Thru the Ashes (I've Watched You Burn) Lyrics
In awe you stand to break the stone that's crushing you
You taste it now
Thru the ashes I've watched you burn
You love the high that it brings to you
Now walk that line and learn the way to end it all
It drives you back down into the blackness
The cold ugly blackness you feel
it's all coming unglued
Addiction. Pure and simple. It's from the third person perspective encouraging the individual to overcome a certain addiction. I understand this song completely. I'm hooked on dip and, "You love that smell, you love the high" hits it completely. Popping open any tin of wintergreen, I hate the smell but I love the high. Although I'm sure Kirk's talking about something more potent like heroin, I understand the addiction portion. Overcome the withdrawals and embrace the new life.
I would have to agree that it sounds very much like a third person perspective to addiction. Kirk has written several songs that I feel deal with addiction, keep in mind, addiction isn't only drugs/alcohol but many different things. Some, like myself, have a very "addictive personality" where you find something fun, something you like whatever it may be and immediately "abuse" it and become "obsessed" for lack of a better word.
"Slave No More" off "Lifesblood For The Downtrodden" and more recently "Cleanse Me, Heal Me" from "Sever The Wicked Hand" also deal with addiction as Kirk found himself turning more and more to booze finally realizing he had to slow down.