1. |
The Life Force
01:59
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Never looking for a crutch or distraction,
Even when life’s confusing and that’s my initial reaction,
Through conflict and chaos I’ll stay the course,
I’ve got to set my feet, reach down deep, and find my unyielding
LIFE FORCE!
I know the life I lead, and the strife I see,
The struggles, the fear, the uncertainty,
Can weigh heavy on my shoulders, but I’m not flinching.
Through conflict and chaos I’ll stay the course,
Because I’m thinking straight and I’ve got an unwavering
LIFE FORCE!
So set your feet and dig down deep,
Keep your thinking straight and unyielding,
You’ll find that what you seek is within your reach:
The Life Force, your source of inner strength.
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Every single one of us has it, every single one of us has the ability to utilize it. Nothing’s ever truly out of your reach as long as you’re capable of really looking into yourself, truly digging down and holding tightly to that which lives at your core, harnessing that deepest of what drives you. It doesn’t yield, it doesn’t flinch, it doesn’t waver, and once you’ve found it, after all the trauma and pain that life throws at each of us, it will still be here, and so will you.
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2. |
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Self-ascribed, a label of strength,
a vow of courage in the face of flames
snuffed out in the hearts and minds
of both heroes and friends alike.
WE STAND FIRM.
I remain, standing firm on a sound foundation.
I endure, holding fast to discipline and dedication.
At my core I'm not defined by a culture of fear!
To those we've lost, you've lost yourselves,
you fell in line and your flame burned out.
Your compromise revealed the truth:
these two words meant nothing to you.
WE HOLD FAST.
You knew this truth, but chose to turn away.
I know this truth, and this is where I'll stay.
You fell in line and your flame burned out!
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For those who are: Remain proud to stand in defiance of a culture that continuously reinforces the idea that life is only bearable when paired with the temporary escapism and numbness provided by the use and abuse of mind altering substances. Our flame still burns.
For those that were: You’ve chosen a different way, one that veers away from the path that you once believed in strongly enough to commit yourself to a lifetime oath. That’s life, walk ahead in this new direction, your change of heart doesn’t alter the outlook of those of us still on the path; but know that the words you once put so much weight behind still carry as much or more for those who will never turn away. Your flame has been put out.
Straight Edge.
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3. |
Phoenix
01:31
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Persist in the face of misery,
To endure is to the find the root of true courage.
Push forward, carry the weight;
Resist apathy and maintain.
To fight oneself is the hardest fight
when the enemy is your mind.
PERSIST!
Push forward to a new day,
A day of hope and certainty.
Put aside your doubt and pain;
Persist in the face of misery.
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So many of us that are involved in punk and hardcore suffer from and tangle with various mental health difficulties on a daily basis, whether that’s why we’re drawn to this world and to one another or not, I don’t claim to know. Regardless, all you have to do is talk to a handful of people at any show or browse the infamous depths of “hardcore twitter”, and it will become readily apparent that this is the case. This song is meant, pure and simple, as a tribute to anyone that can identify with this reality, anyone that finds the strength to get themselves out of bed when their mind is telling them to sleep for days on end, anyone that overcomes the voices of the chemical imbalances within their brain that are telling them that they can’t leave the house, or go into public, or speak to other people. Count the small victories, continue to push yourself onward with any and all healthy coping mechanisms you have to employ, whether that means therapy, medication, fitness, meditation, etc., what matters is that you not only CAN achieve and maintain happiness and a rewarding life, but you are ALREADY making the small steps required to do so in a hundred tiny ways every day. Persist.
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4. |
The Impact
00:42
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Living life with a purpose,
My goal is to grow,
To leave my mark on this world,
Not just my name on a stone.
Regardless of the hand I’m dealt, regardless of circumstance,
I’ll persevere and always make my presence felt.
To leave a lasting impression,
With my words and my deeds,
The impact that I make
Is my one true legacy.
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Don’t be one of those people that floats, directionless, through life. Set goals, make waves with every single step you take towards achieving those goals, and remember that the concepts of predestination and fate, telling you what you can or can’t do in this life, are bullshit. Apathetically accepting the block of marble that life drops on you just means you’ll look back at the end at a final result that is shapeless and dull; but if you decide to form that marble, carving it into a shape of your choosing, you’ll look back at a life that has been sculpted purely by your will and your own labor. Leave your mark.
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5. |
Acting For Change
02:30
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All the things I feel and say
inside these walls, inside this place,
I take these moments away with me
to apply the message and live the change.
Apply this passion, apply these thoughts,
to my everyday life, my everyday walk.
If I’m acting for change, and not just screaming in wait,
then the change that I see is that which I create!
Adding weight to my words and the choices I’ve made
puts my energy to work in a tangible way.
Passion without action yields a lifeless ‘core,
a hollow movement that moves no more.
THE CHANGE!
I’ve ventured nothing, with nothing gained,
if the only place in which I make a stand
is in these echo chambers of heart and mind,
instead of where it matters: on the outside.
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In the hardcore scene, and indeed society on the whole, folks that see the NEED for change, folks that WANT change, whether that means politically or otherwise, also feel the need to raise their voices to call for that change; sometimes, going so far as to do so publicly or via social media… we’ve all seen the now all too common online trope of “raising awareness” about a given issue from the comfort of a keyboard or touchscreen.
Of course there’s nothing wrong with ‘screaming for change’, in fact it’s entirely necessary! However, if all we’re doing is screaming into the void and expecting the void to alter in response, we are sorely mistaken. In order for there to be a RE-action, there first has to be an action that spurs it. If we relegate ourselves to echoing the shared sentiments of one another, an eternal echo chamber, then nothing is truly accomplished and this is all (“this” meaning any would-be social movement, revolutionary or otherwise) posturing and virtue signaling.
Take the passion that makes you want to scream for change, and convert that potential energy into kinetic energy, then put that energy to work.
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