VNV Nation - Empires

Empires

01. Firstlight
02. Kingdom
03. Rubicon
04. Saviour
05. Fragments
06. Distant (Rubicon II)
07. Standing
08. Legion
09. Darkangel
10. Arclight

Kingdom

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 would be saved
by burning flags to cleanse yourselves of shame?
Or are you afraid as you stare back at your face?
are you ashamed, are you afraid,
by destroying what the gods had made?
Did you think you would be saved?

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 is mine,
I’ll turn the darkness into light
I’ll guide the blind

My will be done until the day
I see this 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 to be razed to the dust from which it came
None will be spared, no remnant saved
Are you ashamed, are you afraid,

of the gods and idols you have made?
Did you think you would be saved
by the gods and idols you have made?

None will be saved
None will be saved

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Rubicon

Praying for myself
These thoughts I try to hide
I have faith in me and hope this will survive
But it’s tearing me apart
I can’t hear the words by which I guide
So I must ask again who will carry me

I cannot deny that nothing can defend
from the helplessness that’s cutting deep inside,

and I can’t prevent the thought that nothing’s real
Seems I’ve waited years for this day to end

The strength I need to feel, the pride inside of me,
Are not there behind the face staring back at me
The anger and the pain of knowing where I am
I have come so far and I cannot return

Nothing I can do that I have not done
No words I can say. No truth left that I can see

So must I let this end so everything falls apart
Before I live my life as I have always done

Tell me what to do so I do nothing wrong
Something I can hope for. Something real that I can see
So nothing falls apart. So this does not end
I cannot return. I can’t start again

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Fragments

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

We few, we lucky few
Once more to the breach dear friends once more
The hall of ages to welcome them
The cheers of many
The cries of parting souls
Bravest thoughts of futures past
The golden years

All great things to come
That echo forth and on forever
and onward now and on forever
and onward now and on forever
All great things to come

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Distant (Rubicon II)

The paths that I once tread
have all but gone
Only embers now smoulder
where bridges once burned
I feel alive and yet I fear
what may happen now
I know I can’t return

And I hear me say again

‘oh let me not return’
Damn the illusions of redemption
and the hopes that held me here
I will oppose all that would befall me
With this rage inside of me
I will defy what I would become

The solitude and anger
that do battle inside me

will always guide me to the answers
that I know I may not see
They are the bonds that hold me tighter
They are the chains that weigh on me
One day I know they will be gone

Can I start again and erase this pain
by casting doubts into the waters,
asking judgement of the sea

Though fortune may guide the fools
I have no wish to be free
until I am gone

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Standing

Eyes betray the soul and bear it’s 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 anyone
It was a day so long awaited and a chance to be as me
I let the wind run through my hands
as 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 morning last forever
Though seasons change and 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 day 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

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Legion

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

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Darkangel

In your dream you see me clear
I have no restraint, no fear

Powerless I watched from faces I’d assumed
My purpose set. My will defined
Caress the air
Embrace the skies
Escape the sorrow and restraint of mortal cities

Give me time I will be clear
Given time you’ll understand
What possesses me to right what you have suffered

I’m in this mood because of scorn
I’m in a mood for total war
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward

So many years I stood among the thoughts
and tears of those I served
Among my own I was alone through my own doing.
All the years I walked unknown
behind the faces I assumed

Powerless to clear your mind of what you’d suffered

They fall again
They fall again

Give me time I will be clear
Given time you’ll understand
What possesses me to right what you have suffered
I’m in this mood because of scorn
I’m in a mood for total war

To the darkened skies once more and ever onward
There is no faith in which to hide
Even truth is filled with lies
Doubting angels fall to walk among the living
I’m in this mood because of scorn
I’m in a mood for total war
To the darkened skies once more and ever onward

I’d only come here seeking peace

I’d only come here seeking me

It seems I came to leave

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Arclight

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

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