VNV Nation - Standing / Burning Empires (2000)

Forget your fears, and want no more
Forget your fears, and want no more

At first light lay proud foundations
Sense the greatness that before you unfolds
Seek no more for hollow answers
Answers that lay within you all along
Farewell to dawns seen through saddened eyes
Farewell to pasts, to sorrows chained
Forget your fears and want no more
You will be strong and want no more
You'll be adored, you will have everything
You will be strong and want no more
Forget your fears, you will have everything
And want no more

Our domain, this kingdom come
Now godless lands whose ways are lost
Without the strength to carry on
All values lost, all virtue none
Did you think you'd be saved
By burning flags to cleanse yourselves of shame?
Or are you afraid, are you afraid,
As you stare back at your face?
Or are you ashamed, are you afraid,
By destroying what the gods once gave?
Do you think that you'll be saved?
Do you think that you'll be saved?

And I believe that we'll conceive
To make in hell for us a heaven
A brave new world
A promised land
A fortitude of hearts and minds
Until I see this kingdom's mine,
I'll turn the darkness into light
I'll guide the blind
My will be done until the day
I see our kingdom has been won

No more the servants of the weak
Devoid of thought or light to seek
I'll leave no walls, no stone unturned
Every tower must be razed
To the dust from which it came
And none will be spared, no remnant saved
And are you ashamed, are you afraid,
Of the gods and idols that you have made?
Do you think you'd be saved
By the gods and idols you have made?

None will be saved
None will be saved
None will be saved

And I believe that we'll conceive
To make in hell for us a heaven
A brave new world
A promised land
A fortitude of hearts and minds
Until I see this kingdom's mine,
I'll turn the darkness into light
I'll guide the blind
My will be done until the day
I see our kingdom has been won

Do you think that you'd be saved?
Do you think that you'd be saved?

None will…
None will…
None will be saved

And I believe that we'll conceive
To make in hell for us a heaven
A brave new world
A promised land
A fortitude of hearts and minds
Until I see this kingdom's mine,
I'll turn the darkness into light
I'll guide the blind
My will be done until the day
I see our kingdom has been won

At the end of days, at the end of time
When the sun burns out will any of this matter?
Who will be there to remember who we were?
Who will be there to know that any of this had meaning for us?

And in retrospect I'll say we've done no wrong
Who are we to judge what's right and what has purpose for us?
With designs upon ourselves to do no wrong,
Running wild unaware of what might come of us

The sun was born and so it shall die
So only shadows comfort me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me
Each day shall end as it begins
And though you're far away from me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me

The sun was born and so it shall die
So only shadows comfort me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me
Each day shall end as it begins
And though you're far away from me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me

Without a thought I will see everything eternal
Forget that once we were just dust from heavens far
As we were forged, we shall return perhaps someday
I will remember us and wonder who we were

The sun was born and so it shall die
So only shadows comfort me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me
Each day shall end as it begins
And though you're far away from me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me

The sun was born and so it shall die
So only shadows comfort me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me
Each day shall end as it begins
And though you're far away from me
I know in darkness I will find you giving up inside like me

Enveloped in a sentiment
A sound that rushes over me
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure

Not forgetting what it means to dream
Indulging everything
Entertaining thoughts that I've the strength
Of those I yearn to be
Cheers and tribute greet the saviours
Reckless thoughts survive
Anachronistic and impulsive

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

Enveloped in a sentiment
A sound that rushes over me
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure

Cheers and tribute greet the saviours
Reckless thoughts survive
Anachronistic and impulsive

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

As the stars appear
I know I'll find you staring at the sky
Pointlessly reaching for some light
You hope to guide your sorry way

Your body bleeding
Your body burned
Your body scarred
Around the cinder of your heart

A God of love
A God of care
A God of hope
A God of words
A God as lost as you and blind
To fill your hollow soul again
You seek a God who stands above you
Wrapping healing arms around you
You'll find another God of pain
A God of suffering and tears

Give yourself unto your God
Sacrifice yourself again
Burn your thoughts erase your will
To Gods of suffering and tears
Tie hallowed bonds around your hands
Kneel before this seat of shame
To Gods as lost
Gods as blind
Gods of suffering and pain

See the faces etched in stone
The frozen faces of multitudes
The songs of youth that sing forever
Immortal thoughts of a myriad of souls
That echo forth and on forever and on forever
All great things to come onward now
and on forever and onward now
All great things to come

Immortal thoughts of a myriad of souls
That echo forth like songs of a multitude
And on forever and on forever
Onward now and on forever and onward now
All great things to come

We few, we lucky few
Once more to the breach, dear friends, once more
All great things to come

The hall of ages to welcome them
The cheers of many
The cries of parting souls
The golden years
All great things, all great things
All great things to come

That echo forth and on forever
And onward now, onward forever
And onward now and on forever
Bravest thoughts of futures past
That echo forth and on forever
And onward now, all great things to come
Onward now, on forever, and onward now
All great things to come

Enveloped in a sentiment
A sound that rushes over me
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure

Not forgetting what it means to dream
Indulging everything
Entertaining thoughts that I've the strength
Of those I yearn to be
Cheers and tribute greet the saviours
Reckless thoughts survive
Anachronistic and impulsive

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

Enveloped in a sentiment
A sound that rushes over me
Engage an impulse to pretend
I have a faith as pure

Cheers and tribute greet the saviours
Reckless thoughts survive
Anachronistic and impulsive

And what will happen? Will I dream?
I am too scared to close my eyes
For a second, please hold me
None can change in me these things that I believe
But I don't know what happens now
I am too scared to close my eyes

Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words, they say so many things to me
A stranger here, reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anything
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away
In distant days, I long to sense it all so clear

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

I had no faith before that time in any vow or deed
Days followed days and years were meaningless
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen
The wonders I'd seen

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words, they say so many things to me
A stranger here, reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anything
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away
In distant days, I long to sense it all so clear

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

I had no faith before that time in any vow or deed
Days followed days and years were meaningless
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen
The wonders I'd seen

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

Eyes betray the soul and bear its thinking
Beyond words, they say so many things to me
A stranger here, reborn it seems
Awaking wonders deep in me
If nothing's ventured, nothing's gained
So I must seize the day

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

It wasn't you, it wasn't me, it wasn't anything
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me
I let the wind run through my hands
Before I turned to walk away
In distant days, I long to sense it all so clear

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?

I had no faith before that time in any vow or deed
Days followed days and years were meaningless
Despite the wisdom of defeat
I bore my heart for all to see the wonders I'd seen
The wonders I'd seen

And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?
Through my eyes, stare into me
I bear my heart for all to see
With my face turned to the sun, there ever standing still

And fighting time, so much I ask
I will this moment last forever
Though seasons change, things come to pass
Remain inside of me
And fighting time, so hard I pray
That this moment lasts forever
And will the world stay standing still, at least for me?