Lyrics:
radio signal fire
in misty morning dark
we’re too far away still
but your scars are rising
hold on
stray with me now
stray with me
let’s talk about the mood swings
tell me about the pills you take
everyone around is
using your mistakes you made
hold on stray with me now
stray with me they say hold on
stay with me now
stay with me
hold on stray with me now
stray with me
and I will find you in hazy dark street lights underneath every
star system silence
what’s on your mind
under the wing of an empire crashing
hold on hold on
they say hold on stay with me
now stay with me
and they say hold on hold on
Behind the Lyrics:
This track addresses how complicated codependent relationships can get. How you can always feel drawn together no matter how detrimental you may be to each other. Spiraling into one another's ultimate demise.
In the first verse we're flying fast down a misty early morning back road, still awake from the day before, the radio smoldering in between frequencies. I am the passenger and the fear of dangerous road conditions is overshadowed by the sense of urgency to get to where we need to go. The longer we take to get where we're going, the more uncomfortable the anxiety becomes. "The scars are rising" is the visible reaction of an addicted body in need of something desperately. (IRL my tattoos or scars will physically raise sometimes when I'm overly concerned or stressed) "Stray with me" as in reckless abandon, no matter how absurd the adventure, we should be together and no one else. Stray with me and away from anything else. We can take care of each other until we can't.
The second verse is where we start to see some conflict. Conflict between each other and the forced isolation from friends and family imposed upon each other in an effort to keep one always relying on the other. When we get to "stay with me", the situation has gone too far on one of us is overdosing. I hear "stay with me" as in the voice I imagine you may hear from a loved one as if very far away as you slip into unconsciousness. I feel like that's a very common phrase people hear as they drift away, particularly in unexpected circumstances.
The third verse is a declaration of commitment, or that barter phase in the stages of grief. "If you just make it through this, I won't let you down again, I'll find you where you are, we can get clean". And then the big question "what's on your mind under the wings of an empire crashing". As death is beginning to close in, it's imminent, are you reconsidering, in that moment, that this entire relationship may have been the biggest mistake of your life. Do you come to that realization and is it too late and do you leave this life with only regret to show for it.
There is no finality to this story. Just a trail off of still begging for the other not to die. One of those choose your own ending kind of endings. haha sorry, those are kinda the worst.
I titled the track "Labyrinth" because once you find yourself in a relationship like this, it’s one of the most difficult relationships to get out of.
Behind the Production:
Ok that guitar solo is no joke. He spent more time perfecting that solo than I did writing and recording the lyrics. That solo is a monster. I remember watching him track that and thinking, damn, that's sick.