The Chosen Pessimist

I think this song is simply about himself and his two halves. His dark depressed side and his brighter more optimistic self.

"In many ways I AM the burden that divides us from the light In many ways YOUR the the halo that keeps my spirit alive" (He is looking in a mirror and realizing he controls his own damnation or his own salvation)

"If I survive I fly from here, But as the chosen pessimist,I carve my name in stone"

You can choose to survive and take flight, or you can be the CHOSEN pessimist and carve your own tombstone.

This song is about battling depression. Terrific song.

I think its about someone having problems in life in seeing no solutions wants to run away from them all. They don't see a path to follow so and they see things as a pessimist would, because thats the view they chose. And so they call out to God to give them faith so they can continue and find a way through it all.

Imo this song is about some person, that cant make a right chose. Somebody who's between two fires. And his soul, conscience, honor fighting inside him with necessity...

maybe even about someone who needs to make a choise between happiness of his family and feeling of duty

it m8 sound strange, but that is what it for me

The actual lyrics in the end are;

"Amused by the trials and tribulations If I survive I fly from here"

good song, different from what they usually do though... i like the new album but just seems easier and not much time put into the music anymore :(. no more real wicked solos and guitar work and such... but still good i must omit.

Forever smacked, my thoughts exactly. This song isn't um... Too bad, but something old like December Flower beats it hands down.

@DreamersDisease Word, man - exactly how I feel.

Best part of this song is the final build up to the heavy section - there's so much passion in Anders' voice, and it's great to see him delivering an amazing clean performance in addition to his growls and screams.

I think the lyric sounds like "Cut my name in stone" but I could be wrong.

The first part is explained several times in the comments above me: a person who can't make the right decision about which side to choose (not sure what is meant with the 'sides', but there you go) and is losing faith in if he is ever going to make this decision. ("I'm dying, slowly"). He's obviously pessimistic about the current state of society and finds it hard to fit in.

Then the last part. He finds it interesting how many 'trials and tribulations' there are to be able to make the mentioned decision. (This also makes the decision harder, I think) The person is not convinced that he will make the right decision, but if he does, he must be a chosen person (pessimist in this case). He must be THAT special, that he would want his name carved in stone. So it's apparently very hard to get out of his current state.

English isn't my mother tongue, so I couldn't quite say it like I really feel about it, but ah well.

I listened really slow and it's clear that in chorus says: I'm used by the trials and tribulations If I survive I Fly from here but as the chosen pessimist "Amused" doesn't make sense to me by the way XD

took me like 30 secs, why don't u just look up the lyrics inside the cd cover? "Amused by the trials and tribulation" the lyrics posted for this are correct.

A different song for In Flames, still like it though. I'm usually not used to bands changing their sound, I actually hate it, but In Flames is still awesome. At least they wern't like Atreyu and went from 100% screaming from the main vocalist to mostly singing when Alex isn't the greatest at it, and the music isn't as good anymore either. In Flames still has it.