Fates Warning Album

staring, silent, naked and cold
outside looking in
peeling away this fragile shell
to face the fear within
and the man in the mirror looks on
as the cuts begin

outside looking in
getting over my fears and under my skin
tearing myself apart
to feel whole again, outside looking in

running, tired, tortured and torn
outside looking in
clawing away these open scars
to heal the wounds within
and the man in the mirror looks out
as he reaches in

outside looking in
getting over my fears and under my skin
tearing myself apart
to feel whole again, outside looking in

too many things left undone
too late to turn back
i could change course before the end
but when all is said and done
all i really want
is a chance to start again

staring, silent, naked and cold
outside looking in
feeling my way through this wilderness
for a place to begin
and the man in the mirror reaches out
to the man within

walking through a wasteland of words and memories
looking for the person i used to be
thoughts i don't recognize make me realize
times have changed and so have i
and a familiar fear comes back to me

pale fire
dry land getting drier
nothing can grow
in the ashes of desire
pale fire
burned on the desire
no one can grow
with nothing to inspire

the bitter harvest of a barren land
i'm painting pictures you don't understand
dust blinds my eyes, makes me realize
i'm choking life with living lies

pale fire
dry land getting drier
nothing can grow
in the ashes of desire
pale fire
burned on the desire
no one can grow
with nothing to inspire

and a familiar fear claims another day
wondering have i said all i have to say

the more i try
the more i feel i'm missing
the more i run
the more my feet keep slipping
the more i think
the more i tend to worry
the more i look
i see my thoughts before me

and i dream of a strand
as i struggle on the waves
and i see the end of a passing day
as i see the strand
in the corners of my mind
windows offer the view
of a coming day

the more i stretch
the more these walls confine me
the more i beg
the less it all seems likely
the more i mind
the matter that surrounds me
the more i find
my thoughts before me

drifting on an open sea
shipwrecked clinging to broken beams
waters to my neck
i strain to catch my breath
drifting in the boundaries
i've built up deep within me
waters to my neck
i strain to catch my breath
i'm tired of treading again
i'm swimming to the strand

talk, talk to me, tell me your secrets
speak, speak the words i need to hear
help to conquer this growing fear
and when the winds of change come blowing through
and all the things i thought i needed
go sailing out of view . . .

shelter, shelter me
when i need someone to turn to
i turn and i lie within
the light of you
shelter, shelter me
when i need somewhere to run to
i run and i hide within
the shelter of you

walk, walk with me through this darkness
teach, teach me to see the light
help me to see beyond this night
and when the sunset hides sea from shore
and all the things i thought i needed
don't mean that much anymore . . .

shelter, shelter me
when i need someone to turn to
i turn and i lie within
the light of you
shelter, shelter me
when i need somewhere to run to
i run and i hide within
the shelter of you

with this darkness all around
tomorrow is hard to see
but i will face this night
if you'll shelter, shelter, me

have you stood at the edge of the world
where the sea and sky collide
looked out to a distant horizon
and dreamed of drifting away

have you stood beneath a troubled sky
and watched the dark clouds gathering
closed your eyes to the threatening tide
and woke to another day

feel the cold winds all around you
let the night circle and surround you
breath deep the darkness that drowns you
let your imagination take you

to where your sleepless mind rests
to where your thoughts all run free
to your island in the stream
where you can dream at the edge of the world

to where your restless minds will sleep
to where our hearts will run free
to our island in the stream
where we can dream at the edge of the world

has it been so long
i can't remember what we last talked about
my friend, forgive me
do you think of me as i think of you
i owe my life to ...

i hold on clutching to the hope that i'll be strong
when it comes down to the wire
i'll hold on to with every ounce of strength within me
when it comes down to the wire

don't think i've not thought
of what you mean to me, i do constantly
my friend, forgive me
do you think of me as i think of you
i owe my life to . . .

i hold on clutching to the hope that i'll be strong
when it comes down to the wire
i'll hold on to with every ounce of strength within me
when it comes down to the wire

my friend, forgive me
do you think of me as i think of you

i wish it were different
i wish i could take your pain
and now that i've found you
i feel like i've lost you again

here i am looking out looking in
my eyes are open my mind's closed tight
i believe i know i need to let go
and i know i'm wrong but i think i'm right
so i shut you out
and hear what i want to hear
and hide in my opinions
afraid to face my fear
face the fear

there you are reaching in reaching out
your arms are open, your heart's closed tight
you believe you know you have to let go
and you think you won't but you know you might
so you close your eyes
and pretend you're no here
and hide in your secrets
afraid to face your fear
face the fear

and you close your eyes
i hear what i want to hear
and we hide in our suspicions
afraid to face the fear
face the fear

and i shut you out
you pretend you're not here
and we hide in our loneliness
afraid to face the fear
face the fear

here we are looking in reaching out
together and alone
facing the fear we're afraid to show
facing the fear of letting go

[No lyrics]

there's a blind desire there's a drive
there's a need to leave some lasting feat
something to hold, something to keep
a monument to complete

there's a written page there's a book
there's a search for something to say
something to share, something to speak
a monument to convey

is it fiction, is it confession
is it passion or just a profession
is it performance, is it expression
is it passion or just an obsession

there's a photograph there's a frame
there's a time, a moment to confine
something to save, something to see
a monument to enshrine

is it performance, is it expression
is it passion or just a profession
is it fiction, is it confession
is it passion or just an obsession

there's an empty room there's a blank page
there's a picture left incomplete
something is lost, something remains
a monument to defeat

is it fiction, is it confession
is it passion or just a profession
is it performance, is it expression
is it passion or just an obsession

twilight and i lie awake
afterglow is all around me
i lie awake, in this light
and i wonder where you are tonight

voices turn to silence
echoes never fade away

twilight and i lie awake
afterglow is all around me

voices turn to silence
echoes never fade away
i lie awake listening
wondering where you are today