…Hardened…
She’s still.
The way a child shouldn’t be.
She hasn’t been heard
She hasn’t been seen.
So she’s still.
Taking in the comfort of someone curling her hair.
5 minutes ago I was a stranger.
But it doesn’t matter.
“They’re drinking tonight, and they’ll be here soon.”
She puts up her hood and the walls follow.
“They drink everyday.”
Comfortable is dangerous.
She’ll push away with words that sting.
Guarded and untouched, ready.
8:30 comes too soon.
But it comes anyway.
If you’ve got nothing to do you should read these lyrics. If you have things to do, you should listen to this song while you do them.
I haven’t listened to Linkin Park since grade 12 maybe – when they were at all the much music dances, but I’ve gotten hooked on a couple of their songs lately. This one is my favourites right now. I told Andrew that we should sing songs like this at church and I would be pumped. Maybe not exactly like this, that probably wouldn’t fly. But ones that say things we don’t like to talk about, uncover truths we prefer to close our eyes to and push for change, not accepting the world like it is – even if it means you get attacked for what you say or stand for. yeah… (If you don’t like ‘F’ words, there are a couple in here so beware).
Hands Held High – Linkin Park
Turn my mic up louder Ive got to say something.
Lightweights step it aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest, the syllables get pumpin
People on the street they panic and start running.
Words on loose leaf sheet complete coming.
I jump in my mind and summon the rhyme i’m dumping.
Healing the blind I promise to let the sun in
Sick of the dark ways we march to the drum and
Jump when they tell us that they wanna to see jumping.
F**k that, I wanna see some fist pumping.
Risk something, take back what’s yours
say something that you know they might attack you for
cause I’m sick of being treated like I have before
like it’s stupid standing for what I’m standing for.
Like this war’s really just a different brand of war.
Like it doesn’t cater to rich and abandon poor.
Like they understand you in the back of the jet, when you
can’t put gas in your tank, and these f**kers are
laughing their way to the bank, cashing the check
asking you to have compassion, and have some respect
for a leader so nervous in an obvious way
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
and the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
in the living room laughing like “what did he say?”
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen
In my living room watching, but I am not laughing,
Cause when it gets tense I know what might happen
The world is cold, the bold men take action
have to react or get blown into fractions.
Ten years old, it’s something to see,
another kid my age drug under a jeep,
taken and bound, and found later under a tree,
I wonder if he had thought the next one could be me.
Do you see, the soldiers, they’re out today they
Brush the dust from bulletproof vests away.
It’s ironic, at times like this you pray,
but a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday.
There’s bombs on the buses, bikes, roads,
inside your market, your shops, your clothes
My dad, He’s got a lot of fear I know
but enough pride inside not to let that show.
My brother had a book he would hold with pride
A little red cover with a broken spine.
On the back, he hand wrote a quote inside:
“when the rich wage war, it’s the poor who die”
And meanwhile, the leader just talks away
Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
and the rest of the world watching at the end of the day
both scared and angry like “what did he say?”
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen.
With hands held high into a sky so blue
as the ocean opens up to swallow you.
With hands held high into a sky so blue
as the ocean opens up to swallow you.
Do you know a place where we could go?
Where strangers smile at stories they don’t know.
And questions go unasked.
And we don’t have to say goodbye.
I’ll wait and watch you go. And come when its right.
It isn’t right if it’s not with you.
Everyday is one day closer…
And in between won’t last forever.
Strong doesn’t mean things never break.
I feel like my soul lies in pieces.
And they talk like they know something I don’t.
But if they did, they wouldn’t say a word.
While you’re gone find what is real,
there is a truth for you to discover.
One that is yours alone to fight with and understand.
And know that I am coming.
You’re the only face I see in the crowd.
The only place my thoughts can speak out loud.
