"Battle Cries" lyrics
I'm at the brink, don't laugh
(The wrinkles and bricks that we're left with at last)
At the winks I've masked
(And that drink, will it fix all those questions unasked?)
Who'll save you when you fall?
(Who died and made you king of it all?)
Who wins this war? You've a knack
(Now the wind feels so warm on the back of my neck)
For applause from the back of the stalls, but you lack
(As we walk with the sun hand in hand from the wreck)
The conviction to look at me straight and say yes
(Some fictions we took to mean fate, believe me, I know)
Don't be uncouth, be a man
(Tell the truth to me, love, does my hair look as nice)
Don't lie with your eyes, you know I despise that look
(As it did when it once tangled up in your eyes?)
You're home, for God's sake, I'm
(Look at me as you say this, don't look at your phone)
Done with your dreams, they won't last
('Cause that sun that beams down as my hands touch the grass)
Thirty winters will pass, you'll look back
(After summers of fasting, I feel hunger at last)
At the woman 50-year-old you will be proud to have known
(For the person 15-year-old me would be proud to have known)
('Cause these plates, they smash like waves)
Place your smile in mine
(And the wine stains hide the tears)
Why stay? Hide the
(But that)
Breathing you hear, don't mistake it for sighs
Don't you realise? They're just battle cries, dear
(And these lines aren't wrinkles, dearheart)
Hardly knew the words
(They're just dollops of paint on a new work of art)
I'm dolled up, love, don't I deserve to just
(And as I)
Walk away, I know that I've been through the wars
But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it's applause
Come on, love, please don't start
(With you, I could summon the gods and the stars)
Sing your notes, play your part
(Watch them dance out the plays that we wrote from the heart)
Then we'll leave, we were gods
(And we'd laugh at the ghosts of our fears, we were kids)
"Come at me, you blaggards," you'd yell
("Come at me, you blaggards," you'd yell from the banks)
From the back of the gallery
(Wielding words against make-believe wizards and tanks)
Say goodbye, I am not
(And by God, love, believe me, I wanted to play too, I did)
A drunkard, a daughter, a preacher, God knows how
(But we sunk into water no creature can know)
You dragged us both into the darkness that grows
(You dragged us along to watch all of your shows)
Oh, dear God
(Our devils broke rank, and out of the depths came an army)
I won't leave without a fight
(I won't let you turn our last night into this)
I'm going to binge watch a box set, drink wine, reminisce
This isn't a break up, dearheart, it's a season finale
('Cause these plates, they smash like waves)
Place your smile in mine
(And the wine stains hide the tears)
Why stay? Hide the
(But that)
Breathing you hear, don't mistake it for sighs
Don't you realise? They're just battle cries, dear
(And these lines aren't wrinkles, dearheart)
Hardly knew the words
(They're just dollops of paint on a new work of art)
I'm dolled up, love, don't I deserve to just
(And as I)
Walk away, I know that I've been through the wars
But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it's applause
It's not pain, (it's applause)
It's not pain, (it's applause)
It's applause
All it took to unearth in the dust and the dirt
Some release or respite from the heat and the hurt
Was taking the time now and then to ask how I am
And now at the end, at the end of all things
I'm not going to scream, beat my chest at the wind
I'm doing fine
(The wrinkles and bricks that we're left with at last)
At the winks I've masked
(And that drink, will it fix all those questions unasked?)
Who'll save you when you fall?
(Who died and made you king of it all?)
Who wins this war? You've a knack
(Now the wind feels so warm on the back of my neck)
For applause from the back of the stalls, but you lack
(As we walk with the sun hand in hand from the wreck)
The conviction to look at me straight and say yes
(Some fictions we took to mean fate, believe me, I know)
Don't be uncouth, be a man
(Tell the truth to me, love, does my hair look as nice)
Don't lie with your eyes, you know I despise that look
(As it did when it once tangled up in your eyes?)
You're home, for God's sake, I'm
(Look at me as you say this, don't look at your phone)
Done with your dreams, they won't last
('Cause that sun that beams down as my hands touch the grass)
Thirty winters will pass, you'll look back
(After summers of fasting, I feel hunger at last)
At the woman 50-year-old you will be proud to have known
(For the person 15-year-old me would be proud to have known)
('Cause these plates, they smash like waves)
Place your smile in mine
(And the wine stains hide the tears)
Why stay? Hide the
(But that)
Breathing you hear, don't mistake it for sighs
Don't you realise? They're just battle cries, dear
(And these lines aren't wrinkles, dearheart)
Hardly knew the words
(They're just dollops of paint on a new work of art)
I'm dolled up, love, don't I deserve to just
(And as I)
Walk away, I know that I've been through the wars
But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it's applause
Come on, love, please don't start
(With you, I could summon the gods and the stars)
Sing your notes, play your part
(Watch them dance out the plays that we wrote from the heart)
Then we'll leave, we were gods
(And we'd laugh at the ghosts of our fears, we were kids)
"Come at me, you blaggards," you'd yell
("Come at me, you blaggards," you'd yell from the banks)
From the back of the gallery
(Wielding words against make-believe wizards and tanks)
Say goodbye, I am not
(And by God, love, believe me, I wanted to play too, I did)
A drunkard, a daughter, a preacher, God knows how
(But we sunk into water no creature can know)
You dragged us both into the darkness that grows
(You dragged us along to watch all of your shows)
Oh, dear God
(Our devils broke rank, and out of the depths came an army)
I won't leave without a fight
(I won't let you turn our last night into this)
I'm going to binge watch a box set, drink wine, reminisce
This isn't a break up, dearheart, it's a season finale
('Cause these plates, they smash like waves)
Place your smile in mine
(And the wine stains hide the tears)
Why stay? Hide the
(But that)
Breathing you hear, don't mistake it for sighs
Don't you realise? They're just battle cries, dear
(And these lines aren't wrinkles, dearheart)
Hardly knew the words
(They're just dollops of paint on a new work of art)
I'm dolled up, love, don't I deserve to just
(And as I)
Walk away, I know that I've been through the wars
But that creaking you hear in my bones is not pain, it's applause
It's not pain, (it's applause)
It's not pain, (it's applause)
It's applause
All it took to unearth in the dust and the dirt
Some release or respite from the heat and the hurt
Was taking the time now and then to ask how I am
And now at the end, at the end of all things
I'm not going to scream, beat my chest at the wind
I'm doing fine
Writer(s): Madeleine Hyland
