body bleeding
Your body burned
Your body scarred
Around the cinder of your heart

A God of love
A God of care
A God of hope
A God of words
A God as lost as you and blind
To fill your hollow soul again
You seek a God who stands above you
Wrapping healing arms around you
You'll find another God of pain
A God of suffering and tears

Give yourself unto your God
Sacrifice yourself again
Burn your thoughts erase your will
To Gods of suffering and tears
Tie hallowed bonds around your hands
Kneel before this seat of shame
To Gods as lost
Gods as blind
Gods of suffering and pain

See the faces etched in stone
The frozen faces of multitudes
The songs of youth that sing forever
Immortal thoughts of a myriad of souls
That echo forth and on forever and on forever
All great things to come onward now
and on forever and onward now
All great things to come

Immortal thoughts of a myriad of souls
That echo forth like songs of a multitude
And on forever and on forever
Onward now and on forever and onward now
All great things to come

We few, we lucky few
Once more to the breach, dear friends, once more
All great things to come

The hall of ages to welcome them
The cheers of many
The cries of parting souls
The golden years
All great things, all great things
All great things to come

That echo forth and on forever
And onward now, onward forever
And onward now and on forever
Bravest thoughts of futures past
That echo forth and on forever
And onward now, all great things to come
Onward now, on forever, and onward now
All great things to come

The paths that I once tread
Have all but gone
Only embers now smoulder
Where bridges once burned
I feel alive and yet I fear
What may happen now
I know I can't return

And I hear me say again,
"Oh, let me not return"
Damn the illusions of redemption
And the hopes that held me here
I will oppose all that would befall me
With this rage inside of me
I will defy what I would become

The solitude and anger
That do battle inside me
Will always guide me to the answers
That I know I may not see
They are the bonds that hold me tighter
They are the chains that weigh on me
One day, I know they will be gone

Can I start again and erase this pain?
By casting doubts into the waters
Asking judgement of the sea?
Though fortune may guide the fools
I have no wish to be free
Until I am gone

Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words, they say so many things to me
A stranger here, reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anything
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away
In distant days, I long to sense it all so clear

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

I had no faith before that time in any vow or deed
Days followed days and years were meaningless
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen
The wonders I'd seen

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

Enveloped in a sentiment
A sound that rushes over me
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure

Not forgetting what it means to dream
Indulging everything
Entertaining thoughts that I've the strength
Of those I yearn to be
Cheers and tribute greet the saviours
Reckless thoughts survive
Anachronistic and impulsive

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

Enveloped in a sentiment
A sound that rushes over me
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure

Cheers and tribute greet the saviours
Reckless thoughts survive
Anachronistic and impulsive

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

I'd only come here seeking peace
I'd only come here seeking me
It seems I came to leave

In your dream you see me clear
I have no restraint, no fear
Powerless I watched from faces I'd assumed
My purpose set, my will defined
Caress the air, embrace the skies
Escape the sorrow and restraint of mortal cities

Give me time I will be clear, given time you'll understand
What posseses me to right what you have suffered
I'm in this mood because of scorn, I'm in a mood for total war
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward

So many years I stood among
The thoughts and tears of those I served
Among my own I was alone through my own doing
All the years I walked unknown behind the faces I assumed
Powerless to clear your minds of what you'd suffered
They fall again
They fall again

Give me time I will be clear, given time you'll understand
What posseses me to right what you have suffered
I'm in this mood because of scorn, I'm in a mood for total war
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward
There is no faith in which to hide, even truth is filled with lies
Doubting angels fall to walk among the living
I'm in this mood because of scorn, I'm in a mood for total war
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward

I'd only come here seeking peace
I'd only come here seeking me
It seems I came to leave

Forget your fear, and want no more

At first light lay proud foundations
Sense the greatness that before you unfolds
Seek no more for hollow answers
Answers that lay within you all along

Farewell to dawns seen through saddened eyes
Farewell to pasts to sorrows chained
Forget your fears and want no more
You will be strong and want no more

You'll be adored, you will have everything
You will be strong and want no more
Forget your fears, you will have everything
And want no more