LYRICS
1. The Stranger
Tired of wasting precious time praying for the rain
Rip away my innocence, take away the pain,
Everyday I fantasize, sad enough but true,
Dreaming of a better life, outside the tomb…
Wizened, the expressionless faces made of clay,
Colour ground to monochrome, dirty shades of Grey,
Counting our tomorrows like all our yesterdays
Carbon copies thrown around, rewind, erase…
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger,
Turn a shrouded face to the light,
Burn beyond this place to another world
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger
Throw this isolation a line,
Don’t deny this taste of another, girl
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger
I could give her everything if she has the key
She who holds this beating heart, tears it out of me
Patience is a lonely sound, now it’s wearing thin
Losing my control around this fire within…
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger,
Turn a shrouded face to the light,
Burn beyond this place to another world
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger
Throw this isolation a line,
Don’t deny this taste of another, girl
Talk to me now… Talk to the stranger…
2. Barricade
This surge of emotion breaks Rule One,
Exposes and opens my Renaissance.
Defenses are broken and undone,
I’m slave to the motion, I’ve burned for so long.
This seed of desire, transforming sin
Through screams of denial so deafening
That close to the fire this cool bomb
Implodes and defiles,
She’s turning me on,
I’ve seen the lightning now I’m waiting for the Thunder
For I’m imprisoned by the spell she has me under
Burn this city to the ground sweet baby
Take this giant leap of faith
Crush these cynics that surround me baby
Reach out, don’t speak
Tear down, this Barricade
I can’t look away now, there’s too much pull
As thought from a notion turns chemical,
It’s lust and desire, a pure drug,
She feeds my emotion, I can’t get enough
I’m climbing a mountain, the highest yet,
I’m walkin’ a wire, no safety net,
She knows that I want her, I’m so lost.
I just gotta have her,
To hell with the cost.
I’ve seen the lightning now I’m waiting for the Thunder
For I’m imprisoned by the spell she has me under
Burn this city to the ground sweet baby
Take this giant leap of faith
Crush these cynics that surround me baby
Reach out, don’t speak,
Tear down, this Barricade.
3. Give In This Time
I can’t say this kind of line,
The words just don’t feel natural,
They climb, then shatter ‘round this heart of mine,
Night and day you’re on my mind,
And in my dreams I’m blinded by your light,
Don’t tear this world apart tonight
Yes I’ve heard that love is such a rocky road,
Still, walk with me a while and you’ll find,
That my words are carried on the wings of hope
The “one time only” kind
We could burn so bright, light up the night
Come on,
Two stars the same, so fan the flames,
Come on… Give in this time….
When I try to speak I find
The things I say seem so contrived,
I find I stumble when I try to fly
God knows just how hard I’ve tried
But failed to tell you how I feel
Inside…
I wanted to a thousand times
If you can be gentle with this heart of mine,
I’m finally steppin’ into the light,
In your hands you carry what I’ve tried to hide,
But just can’t keep inside,
We could burn so bright… Light up the night
Come on,
Two stars the same, so fan the flames,
Come on… Give in this time…
We could burn so bright… Light up the night
Come on,
Two stars the same, don’t fight in vain,
Come on… Give in this time…
4. Love Became The Law
It’s you that I adore,
How could I count the ways?
For I have found with you
A love so pure and true
That nothing breaks the fall,
Well maybe I’m in awe
Just maybe I’m amazed
When every road I choose
Begins and ends with you,
I’m finally not alone,
Love like ours burns like fire, dusk ‘till dawn,
Endless light giving proof,
Love like ours answers why we were born,
I was confused, then there was you,
And love became the law.
In love you give it all
Your heart decides the way,
The sweetest kiss and tell
That casts a moonlit spell
Then pins you to the wall,
Love like ours burns like fire, dusk ‘till dawn,
Endless light giving proof,
Love like ours answers why we were born,
I was confused, then there was you,
And love became the law.
5. The Heat
I don’t expect you’ll understand,
The cruelest jokes at love’s command,
They cut me with the things they said,
I walked away believing them,
They made a perfect fool of me,
They laid a trap I didn’t see,
Though I was shaken critically
Through my veins runs Nitro-glycerine, yeah
I can’t control it,
I can’t condone defeat,
I can’t console it,
I will never understand The Heat…
I watched it fall and melt today,
Yet even now some scars remain,
I felt you dry my tears away,
The silence reigns as laughter fades
I’m blocking out “the lies brigade”,
For next time I’ll wear battle grey,
When love and anger steel the blade,
The deepest cuts fall harder when repaid, yeah
I can’t control it,
I can’t condone defeat,
I can’t console it,
I will never understand The Heat…
6. Silent Rain
There was once a time long ago,
When true love drew man and woman together,
She was all he wanted to know
And he swore that he would love her forever,
So the light fades the colours of life when it’s gone,
Like a lost ship of dreams that failed to sail,
But to him, she was more than just another fairy tale
She became his reality unveiled,
Silent Rain
You and I have shared the fears the night betrayed
Through the eyes where love appeared but died in vain
Torn open, bound together
Silent Rain
Even now, you hide the tears, you light the way
Through the darkness that remains
A brand new day, dawn’s broken, now, forever…
Silent Rain
Wait for me, one bright star away,
There we’ll spend our timeless moments together,
What we built let no one replace,
There’s a place here in my heart child, forever,
If the light fades the colours of life when it’s gone,
Like a lost ship of dreams that failed to sail,
We will prove we were more than just another fairy tale,
What we had was reality unveiled,
Silent Rain
You and I have shared the fears the night betrayed
Through the eyes where love appeared but died in vain
Torn open, bound together
Silent Rain
Even now, you hide the tears, you light the way
Through the darkness that remains
A brand new day, dawn’s broken, now, forever…
Silent Rain
There was once a time long ago,
When true love drew man and woman together,
You were all I wanted to know
And I swore that I would love you forever,
So the light fades the colours of life when it’s gone,
Like a lost ship of dreams that failed to sail,
But to him, she was more than just another fairy tale
She became his reality unveiled,
Silent Rain
You and I have shared the fears the night betrayed
Through the eyes where love appeared but died in vain
Torn open, bound together
Silent Rain
Even now, you hide the tears, you light the way
Through the darkness that remains
A brand new day, dawn’s broken, now, forever…
Silent Rain…
7. Timeless
No don’t leave me alone like this,
Balanced on the edge of a precipice
Empty hearted soul in the great abyss
Life takes hold of the knife and twists
Judas is the night at a time like this
Callously unveiling the final kiss,
Timeless, Inferno,
Like the flames and acid rain of mortal sin
Timeless, Eternal
As the pain that carves its name upon my skin
All cried out and raw inside
I lie awake at night and I wonder why
Someone tore the miracle from my life
What I wouldn’t give to turn back time
Knowing I should never have left your side
Haunting me forever until I die
Timeless, Inferno,
Like the flames and acid rain of mortal sin
Timeless, Eternal
As the pain that carves its name upon my skin.
8. Black Hearted Woman
She doesn’t need love potions, number five, number nine,
She’s what my “sole desire for revenge” designs,
Born of such pain, inconsolable blame
Lies scattered like the pieces of a dream,
Blood from my veins brings my venomous strain to life…
So now the only solution is an eye for an eye,
There can be no retribution in this web of lies,
The murderous quest I refined without rest,
I’m ready, now the battle can begin
The merciless test for my angel of death tonight…
She is the devil, she’s a Black Hearted Woman,
I made her slender fingers cut like knives,
For nothing tears a man apart like a woman,
She’ll shoot you dead, she needs no alibis.
Now there can be no protection from what can’t be denied,
You can’t refuse or reject her, she’s the perfect crime,
Driving like the rain, she’s a runaway train,
She’s burning but the flames are within,
Evil unchained, my “untouchable” reigns tonight…
She is the devil, she’s a Black Hearted Woman,
I made her slender fingers cut like knives,
For nothing tears a man apart like a woman,
She’ll shoot you dead, she needs no alibis.
She is the devil, she’s a Black Hearted Woman,
I made her slender fingers cut like knives,
For nothing tears a man apart like a woman,
You’ll go to hell and think it’s paradise.
Tonight!
She is the devil, she’s a Black Hearted Woman,
I made her slender fingers cut like knives,
For nothing tears a man apart like a woman,
She’ll shoot you dead, she needs no alibis.
Tonight!
9. Thunder In Heaven
Just like a dream with a nightmare inside,
Cruel, calculated and cold,
Scene after scene, the deeper you fall,
Drawn by the bell as it tolls
Cybernetic immortal,
Technological gold,
Psychological portals,
Only she can control,
Endless ravine, with a mountain to climb,
Look to the vision she holds,
Killer and Queen rolled into one,
Assassination enclosed,
Cybernetic immortal,
Technological gold,
Psychological portals,
Only she can control,
Come to me,
Explore your tortuous role,
Come to me,
I am your ultimate fantasy goal,
(Come to me)
Your wildest dream I unfold,
Can’t you see?
I give you the earth but the price is your soul
She’s like a stream with the rapids to ride,
Priceless precision in code,
Perfect machine, goddess of love,
Pure holographics to clone,
Cybernetic immortal,
Technological gold,
Psychological portals,
Only she can control,
Come to me,
Explore your tortuous role,
Come to me,
I am your ultimate fantasy goal,
(Come to me)
Your wildest dream I unfold,
Can’t you see?
I give you the earth but the price is your soul
He steps off the edge, fire in his eyes,
Hands reaching out as she tenderly sighs
“Closer” she says, arms open wide,
Slave to her will and the ebb of the tide,
Blown by the wind, mind and soul,
He can’t contain her, she’s out of control,
Just as the Black Widow bites
I feel the thunder in heaven tonight
The taste of revenge fresh on her lips,
Bittersweet poison, the venomous kiss,
Passion and lace thinly disguised
Truth of intent in those perilous eyes
Time for the kill, madness flows,
She stands above him, in seconds he knows,
Just as the still Mantis strikes,
I hear the thunder in heaven tonight.
10. Valentine
My lover and my friend,
I’m broken once again,
I’ve lost the will to mend, oh baby,
For now this world is through,
I’ve saved the best of me,
So all I need is you, oh baby
For you and I the key, is for eternity,
You make the dark seem closer to the light
You stole my heart you see,
So take what’s left of me.
Come love me baby… Sweet Valentine.
So let the world lament,
The precious time we spent,
Two stars that came and went, oh baby,
Eternal requiem,
I’ll never find the strength
To love like this again, oh baby.
If you could only see how much you mean to me,
If for a moment our lives could entwine
I’d give the world to be, beside you endlessly,
My one and only… Sweet Valentine.
For you and I the key, is for eternity,
You make the dark seem closer to the light
You stole my heart you see,
So take what’s left of me.
Come love me baby… Sweet Valentine.
If you could only see how much you mean to me,
If for a moment our lives could entwine,
I’d give the world to be beside you endlessly,
My one and only…
Sweet Valentine…
BABYLON - 2000
Release Date: August 28, 2000
Label: Frontiers Records (FR CD 046)
Producer: Gary Hughes
Tracklisting:
All songs written by Gary Hughes.
1.The Stranger – 7:20
2.Barricade – 5:22
3.Give in This Time – 5:24
4.Love Became the Law – 4:41
5.The Heat – 5:41
6.Silent Rain – 6:27
7.Timeless – 4:54
8.Black Hearted Woman – 5:35
9.Thunder in Heaven – 6:58
10.Valentine – 6:14
Personnel:
Gary Hughes – vocals
Vinny Burns – guitars
John Halliwell – guitars
Steve McKenna – bass guitar
Greg Morgan – drums
Don Airey – keyboards
Gavin Fernie – the voice of Meridian
Georgina Rudden – the voice at Cryotech and Lex's computer
Production:
Mixing – Audu Obaje
Engineers – Audu Obaje, Neil Amison, Kirk Podmore, Vinny
Burns and Gary Hughes