Cardinals Lyrics
Your rusted, iron-covered cross
Pour out your breath
into the furnace again.
I think I found a better way to live
And I think I’ve found a better way to die.
And I’ve been fitting myself into that small space
That you set our for the screaming of the wind.
That is all I’ve ever been.
And sorting through it,
I never saw something so clear
As your hands bound up in prayer
Behind a closed door.
I thought I’d walked a better road, alone
Until I felt my feet turn into stone,
And that’s when I turned back.
I'm not absolutely convinced about these lyrics and I welcome suggestions to work them out, but this is what I hear:
Reaching for us (or "Reach in for us") Begging my father’s brotherhood (or "They keep my father's brotherhood") Spill out your breath into the furnace again And I think I’ve found a better way to live And I think I’ve found a better way to die
And I’ve been fitting myself into that small space That you set out for This green and yellow ink (I am most unsure of this line, but it is sung more clearly near the end) And how it always burns my skin
Sorting through it I never saw something so clear As your hands bound up in prayer behind the front door (I can't quite make out the last word) And I thought I walked a better road alone ’Til I found my feet set into stone And that’s when I turned back
(Two lines during the bridge are buried too deep in the mix for me to decipher)
And I’ve been fitting myself into that small, small space That you set out for This green and yellow ink And it always burns my skin
[Reach in for a Spare key my father's brother hid] spill out your breathe in to the furnace again and i think i found a better way to live and i think i found a better way to to die
sorting through it i never saw somthing so [pretty] as your hands bound up in prayer behind a closed door
Could by way off, but this is what I am hearing.
I could be way wrong but in the chorus it sounds something like
And I’ve been fitting myself into that small, small space That you set out for This slim and yellow limb? And it always burns my skin
I have no idea if thats what it is or if it makes sense but I just dont hear ink.
They've posted an acoustic version of "Cardinals" on their MySpace. Some of the lyrics from the demo have been changed, but the ones that remain are a little easier to hear. It now sounds like the third line of the chorus is "The screaming of the wind," rather than what's been suggested before.