Souvenirs

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When inspiration calls, sometimes you have to move quickly.

This is the case with Souvenirs, a little something I worked on for about a month-and-a-half. Following a meaningful vacation my wife and I took in early April, some ideas started percolating in me noggin. Setting a specific criteria, it didn’t take long until I had six pieces finished and ready to go.

The ground rules? Each thing here represents one day of our vacation in chronological order. I also tried writing things that could be interpreted in different ways while also drawing on where we went — it’s ultimately what informed the language I used. Some references are pretty subtle while others are more overt. Still, the idea was to move fast with these and that’s the spirit in which I’m releasing them.

I won’t detail what these are about specifically since many easter eggs are meant for my wife. Even if the lyrics aren’t all about her specifically, I did write these pieces for her. My favourites are probably Story Of Our Hearts, Forgive Me and Souvenirs though.

Anyway, enjoy the read and quick turn around. It was fun to just lose myself in these. Love you, Jan.

P.s. I scrapped the idea of releasing something based on each season, but now that 18 (opens in new tab) represents summer, Phantom Visions (opens in new tab) symbolizes fall and these lyrics have spring built into their DNA, it seems weird not to have written something about winter… right? Hmmm…

Lyrics Content

01. First Day

02. Story Of Our Hearts

03. Forgive Me

04. Heroes And Villains/The Devil’s Elbow

05. Souvenirs

06. Journey’s End

First Day

In the morning

When we rise

Wipe the sleep back

From our eyes

With no consequence

There’s no fear

So let’s fly away

Far from here

Stuck in another delay, but there’s nothing to say again

Daylight drifting to midnight, finding a place to land

This is our first day

It’s moving so fast

When everything’s said and done

There’s no going back

It isn’t the worst day

I’m certain of that

Hold onto these moments now

Don’t dwell on the past

Lost in stillness

As we rest

Counting seconds

From our bed

Out from under us

In this life

Soon the sun will rise

Shining bright

This is our first day

It’s moving so fast

When everything’s said and done

There’s no going back

It isn’t the worst day

I’m certain of that

Hold onto these moments now

Don’t dwell on the past

There’s no going back

Across this land, across these skies

Between our hands and in our minds

We see a place, we dream in flight

Defying truth, set back in time

This was our first day

It went by so fast

Hold onto these moments now

You won’t get them back

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Story Of Our Hearts

Open streets

Now we walk them with our own two feet

Both surrounded by such history

Why don’t we make some of our own?

In this case

There’s no room for feeling out of place

Cultures blend into a state of grace

Where no one ever feels alone

Take me down to the waterside, take me down to the shore

Take me through to the cityscapes, take me back to the story of our hearts

We can’t always be in pain

In the story of our hearts

That’s where I want to be again

In the story of our hearts

By your side

Where these dreams belong is where I fight

Our past is gone but we still feel alive

With this space to call our own

Distant thoughts

Some beliefs can leave us tied in knots

But here it doesn’t matter what you’ve got

When there’s no need to feel alone, oh no

Take me down to the waterside, take me down to the shore

Take me through to the cityscapes, take me back to the story of our hearts

We’ll need to move beyond this pain

In the story of our hearts

That’s where we’ll find ourselves again

In the story of our hearts

Hold my gaze in the sunrise, ever if you cry

I will be there to wipe your tears away

Then in the moonlight, your figure would shine bright

Given this hindsight, I wouldn’t delay

In time when the sun sets, forever if you left

Living in darkness until my last days

Off in the moonlight, one day I’ll shine bright

Somewhere by your side, still lighting the way

Until we reach the final page

In the story of our hearts

You keep me coming back again

To the story of our hearts

I’ll always help you through the pain

In the story of our hearts

Our lives can never be erased

In the story of our hearts

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Forgive Me

I could almost walk on water

Coming down the mountain top

Over land, over air and over sea

Now I can never get enough

Love washes over like a rainbow

When it’s gone, there’s only the blues

I can hear the city night calling, so I’ll go there with you

Won’t you give me some of that sugar?

A little bit of sweetness I can use

Too much of a good thing turns sour now, darling

So forgive me when emotions get confused

Forgive me when emotions get confused

I hear these keys slowly echo

A simple tune in the west

Kept in thought, kept in place and kept in time

With the beauty you possess

Love washes over like a rainbow

When it’s gone, there’s only the blues

I can hear the city night calling, so I’ll go there with you

Won’t you give me some of that sugar?

A little bit of sweetness I can use

Too much of a good thing turns sour now, darling

So forgive me when emotions get confused

Forgive me when emotions get confused

We didn’t come all this way

Not to venture and stray

As the sunlight begins to go down

Everything has a cost

And although we get lost

I’m transfixed by the music you found

Love washes over like a rainbow

When it’s gone, there’s only the blues

I can hear the city night calling, so I’ll go there with you

Won’t you give me some of that sugar?

A little bit of sweetness I can use

Too much of a good thing turns sour now, darling

So forgive me when emotions get confused

Forgive me when emotions get confused

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Heroes And Villains/The Devil’s Elbow

Rising up with an alarming sound

Hear their wild voices crying out

On the canvas as these limbs get stretched

In a master piece of blood and sweat

So transfixed with each escape

Overcome by what’s at stake

Now we’re hanging from the rafters cheering after what’s conveyed

Someone gains the upper hand

With this crowd in their command

Slowly crawling for the pin as everyone begins to stand

On this night with the heroes and villains

It’s the heroes and villains that can’t be replaced

On this night with the heroes and villains

It’s the heroes and villains offering escape

It’s good versus evil

The devil versus god

But it’s not about religion

When you bask in the applause

It’s fire and explosions

Brought together by a ring

With no sympathy for losers

As their fates hang by a string

On this night with the heroes and villains

It’s the heroes and villains that can’t be replaced

On this night with the heroes and villains

It’s the heroes and villains offering escape

We all need escape

…

Walking under northern lights

Looking for a place to go

It’s something we can call our own

From the devil versus god to a pub called The Devil’s Elbow

Maybe grab a couple drinks

Talk about the things we’ve seen

Holding hands on a city night

After coming all this way, I’m still glad we got a bite to eat

I’m really glad you came with me

Even blinded eyes can see

There’s nowhere else I’d rather be

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Souvenirs

Forget the early morning

Now this world can wait for us

In time these clocks keep swarming

But we can only do so much

Set Off to find some treasure

Kept full hearted in this space

Staying sheltered from the weather

To wait out some lingering rain

While our souvenirs

Aren’t that hard to find

They’ll keep memories close

Under flashing lights

With these Totem poles

Words can go unsaid

Though we can’t control

What still lies ahead

We can find a way to praise today instead

Making the most of the things that you’ve found

Just keep me close, don’t get lost in the sound

Find yourself in the world that you seek and I’ll never let go, I won’t ever let go

You’re the one thing that I’ll always hold dear

Attached to my heart like an old souvenir

Although I don’t know where we’re headed from here, I’ll hold onto you, I’ll hold onto you

Reborn in the light, we’re reborn every night

We’re reborn every time that we both feel alive

Our present still ends when the future begins

But our future depends on the way we keep time

I’m not blind

I can see

In this life

You’re with me

I’m not deaf

I can hear

In the end

You’re still here

You’re my favourite souvenir, you’re my favourite souvenir

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Journey’s End

under the weather

Or up in the air

It leaves me dumbfounded

But I’m well aware

You can’t complete a journey

You can’t complete a journey that won’t end

Passing by quickly

Although I’m fulfilled

Been plugging my ears

Kept moving until

You can’t complete a journey

You can’t complete a journey that won’t end

We might look backwards

Once we’re in flight

From early morning

Into the night

When we both got here

It felt so strange

But as we’re leaving

Forever changed

You can’t complete a journey

You can’t complete a journey that won’t end

We’ll never get these moments back again

Searching for answers

Without much delay

Both free in the knowledge

There’s more that awaits

In these last hours

Beyond the unknown

We’ve travelled this journey together

So now let’s go home

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