Get all 6 King's Row releases available on Bandcamp and save 35%.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of The Omega Variant, Natural Selection, Singularity, Sketches, Superheroes, and Full Circle.
1. |
Build a Fire
11:03
|
|||
|
BUILD A FIRE
(About my mother's childhood)
Bright eyed girl in a dirt poor world
One of twelve never by herself
Barely room enough to breathe
Not enough to ever go around
Forged ahead and lived her life out loud
In color-coated dreams
Step into the midday sun
Til you find the boy
That becomes your only one
Blaze a trail til you find yourself
Raise a little hell
Until you find your way back home
You’ll never have right now again
Go live the life you choose to live
Don’t be afraid to stir things up
And build a fire with your love
(About my father's childhood)
Quiet boy in an out loud world
Older brothers both gone off to war
Little sister still so young
Nothing to do but wear the uniform
Do his part and find his path in life
Sail away from everyone
Step into a larger world
Til you find the girl
That becomes your only one
Settle down in your own hometown
Let your roots dig down
If you can find your way back home
You’ll never have right now again
Go live the life you choose to live
Don’t be afraid to take her hand
And build a fire with your love
(From my father's perspective, near the end)
My wife my son, another one on the way
Somewhere, sometime, and haven’t since felt the same
Growing fears they’re no longer safe, and I’m so far away
I know I could protect them all, if I could come home to stay
Darkness falls on a broken soul
Is there anything
In this world I can control
How could I ever be the man
That I vowed to be
Til the very end
I’ll never be that man again
To live the life I chose to live
Don’t be afraid, by my own hand
You’re better off without me
You won’t have to wonder about where I’ve been
You won’t have to worry about me again
Until your own time finally comes in the end
I’ll keep the fire burning
|
||||
2. |
Funeral on the Hill
04:35
|
|||
|
LYRICS
On a Sunday morning she stands ironing her dress
She still expects herself to look her best
The love of her life is being laid to rest
With the reason for it all anyone’s guess
A life reduced
To words so few
Spoken by a man he never knew
Ash to ash
And dust to dust
A better place she wants to trust
The flag that he served now just a blanket for the shame
And all that’s left behind is who’s to blame
Growing in the womb a son who’ll never see his face
At least he’ll get to carry on his name
A life so brief
A mother grieves
Holds herself so strong with dignity
Ash to ash
And dust to dust
Life can never be what it was
It's a beautiful morning for a funeral on the hill
They hope to find the answers but they know they never will
And leave behind the holes that no amount of earth can fill
At the funeral up on the hill
A life so blessed
And all that’s left
A shoebox full of photos and regrets
Ash to ash
And dust to dust
And all that’s left is not enough
It's a beautiful morning for a funeral up on the hill
Gathering the pieces so someday we can rebuild
Wishing for the pain to stop but know it never will
At the funeral up on the hill
|
||||
3. |
Enough
04:12
|
|||
|
LYRICS
(From my stepfather's perspective)
Once the laughter was a part of me
Shining through your soul and into mine
I can feel it fade each passing day
as the light in my eyes turns to shade
And I want to be everything to you
And I want to be everything you dreamed
And I want to do all that I can do
and somehow hope that I can be enough
Once I rushed to be by your side
holding your hand gently in mine
now there’s just not space enough to divide
your side of the world from mine
I know your heart is aching
I know my soul grows weaker by the day
how I wish that you still had the strength
to reach right through the pain to get to me
Now I have everything I dreamed
So how can I feel so empty inside?
I never meant to leave you all alone
But I’m not strong enough to stay behind
|
||||
4. |
Reach Into My Dreams
07:26
|
|||
|
REACH INTO MY DREAMS
(From my stepfather's perspective)
The morning sun can’t melt this world, the time has finally come
To choose between which life to lose, the husband or the son
I tried to drink away my pain but nothing really changed
the only thing I know for sure, we’ll never be the same
Today I choose my destiny
Tomorrow or eternity
There isn’t that much left of me
Just one chance to survive
My pleading hands are held out loud, I’m begging on my knees
My candle burning at both ends, the flames about to meet
One more time I’ll try to find, the strength within my voice
If you can’t see that I need peace, I’ll have no other choice
The pressure building in my soul, I’ve reached the point of no return
The darkness drowns out all the light, the fires of anger all that burn
I’ll reach into my dreams for one last chance to find the will to be
But now I know is it’s time to go and you’re all coming with me
(From my own perspective)
My blackboard empty stare, broken by those fateful words
“There’s someone here to take you home”
The silent car ride home, the muffled sobs all that we heard
That told us everything was wrong
We came as strangers to this home we’ve always known
The eyes of loved ones quickly look the other way
No one wants to face the truth that is our pain
The shortest straw’s been drawn, someone has to break the news
I’m sorry boys, they’re never coming home
My pleading hands are held out loud, I’m begging on my knees
The answers sought but never found, does no one hear my pleas
A million times I’ll try to find, the strength within my soul
And search until the very end for things I’ll never know
A broken slave to destiny
Tomorrow’s my eternity
There’s nothing good that’s left in me
A part of me has died
the pressure building in my soul, I’ve reached the point of no return
the darkness drowns out all the light, the fires of anger all that burn
I’ll reach into my dreams and take out all the memories I’ve known
and maybe someday find another place that I can call my home
|
||||
5. |
Myers Chapel
07:58
|
|||
|
MYERS CHAPEL
(From my own perspective)
my thousand yard stare barely sees the world before me
a hundred rows of faces show their pity and regret
a man they barely knew tells the best of their life stories
just to comfort all the lost with words they’ll soon forget
I know I’ll never get blood from a stone
or any answers they’ll just lead to more questions
there are no words to help make sense of the senseless
there isn’t time for my wounds to heal
the long and winding road takes us to the final home
surrounded by my family yet still so all alone
the casket closed so I can tell myself there’s no one in there
and may they’ll be waiting open arms when their journey’s over
I know I’ll never get blood from a stone
or any answers, they’ll just lead to more questions
no words to help make sense of the senseless
there isn’t time for all my wounds to heal
the flowers stay in bloom all year long
out at Myers Chapel
the memories pour right out of the stones
I’ll keep coming back as long as I am able
and through these lonely years I come alone so I can see you
tell you how my life has been in case you didn’t know
replace the faded flowers, brush away the time collected
and wonder what life could have been had you been here beside me
I know I’ll never get blood from a stone
or any answers, they’ll just lead to more questions
there are no words to help make sense of the senseless
there isn’t time for all my wounds to heal
the flowers stay in bloom all year long
out at Myers Chapel
the memories pour right out of the stones
I’ll keep coming back as long as I am able
|
||||
6. |
Sad Songs and Lullabies
04:22
|
|||
|
SAD SONGS AND LULLABIES
(From my mother's perspective)
In time you will see life is bigger than me
That love has its place far beyond all your dreams
You'll never believe that it's me
Touching your hair like a breath from a breeze
I've never believed in good-byes
Or last words that turn into lies
I'll leave you my laughter, my strength, and
My knowledge of sad songs and lullabies
I've watched you grow stronger as life passes by
I've winced at your pain as the tears filled your eyes
My stolen voice can't find your ears
I only hope memories don't fade with the years
Smiling and sad as I watch over you
Memories fading forgetting the tune
It's hard to see you moving on
While life's teaching you how to write your own songs
|
||||
7. |
Lottery of Suffering
07:59
|
|||
|
LOTTERY OF SUFFERING
Here in the moonlight I see much clearer now
The sun has fled with all its lies
I see my breath warming, chills of despair
The silence, broken by my cries
Creeping in the darkness we find the things
We try all our lives to keep inside
And tell ourselves that all of this was meant to be
Knowing that it’s all a lie
But I hold onto everything
With my life I cling to a child
One that I once knew in a time gone by
With my eyes full of tears and smile
Replaying memories, looking for a sign,
Some clue, that says I should have known
Telling myself, if only I had been there,
But what could I have done?
All through these years, missing every moment
You would have been there by my side
To cheer me on, to lift me up, or clean my wounds,
To help me find my way through life
Still I hold onto everything
With my life I cling to a child
One that I once knew in a time gone by
With my eyes full of tears and smile
No one told me there would always be pain
I guess they just assumed that I knew it anyway
No one’s exempt from the lottery of suffering
I just want to know why it was me
Long nights I wonder, what could have been,
Had pride not come before the fall
Pictures of memories, all that I have left,
I wish I had known you all
I’ve seen more years now, than you had ever known,
Surviving through my guilt
No one gets to choose the cards the dealer gives you
Just play the hand you’re dealt
So I hold onto everything
With my life I cling to a child
One that I once knew in a time gone by
With my eyes full of tears and smile
No one told me there would always be pain
I guess they just assumed that I knew it anyway
No one’s exempt from the lottery of suffering
I just want to know why it was me
|
||||
8. |
The Only Gift
06:17
|
|||
|
THE ONLY GIFT
(From my own perspective)
I’ll never get the call
That says you’ve had another fall
And do you think it’s time
I’ll never see the dents
From another accident
That somehow slipped your mind
I won’t find you gone from home
Wandering the streets alone
And know it’s come at last
I will never see your eyes
Look at me unrecognized
A stranger from your past
All the lessons that I learned so young
The hardest times they all have come and gone
Only open road from this point on
There’s nothing left to weight me down
Long ago I learned to live without you
Heal my own wounds and find my own way through
No excuses for the life I've lived
It’s the only gift you had the chance to give
I'll never come to grips
with constant beeping or the hiss
of the machines that breathe
And watch the numbers on the wall
as they quickly rise and fall
On multi-colored screens
Never have to find a home
Somewhere caring, safe and warm
For your remaining days
I’ll never have the guilt
That ungrateful children feel
When life gets in the way
All the lessons that I learned so young
The hardest times they all have come and gone
Only open road from this point on
There’s nothing left to weight me down
Long ago I learned to live without you
Heal my own wounds and find my own way through
No excuses for the life I've lived
It’s the only gift you had the chance to give
How fortunate I’ve been
That I’ll never have to spend
a moment of my life
Watching sickness creeping in
On your worn and withered limbs
The dimming of your eyes
And keep you close to me
Trying hard to hide relief
From showing on my face
Knowing that the pain and grief
Very soon about to cease
How would I find the grace?
All the lessons that I learned so young
The hardest times they all have come and gone
Only open road from this point on
There’s nothing left to weight me down
Long ago I learned to live without you
Heal my own wounds and find my own way through
No excuses for the life I've lived
It’s the only gift that you could give
If I only had a moment with you
I would heal your wounds and help you find your own way through
No excuses for the life you’ve lived
It’s the only gift I’d ever want to give
|
||||
9. |
Human Remains
09:30
|
|
||
|
HUMAN REMAINS
(From my own perspective)
It seems like yesterday I saw your face, your laughter rang so clear
I saw your life a light that shined so bright, without an ounce of fear
The emptiness I carry in my heart, the void you left behind
The pressure building on my weary soul, grows heavier with time
And still the human remains
In spite of all the anger and the pain
Still the human remains
Changed by all the years yet still the same
To find the road and know the path to home, two very different things
To find the strength but never have the will, the ledge to which I cling
Like fighting battles with a broken sword, or breathing with one lung
To love another with a broken heart, or speak without a tongue
And still the human remains
The pain was more than anyone should take
Still the human remains
Never bending far enough to break
This is not the story of the life that I was meant to live
I’ve gotten all I’ve ever asked for yet so little left to give
I know I’m coming to a turning point, where choices that I’ve made
Have indeed become too much to bear, my debts are all unpaid
This is not the happy ending that they say is yet to come
A life that ends with nothing but regret, I’m not the only one
If you’re looking for the answers, then you’ll never find them here,
You’ll only find a deeper, darker well, to pour in all your tears
And still the human remains
Changed by all the years yet still the same
Still the human remains
Nothing else could take it all away
|
||||
10. |
Sketches
16:37
|
|
||
|
SKETCHES
(From my own perspective)
My pen it curves around my words, my pictures they’re so clean
A masterpiece of imagery and sometimes so deceiving
Falling off my tongue the picture seems like it creates itself
And brings about realities I’ve never even dreamed
I close my eyes, I shut my mouth, nothing louder have I seen
A shade of crimson with darkened skylines a stolen life decked out in red
A troubled past with a soulful pain comes screaming through my imagery,
so vividly
Just add a drop of a troubled childhood the colors blended tenderly
Flowing down to a grand conclusion or is it just foreshadowing of all the things
That may yet come to be, a mystery
We paint ourselves in the best of lights through all our troubles lives
Not to deceive even to conceal only so our souls can heal
And I believe there are times in our lives we all must decide
To live how we choose, own up to the truth we’ve all come to know
We sketch the pictures of our lives with nervous hands and darting eyes
The lines at first so lightly drawn to undo what we’ve done wrong
As life goes by and we grow much older our strokes are fierce and our colors bolder
Until our memories paint the scenes of all that we’ve been
A shade of blue with a blooming skyline covers up what once had been
Convince myself that the sun is shining brightly on this life I lead
I’d have you believe
Hung on the wall so we’ll all remember just how great this life once was
A masterpiece, such a great illusion darkened by my suffering
That lies just beneath, that so vividly depicts the life of my dreams
We paint ourselves in the best of lights through all our troubled lives
Not to deceive even to conceal only so our souls can heal
But I believe there’s a pain deep inside of all of us sometimes
That makes us decide the best path to walk on, we can’t always know
We sketch the pictures of our lives with nervous hands and darting eyes
The lines at first so lightly drawn to undo what we’ve done wrong
As life goes by and we grow much older our strokes are fierce and our colors bolder
Until our memories paint the scenes of all that we’ve been
Tear away all the smiles and laughter, peel this mask off worn so long
Days gone by it’s so hard to remember the loved ones that have come and gone
Has it been that long?
Fill in the blanks of my broken memories with colors I will never see
Washed away by the river of pain that’s flowing through me endlessly
I try to be
So full of life there
Is no time to grieve
We paint ourselves in the best of lights through all our troubles lives
Not to deceive even to conceal only so our souls can heal
And I believe there are days in our lives we waiver inside
And we fail to choose what we know to be true
We can’t travel time and revise all our lives
The best we can do is own what we choose
And not hurt those we love
We sketch the pictures of our lives with nervous hands and darting eyes
The lines at first so lightly drawn to undo what we’ve done wrong
As life goes by and we grow much older our strokes are fierce and our colors bolder
Until our memories paint the scenes of all that we’ve been
|
||||
11. |
Rebuilding (Bonus Track)
05:24
|
|||
|
LYRICS
With every ounce of strength you face another day
Just crying out in pain with every step you take
Making your own light within the dark
Til the sun can find the strength to rise again
You built your fragile wings from pieces of your shame
Hold on to every ounce of love that still remains
And pray to God the only life you’ve known
Will never be the same again
No time for breaking down, you have so much to do
With hungry mouths to feed that all depend on you
Rebuilding all your lives with nothing but bare hands
Just tear the whole thing down and start from scratch again
Wake to find that it was not a dream
The burning sun cries out to start the day again
Shake off the ash and dust of day old grief
The second chapter of your life will soon begin
The child he never met will soon be on its way
No one there to hold your hand along the way
The silver lining on the darkest clouds
The final gift this broken soldier ever gave
|
||||
12. |
Control (Bonus Track)
04:21
|
|||
|
CONTROL
to live in your dreams might grant you all you wish and
thrust you right into infinity but dreams
are not reality and without the consequences you may
realize it’s not worth it anymore
and you feel your soul struggling for acceptance
while your mind will not give up control of your life
that always slips away and still you wake to realize
the best dreams die while the nightmare always stays
the face of all your fears is telling you it loves you
yet it still all remains so unclear and here
as you sit next to me revolving doors bring love and hate
as you embrace them both so naturally
you crawl out of your skin you see yourself so fresh and new
and wonder where you’ve always been
and now, you wonder who you’ve become the chaos sends
your burning soul into your mind like running for the sun
|
||||
King's Row Jefferson City, Missouri
A hard rock band from Jefferson City, MO. We're mainly a writing/recording project and we just keep making music because it's what we love to do!
If you like it too, please let us know!
If you like King's Row, you may also like:
Blue Record (Deluxe Version)
by Baroness
featured on Bandcamp Radio Sep 15, 2023
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Sep 15, 2023
go to album
The Long Island metal band's third album etches arena-sized hooks into their jagged compositions, deftly balancing experimental and poppy inclinations.
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Nov 25, 2014
go to album
featured on Bandcamp Radio Nov 12, 2013
go to album
Purple Haus
by Bear the Mammoth
The latest album from Purple Haus is a playful and poignant exploration of progressive post-rock.
go to album
Anyone homesick for the classic sound of ’90s math rock will fall in love with the jagged guitars & tricky tempos on “LLC.”
go to album
