When I was young I fell in love with story
With the eleventh hour, with the blaze of glory

The theater lights dim and all goes quiet
In the darkest of rooms, light shines the brightest

When hands are tied and clocks are ticking
An audience convinced: we’re leaning in
Holding our breath again

Just when we thought the game was over
The music lifts and our dying solider lives
And we breathe a sigh of relief

We're leaving, we're leaving our shadows behind us now
We're leaving, we're leaving it all behind for now

But even dust was made to settle
And if we're made of dust, then what makes us any different?
I guess we give what we've been given
A family tree so very good at giving up
When we've had enough

Though truth is heavier than fiction
Gravity lifts as the projectionist rolls tape
And it makes us brave again
And it makes us brave again
And it makes us brave

So we're leaving, we’re leaving our shadows behind us now
We're leaving, we’re leaving it all behind for now
And it makes us brave again
And it makes us brave
We're leaving, we're leaving 'em all behind for now


Lyrics submitted by g0ld3n

The Projectionist song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    An interesting song about perseverence, not letting the world bog us down, and moving on from bad events. Not only that, but it speaks about how fiction plays a part in how we handle and percieve pain and the harsh realities of the world.

    He's speaks about how in the darkest of times, light can truly be seen, valued, and appreciated- a reason why hard times aren't so bad. When hope seems to be lost in the darkest of moments, our hope is restored at the very end, implying that should we wait long enough, the our hope should come back because thing will eventually turn our way and be good.

    Like dust, as it was stated, we are able to settle into our situations, no matter how bad they may seem. Many of us give up when we've had enough of life's fortunes, in fact many in our "family tree" does so.

    Lastly, it is stated that reality is always harsher and "heavier" than any work of fiction; but despite this, when we look at a book, movie, or the like and veiw the events of them, the "gravity" of reality is temporarily lifted and allows for us build our strength and courage, allowing us to carry in with our lives and let go of our worries and "shadows" afterwards.

    Loved the song. Truly intelligent take on how fictitious works affect us.

    TheReal06on November 21, 2016   Link

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