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Dead Wishes Lyrics
Staring in the mirror, With two borrowed eyes
Looking for the part of me, That's still alive
Waiting for my chest to fall and rise
Standing on the corner with my shirt tucked in
Summer turns to autumn winter turns to spring
And it all flicks by like a speeding train
Dead wishes on a broken chain
White roses in a dead mans dream
Down and out with everything to lose
If these dead wishes ever do come true
Wishing for the night to chase away
All the flies hovering around my head
With my memories for a pillow
And all my regrets for a bed
Standing on the corner never past surprise
Yelling out a warning to some passer by
I stand just as God made me
And I lie down disguise
Dead wishes on a burning lake
White roses for my soul to keep
Down and out with everything to win
If my long sunken ship ever does come in
Time keeps moving slower, like calling from the sun
Come and knock me over, I'll keep getting up
Throw a line down to me, I'll keep hanging on
Standing on the corner, don't apologise
You don't have to bow your head, or raise your eyes
Or pretend you don't see me
Dead wishes on a broken chain
White roses in a dead mans dream
Down and out with everything to lose
If these dead wishes ever do come true
Looking for the part of me, That's still alive
Waiting for my chest to fall and rise
Standing on the corner with my shirt tucked in
Summer turns to autumn winter turns to spring
And it all flicks by like a speeding train
White roses in a dead mans dream
Down and out with everything to lose
If these dead wishes ever do come true
All the flies hovering around my head
With my memories for a pillow
And all my regrets for a bed
Standing on the corner never past surprise
Yelling out a warning to some passer by
I stand just as God made me
And I lie down disguise
White roses for my soul to keep
Down and out with everything to win
If my long sunken ship ever does come in
Come and knock me over, I'll keep getting up
Throw a line down to me, I'll keep hanging on
Standing on the corner, don't apologise
You don't have to bow your head, or raise your eyes
Or pretend you don't see me
White roses in a dead mans dream
Down and out with everything to lose
If these dead wishes ever do come true
Song Info
Submitted by
redmosquito On Sep 22, 2015
More Chris Cornell
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This is about the cycle of life and death. In life we have desires and wishes which become our drive, our motivation to face all the difficulties in our day to day lives. Without these things may appear futile and meaningless. “Trying to find a part of me that’s still alive.”
Chris was not a young man when writing these lyrics. “Summer turns to autumn, winter turns to spring. And it all flies by...” He had seen the compilation of experiences people call memory, and how quickly a face or an image of joy or sorrow can become lost in the sands of time.
The chorus: Chris speaks of the importance a person’s sense of fulfillment can have upon them. Feeling as though one has nothing to lose. Some wishes are laid to rest as the dream of a dead man, and for other ones a person would give everything to see them brought to life.
The rest of the lyrics work to further visualize the death of memories and wishes. “Flies hovering above my head,” “Memories for a pillow and regret for a bed,” “Sunken ship ever does come in.” Chris had witnessed the years pass by...the changing of the seasons. He had seen lives shine in and out of the spotlight, as flowers blooming for a season before withering away.
This song evokes a state of sorrowful beauty which will live on, though Chris rests beneath the earth...another dead memory, another sunken ship beneath the depths of a burning lake. A feeling to spark another wish to chase with nothing in this world to lose.