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1. |
Empire
05:31
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I’ve settled into a life now
I run at midnight through town
Past pretty cottages with tree lights shining down
I’ve got a new sense of wonder
I’ve got a new peace of mind
I’ve learned that bruises are colors that fade over time
And you, you’re less than a shadow
And I, I’m stronger than I know most days, most days
I’m not a box that you check in
I’m not a name to be given
I am an empire
More than a hand to be holding
More than a heart to be broken
I am an empire
I do whatever I want now
I wrinkle sheets on both sides
And all the things that used to be ours are mine
I’ve got a dog and a future
I’ve got an identity
I’ve learned that it’s never too late to follow a dream
And you, you’re less than a ghost now
And I, I’ll figure this all out someday, someday
I’m not a box that you check in
I’m not a name to be given
I am an empire
More than a hand to be holding
More than a heart to be broken
I am an empire
Oh…
I’m not a box that you check in
I’m not a name to be given
I am an empire
More than a hand to be holding
More than a heart to be broken
I am an empire
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2. |
If You Can't Love Me
03:53
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There’s a cold breeze coming in this morning
Leaves are turning brown, the skies are grey
Ominous clouds lining the horizon
But I can’t leave this place
Silence spreads between us like an ocean
But I’d swim the seven seas to get to you
Empty words fall just like rocks into the depths below
But I’d brave the deep to get the truth
I don’t want to believe that our something special is over now
I don’t want to believe that our precious engine is stalling out
‘Cause I’d still follow you through the dark
Even though we’ve lost the road
But if you can’t love me, if you can’t love me back
Tell me to go
There’s a sadness weighing in my footsteps
There’s a memory playing in my head
And each sigh you breathe keeps telling me
There’s nothing left to save
But I keep searching, I keep searching
I don’t want to believe that our something special is over now
I don’t want to believe that our precious engine is stalling out
‘Cause I’d still follow you through the dark
Even though we’ve lost the road
But if you can’t love me, if you can’t love me back
Tell me to go
Once upon a time, baby, you knew all the right words
They’re still somewhere deep inside like the smile in your eyes
And all I ever wanted was to be heard by you
‘Cause your voice could change the world like it changed this little girl
I don’t want to believe that our something special is over now
I don’t want to believe that our precious engine is stalling out
‘Cause I’d still follow you through the dark
Even though we’ve lost the road
But if you can’t love me, if you can’t love me back
Tell me to go
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3. |
Rapunzel
03:15
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Unlaid me brick by brick ‘til I was dust
Oxidized my pipes ‘til I was rust
I used to be a temple
Now, I’m just a hole looking up
Your parade’s just a stampede through my streets
I’m trodden, but you haven’t seen the last of me
I’ll build my walls so high, you can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock ‘em down
I won’t let you in, won’t let me out
I’ll build my walls so high, you can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock me down
Now the sparkle in your eyes in just a flame
Those sweet things you used to call me, they’re just names
The tears you thought you saw me crying
Baby, that was just the rain
From here on out, I’m just a ghost in your dreams
Every love you’ll have is just a lack of me
I’ll build my walls so high, you can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock ‘em down
I won’t let you in, won’t let me out
I’ll build my walls so high, you can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock me down
Take these boards and make them splinters
Turn my summer into winter
All your selfless deeds are sinister now
You took all my white and stained it out
I’ll build my walls so high, you can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock ‘em down
I won’t let you in, won’t let me out
I’ll build my walls so high, you can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock ‘em down
You can’t knock me down
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4. |
Superheroes
04:56
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I’ve been a weed among the roses
One speck of dust among the stars
We’ve got ourselves a hotel room down at rock bottom
But I think we dilate in the dark
See weeds are known for their resilience
And rocks are built to scale down here
So we’ll just climb until we’re shining like diamonds
Too high to fall, too bright to fear
We’re gonna be superheroes
We can’t do it all, but we can start off small
We’re gonna be superheroes
Fly into the fray, make it out okay
We’re gonna save the day
So let the villains make the headlines
Let lesser mortals win the race
There’s more to run for than that medal on your chest and
There’s more to victory than fame
We’re gonna be superheroes
We can’t do it all, but we can start off small
We’re gonna be superheroes
Fly into the fray, make it out okay
We’re gonna save the day
And when the crowds have gone away
And no one’s shouting out your name
You’ll see the lines in every face you’ve helped to change
A single spark sets the world ablaze
We’re gonna be superheroes
We can’t do it all, but we can start off small
We’re gonna be superheroes
Fly into the fray, make it out okay
We’re gonna save the day
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5. |
Orlando
04:50
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Sometimes a hand is just a hand
Sometimes a man is just a man
Sometimes what’s running through our veins
Is the same color when it rains
Cut us open, we all bleed just the same
But you know hope, it’s never lost, it’s just hard to find
And you know love sometimes burns a lot, but that fire keeps us alive
So won’t you open up your heart
Until there’s space inside your chest
And won’t you open up your lungs
Until they’re burning with your breath
Just take it all in and let it all go
Love more, kept faith, have hope
Even when it hurts the most
Sometimes a gun is just a gun
Until you point it at someone
Sometimes one bullet makes a shot
One straight line rips us apart
‘Cause we’re all on this earth until we’re not
But you know hope, it’s never lost, it’s just hard to find
And every wound turns into a scar if you give it time
So won’t you open up your heart
Until there’s space inside your chest
And won’t you open up your lungs
Until they’re burning with your breath
Just take it all in and let it all go
Love more, kept faith, have hope
Even when it hurts the most
Sometimes war is just the violent beating of a heart
Pounding at the fences that are tearing us apart
Lay your weapons down, and armor is just open arms
A fist is just a greeting flagged
So unfurl those fingers and…
Sometimes a hand is just a hand
Sometimes a man is just a man
Sometimes the color of our skins is just some pigments gathering
And who we love isn’t a statement, an attack, or an agenda
Just someone who makes us feel human
So won’t you open up your heart
Until there’s space inside your chest
And won’t you open up your lungs
Until they’re burning with your breath
Just take it all in and let it all go
Love more, kept faith, have hope
Even when it hurts the most
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6. |
Reasons
02:56
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Skin stretches like a rubber band across a canyon
We’re all trying, trying not to snap
We blow through yellow lights like missiles on a mission
We’re just bracing, bracing for impact
We’re all so fast-forward, blurry shadows wearing thin
Drowning out our voices in the roar of rushing wind
Then your smile turns my head
The streetlights all burn red
And all the madness just stops
I’ve got a reason to run
I’m holding on tight
But you give me a reason to let go
They say I’ve got to go far
Say I’ve got to go wide
But you give me a reason to come home
Sand filters through the whittled waist of some glass lady
And I’m pelted, pelted by the rocks
We stretch each second into days until it breaks
Into the ticking, ticking of the clock
But between your shoulders, there’s a place to rest my head
And I find a rhythm in the rising of your chest
It rocks me silently
My lungs are empty
But your breath is filling me up
I’ve got a reason to run
I’m holding on tight
But you give me a reason to let go
They say I’ve got to go far
Say I’ve got to go wide
But you give me a reason to come home
Trains wrestle sparks right from the tracks
Baby, slow me down
Volcanoes turn the clouds to ash
Baby, slow me down
Waves swallow mansions when they crash
Baby, slow me down
Be still and slow me down
I’ve got a reason to run
I’m holding on tight
But you give me a reason to let go
They say I’ve got to go far
Say I’ve got to go wide
But you give me a reason to come home
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7. |
On Your Side
04:44
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More water under the bridge means we’ve got more to lose
But I’m at no loss for illusion when it comes to you
I’ll talk myself into and out of anything
One minute, I want you forever
The next this is more than I can take
So take a deep breath, close your eyes
Hold my hand and remember when this was the feeling
That got you through the night
Turn down the bed, sleep tonight
Let the world fade to whispers, we’re drifting through dreams
In which everything’s all right
I’m still on your side
Mine is a logical mind, I observe and deduce
But none of my evidence serves me when it comes to you
You fit no statistic; you came without preamble
One second, we work without reason
The next I just need one reason to stay
So take a deep breath, close your eyes
Hold my hand and remember when this was the feeling
That got you through the night
Turn down the bed, sleep tonight
Let the world fade to whispers, we’re drifting through dreams
In which everything’s all right
I’m still on your side
Sometimes it’s like fireworks on the fourth of July
Sometimes it’s one candle defying the night
But even when I’m scared we’re burning out
I’d still choose you every time
So take a deep breath, close your eyes
Hold my hand and remember when this was the feeling
That got you through the night
Turn down the bed, sleep tonight
Let the world fade to whispers, we’re drifting through dreams
In which everything’s all right
I’m still on your side
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8. |
Stop The World
04:04
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It’s getting harder not to think of you
You’re like a sinking ship, and my anchor found its way to your floor
It’s getting harder not to draw the line
I’m always on your side, but I can’t tell where that is anymore
I feel like I just put a band-aid on an amputation
And God, I hope that these are phantom pains
Go on, explain it all away
When you’re around, I stop the world from spinning
Ten suns and twenty moons could never match your pull
And when you’re down, I stop the world from ending
But this apocalypse is taking its toll
It’s taking its toll
It’s been a long climb up this flight of stares
All the eyes have serrated edges that cut right to my core
And every step feels like a backwards march
We’ve built a house of cards that collapses with each knock at the door
I feel like I’ve been using tears to save a burning building
And now I know we’re going down in flames
Tell me these scars are gonna fade
When you’re around, I stop the world from spinning
Ten suns and twenty moons could never match your pull
And when you’re down, I stop the world from ending
But this apocalypse is taking its toll
It’s taking its toll
I love you, but I just don’t know what to believe
I thought this family could find a way to begin again and
I love you harder when you bring me to my knees
But I think this family is just the means to an end, my friend
And I can’t stop this storm from taking you home
You’re gonna leave me with a permanent hole
When you’re around, I stop the world from spinning
Ten suns and twenty moons could never match your pull
And when you’re down, I stop the world from ending
But this apocalypse is taking its toll
It’s taking its toll
You’re gonna leave me with a permanent hole
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9. |
Lead With The Hands
02:45
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Every angle has an edge, and there’s an end to every story
Every train must bear a load; every star’s bound to explode
And in every layman’s life, death is more imminent than glory
When I was six I learned to sew, stitching buttons to some clothes
Look for the hole, lead with the thread, and dive
And then when the buttons crack, we’ve got the super glue for that
Look for the break, lead with the tube, and hold tight
Every heart is full of blood, and every flame leaves something burning
Every rose obscures a thorn, every pearl is weather worn
And although the sea is peaceful, every tide is meant for turning
I braved the waters on my own with a life preserver float
Look for the hole, lead with the hands, and hold tight
And then when the waves rolled in, I had the confidence to swim
Look for the break, lead with the hands, and dive
And so it stands to reason that there’s nothing one can’t weather
If you’ve got the strength to hold the thing together
Squeeze those knuckles white, wield your fists like knives
‘Cause when a thing is right, you’ve gotta
You’ve gotta fight for it
And so when we lay in bed, I’ll press my pieces to your chest
Look for the holes, meet skin with skin, and fold
And when the silence and the dark threaten to rip us both apart
Look for the break, lead with the hands, and hope
Look for the blood, lead with the heart, and hope
‘Cause when you’ve spent your whole life learning how to hold a thing together
You don’t know how to let go
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10. |
I Will Wait
05:25
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Two earrings short of a cocktail dress
String of jokes to hide the mess
String of pearls to hide the neck
Hair says that I don’t care, but I’m terrified that I won’t impress
Two blue eyes on a tile floor
Skating around, but you’re not bored
Skating spines clad in velour
Smile like a little child, but I know there’s more to you than that boy
Man, I wish that we could skip this part
I’d hold you close ‘til you could feel my beating heart
But I’ll push you farther, and farther, and farther away
‘Til you are smaller, smaller than a dot in space
And deep down, I’m still hoping that you’ll stay
And if that’s all right with you, maybe you could stick around
And in a night or two, we can figure all this out
You bring the wood, I’ll light a match
We can build a fire, and I will wait for you
Hair band flies like a slingshot
Hair dryer flies like a large rock
You fly out of the room but
Blame accepts the chase, and hate’s only a step away from love
Man, I wish that we could skip this part
I’d hold you close ‘til you could feel my beating heart
But I’ll push you farther, and farther, and farther away
‘Til you are smaller, smaller than a dot in space
And deep down, I’m still hoping that you’ll stay
And if that’s all right with you, maybe you could stick around
And in a year or two, we can figure all this out
I’ll bring the guilt; you look abashed
We can tame the wrath and I will wait for you
I’m short but my walls are tall and
I dream big, but I hope small and
I think that my love for you is just another reason you’ll be
Long gone, but I write you here in
Sad songs that you like to hear and
I think that my fear of you is just another reason you should stay
Just take the hits like a playlist and never fade away
I’ll turn you up on every rain day
And if that’s all right with you, maybe you could stick around
And in a life or two, we can figure all this out
You bring the car, I’ll bring the gas
We’ll both have questions without answers
Bring the faith, I’ll bring the passion
You can build a life
And I can build a life
And we can build a life
And I will wait for you
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11. |
Something More
05:09
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I sat down to write you out, but the words never came
I shook my head to the beat of your steps along that empty hallway
Unhinged my jaw, thrust out my tongue for just one lick at the last word
But there was nothing left to say
The melody I know
It’s just your ghost crying out
The chords have stained my hands
Just like your lips on my mouth
And I have run a thousand miles with your whisper in my ear
Saying, “There’s nothing left here.”
So I will go and tear out every trace of you
Throw all my hopes to the wind
I’ll bust holes in the ship you’re so sure was sinking
And from the wreckage I, I will build something more
The keys had been my best friends ‘til you stood by my side
You stretched your hands along my hands ‘til our fingers intertwined
I turned my head into your chest, steadied my song to your breath
‘Til we were perfectly in time
And every page was white
Even the ruled lines disappeared
The harmonies faded into unison
And then cleared
And I convinced myself I could learn to love the silence
But then you left
So I will go and sing out every trace of you
Throw all my notes to the wind
I’ll let go of the words I’d been tightly holding
And from this emptiness, I will build something more
I burned your name into every candle inside of the chapel
I thought, “This is it.”
I took what you gave; when you’d stagnate, I’d go the rest of the way
I thought, “This is it.”
I took the blame, I bent without breaking, I took my remains to your doorstep
And wrapped them in tissue paper just like a gift
Now I must confess I’m happy that you never let me in
‘Cause I can go and tear out every trace of you
Hold my head high against the wind
I’ll take control of the ship you’re so sure was sinking
And from the wreck of this, I will build something
From this emptiness, I will build something
From the wreckage, I will build something more
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Emmeline Dallas, Texas
Emmeline is a pint-sized singer-songwriter from Dallas, TX who writes folk-pop music for people who think and feel deeply. Crave a rainy afternoon, a good book, a long drive, or a good, cozy corner? This music is for you.
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