Tristania
Illumination
1. Mercyside
2. Sanguine Sky
3. Open Ground
4. The Ravens
5. Destination Departure
6. Down
7. Fate
8. Lotus
9. Sacrilege
10. In The Wake
11. Ab Initio
12. Deadlands
1. Mercyside
You can hate me for
All the things I do
You should let my heart go
Whatever you decide to do
You can make me bleed
You can make me cry
You can make me fall
You can make me live or die
And I wonder how
And you wonder why
For years our world has been falling apart
But we're tied up by words
The surface is smooth and cold
But underneath the blood always boils
It's getting harder
Getting worse now
Everytime
We're growing colder
Digging deeper
In my mind
You laughed, but your smile never reached your eyes
You cried, but your eyes never shed a tear
And I wonder how
You laughed, and you untied your hair
There are things to do
Things we never could tell
Name me
Use me
Blame me
Every time you hurt
Your favours are not what I deserve
2. Sanguine Sky
My blood is tainted; azure blue
A setting sun bleeding
Into an ocean of tears, for you
It's an exodus from the dark
The night is breathing; the night is exhaling
Falling, falling -- up a staircase
Towards the moon, the stars, and a Venus-kissed Mars
Blood runs south
as the days grow darker
and this fight is eating at me
I see the dead awaken
My fate forsaken; I'm free
I am talking on a hidden line
She says she's feeding; she says she's dead
She says -- there is a downward spiral
From the moon, the stars, the ever-warring Mars
3. Open Ground
Digging in the ground
Digging in the mud
Sweat streams down my face
My spit tastes like blood
Hide me with locks from your hair
I cannot breathe
Bleeding...
Dying...
Digging...
Falling apart
The torch went out
The room went dark
Running in the fog
Crawling through the mud
Tears fall down my face
My spit tastes like blood
Cover me with locks from your hair
Through my mind
My driven mind
We both knew
Love is blind
Insanity is always near
Deep in my bag full of fear
I cannot see
The pain that trigger your screams
I cannot see
From the corner of my eye
I feel them closing in
I know they caught the scent of me
And then they went for me...
I chose for you to stay with me
4. The Ravens
Only ashes and bones remain
My hair is wet, my eyes are sore
The past has been fed to the flames
I cannot breathe anymore
I try to stand on my feet, but I fall
I try to walk, but I crawl
Life -- as we knew it, is over
And you are gone
Forever gone...
I will not bend to a cross
I will not kneel at your feet
Greed and anger
Made us younger
Couldn't save us when the tower fell
All my strength and all my hunger
All is lost
And none will live to tell
I rest in the ruins of days gone by
Of young affection and velvet sky
A slave to greed...
I do not feel regret anymore
I sense the presence of birds
Encircling me...
And I am gone
Til jord skal vi bli
Dark is the night
Dead is the moon
I will not kneel
I'd rather die
Facing my doom
I will not kneel
5. Destination Departure
Caressing the anger
Nothing will ever be the same again
At your most beautiful
This is my destination
Left behind in desolation
At your most beautiful
Leave me
You talk like you know
But you don't and it shows
She should have outlived me
I've listened before but I can't anymore
So just leave me
I tried so hard to find something that I could believe in
But there's nothing there so there's nothing to fear
Who's gonna be here if you want me to leave?
Caressing the anger
This is my destination
At your most beautiful
Leave me
You talk like you know
But you don't and it shows
She should have outlived me
I've listened before but I can't anymore
So just leave me
I tried so hard to find something that I could believe in
But there's nothing there and there's no one who cares
Who's gonna be here if you want me to leave?
Who's gonna end it when you cannot make it stop?
Can you hang on for today?
6. Down
My violent mood swings peak
And my hands are as heavy as rocks
I have no time and no space
I am falling behind
Just take me home
My patience has all run out
And I feel like yelling; - it is too much
I have abandoned all charm and all grace
I have fallen behind
There is no god
The night is cursed
Loud and blurred
Still it rains
It rains like hell
Rain on empty shells
My violent mood swings peak
And my hands are as heavy as rocks
I have no time and no space
I have fallen behind
There is no god
Screaming voices
Ring in my ears
I don't want to know their names
7. Fate
I've been trying to participate
in masquerades
The throne's been empty for too long
Paradise for those who play along
and the fortunate ones
I've been listening to the voice
at night
And he is right
I am the chosen one
And my shepherd, he has paid my ride
I will go with a smile
I've been begging for the public eye
Now watch me fly
Can you see what I've become
So expose me - I shall be released
When the flesh paints the street
I was walking through the valley of
the living dead
Did not count the tears I shed
Always chasing those elusive dreams
A drop of blood in the stream
8. Lotus
When the morning weeps
Endless sky is near
And the road you choose
By my hand is lead
In the morning light
All is clean and young
And the spider webs
Shine like silver threads
But you must not fear the dark
I will watch over your sleep
Until the morning comes
All woods have to fail
I will watch over your sleep
Lead me
Please guide me
Unchain me
Untie me
I see your shadow
Your shape on the wall
But I cannot hear your voice when it calls
Can you tell dreams from reality?
Can you tell sense from insanity?
Sometimes it all melts down
And mix into half-lies
9. Sacrilege
Millions crusading against mocking heresy
Madmen race to enforce the book that answers all our needs
Tongues tuned with razorblades teach us divine misdeeds
Our clerics will kill to make us stay down on our knees
Another war is over
And the pain is almost gone
Each wound has been healing
We're so eager to move on
Tongues tuned with razorblades
Still teach divine misdeeds
Our clerics will kill to make us stay down on our knees
10. In The Wake
[USA version bonus track]
Never knew quite when it stopped
Nor when it began
Just a chain of happenings
Years floating
Days passing by
Falling in and out of madness
Walking on the edge
Pretending
Faking strength
Hiding behind smiles
Never knew quite when it died
Nor when it was torn
Just a chain of bad ideas
Years floating
Days passing by
You may think time stands still, it does not
It disappears
In the wake
Whatever sense it makes
We never learn from our mistakes
Whatever comfort it might bring
Nothingness embraces everything
11. Ab Initio
[European version bonus track]
On this day the sky came alive
My lover and I witnessed a miracle
Suddenly you were here
And I felt like nothing could ever be broken
But days fickle away
[Chorus:]
If I could stop time from attacking
If I could slow everything down
A smile with no fear of tomorrow
Your time is yet to come
You laugh and you cry
Lower your gaze to the floor
You send me a smile
And to the night a dawn
Then it seems like you are falling asleep
But your eyes remain open
Like two evening star
[Chorus]
If I...
If I...
If I...
You could go anywhere
Your tears are numbered
Release me, I've slumbered
I've gone away
I've gone away
Your tears are numbered
Release me, I've slumbered
I've gone away [repeat to fade]
12. Deadlands
I failed to impress you, and you
Feel free to abuse me
All has been in vain
We're through
So please stop pretending
Years I spent were wasted on you
Words have been spoken
My chains have been broken
This street has an end, I have failed
Never will again
My life was invaded by you
This image of straws that break against the wind
We're through
But the world keeps spinning
Endlessly I have no answers for you
Weight off my shoulders
Unleashed
No more hiding...
Leaving deadlands
Release me
On your own
Bitter and old
Dead and gone
Carved in stone
Lyrics in plain text format
