LYRICS
1. Apparition
(The Infant Prayer)
When I lay me down to sleep
Bless the lord my soul to keep
Bless my family friends and all
Bless my deeds however small
Amen
The iridescence of light
Burns like a fire
And it calls the spirits lost beyond the gloom
The effervescence of life
Fuels their desire
Like the candle draws the moth to certain doom
I sense the storm begin,
This rage never dies
No psychic energies can save us this time…
The well of souls unchains a dark forgotten bane,
A strange apparition…
(Strange Apparition)
In dark clandestine ways it lies, it mocks and shames
This strange apparition…
(Strange Apparition)
Maims
You can’t resist you can’t hide,
It churns like a bile
And it roams the astral plains in solitude
But when the hatred won’t die
It burns and defiles
Every soul it traps is chained for perpitude
This is no ordinary demon inside
It stares into your eyes,
It plays with you mind…
The well of souls unchains a dark forgotten bane,
A strange apparition…
(Strange Apparition)
In dark clandestine ways it lies, it mocks and shames
This strange apparition…
(Strange Apparition)
Preys
The well of souls unchains a dark forgotten bane,
A strange apparition…
(Strange Apparition)
In dark clandestine ways it lies, it mocks and shames
This strange apparition…
(Strange Apparition)
Reigns
Every dawn that breaks
Banishes the plague
Knowing truth, faith and light still reign…
2. Dreamtide
Midnight comes and stays,
Insight screams in silence,
Steeped in half-light, bleeding beyond…
(It bleeds beyond)
In this cold embrace
Untold scenes of violence
Breech this stark night, leading me on…
(It leads me on)
Flesh from the bones of a dream,
Blood rushing cold through enamoured veins,
Fear and my plight ignite this synchronicity
Out of control, to extremes,
Pulsing like blows from a hammer,
Slain,
I feel the lightning strike, it’s electricity
Dreamtide far away,
Burying the magi’s godless underworld
Dreamtide tourniquet,
Severing the last cries, lost beyond the words
Spectral masquerade,
Bathes in steams of twilight
Echoes of the fire and the flames
Begin again
I thought love and hate;
Life and death; were finite
Now I know that after the grave
It stays the same
No one controls the Abyss,
Night after night with this callous fate,
I am the endless fight, the power, the entity,
I am the shape in the mist,
The tormented soul from a shallow grave,
I am the shadow cast across the centuries,
Dreamtide far away,
Burying the magi’s godless underworld
Dreamtide tourniquet,
Severing the last cries, lost beyond the words.
3. Evermore
Strong and serene, is our beautiful queen,
She’s our inspiration through the night,
Dawn is a scene from a nightmare
No dream ever came close to describe,
Carrion crows, the flesh from the bones
The dead and the dying in pain
Fields that are stained, with blood, severed veins
That refuse to be washed by the rain,
A reminder to all who remain
Fire on Dragon’s wings, earthward bound
Swords that fight a bitter war,
Timeless Battle Hymns, sacred ground,
Born to die in Evermore
Pray that the day, makes our enemies stray,
Long enough to take away the light,
Cold heavy rain keeps the dragons at bay,
Just keep an eye on the sky,
We ebb and we flow, the battle unfolds,
It’s a fight for survival again,
Each fatal blow, you parry is gold,
So you wonder how long till the end,
And does death wait for you or a friend
Fire on Dragon’s wings, earthward bound
Swords that fight a bitter war,
Timeless Battle Hymns, sacred ground,
Born to die in Evermore.
4. Sail Away
Life was an endless fight,
Just a losing battle on the wings of time
And life was a turning tide
‘Till you whispered softly that your heart was mine
I light a candle every winter’s night,
Through the cold,
Let it burn for all to see
Knowing deep in my dark despair
You were there for me,
Lady…
Sail away across the sea of our misfortune,
Seize the day and cast the darkest hours behind us now,
Sail away across the sea of our misfortune,
Sail away my love
Sail away…
You are my guiding light
Like the seasons change, you bring my world to life
And you give me peace inside
In return I’ll give you all my love tonight
I will stand beside you, wrong or right,
I’ll be strong,
All you need a man to be
For this torn, tattered heart is yours
For eternity,
Baby…
Sail away across the sea of our misfortune,
Seize the day and cast the darkest hours behind us now,
Sail away across the sea of our misfortune,
Sail away my love
Sail away…
5. Temple Of Love
You can feed my fire in your temple of love
As the moon shines down in crescendos from above
Keep me up all night I can never get enough
Give me all you got, baby don’t stop
Temple of love
Temple of love
Shooting stars, late at night,
Fall to earth, discharge the light
Slowly die, then “gone forever”
You and I, burn so bright
Star-crossed lovers, satellites,
Endless time is ours, together…
It’s such a strong desire
Deep in my heart, I’m wired
As from the embers of love we climb
To ignite
You can feed my fire in your temple of love
As the moon shines down in crescendos from above
Keep me up all night I can never get enough
Give me all you got, baby don’t stop
Temple of love
Temple of love
Every hour, every day
You are just a breath away
I can’t bear to be without you
You are all that I need,
You fulfill my fantasies
When I sleep I dream about you
It’s such a strong desire
Deep in my heart, I’m wired
As from the embers of love we climb
To ignite
You can feed my fire in your temple of love
As the moon shines down in crescendos from above
Keep me up all night I can never get enough
Give me all you got, baby don’t stop
Temple of love
Temple of love…
6. Even The Ghosts Cry
Love is something you cannot see,
This illusion that no one can believe,
It feels so good it makes you cry,
True love is a mystery,
How can something as real as love can be
Just disappear before your eyes,
You know
And I know,
Love is just a word that we misuse…
Battered truths, blatant lies,
As we built ourselves this personal Frankenstein,
Nothing but hurt inside,
Caught in the riptide,
Bruised, crucified,
In this broken house where shadows cloak the light,
Now that the love has died,
Even the ghosts cry…
If love was a raging sea,
We’d be wrecked on the rocks of tragedy,
It picks you up to bring you down.
I’m sick of the memories,
Recollections and hopeless parodies
It’s better left behind me now
You know
And I know,
Passion only cloaks the naked truth…
Battered truths, blatant lies,
As we built ourselves this personal Frankenstein,
Nothing but hurt inside,
Caught in the riptide,
Bruised, crucified,
In this broken house where shadows cloak the light,
Now that the love has died,
Even the ghosts cry…
You know
And I know,
Love is just a word that we misuse…
You know
And I know,
Passion only cloaks the naked truth…
7. Strangers In The Night
The most regrettable part of shaping history,
Is when it ends, it’s done,
Oh it kills the mystery,
So take good care of your heart, and it’s polyphony,
For if you practice hard,
Oh, love is a symphony,
It can’t let go; I’ve seen the light,
I feel my passion grow,
So let this fire burn tonight,
Release my undiscovered soul,
Taking my hand beyond twilight,
Feeling my pulse as it grows,
Feeding the flames of this fire like
Strangers in the night
Pushing the realms beyond finite,
Steeped in the love as it flows,
Finally tasting desire like
Strangers in the night…
The truly terrible part, is all the misery,
For every wound and bruise,
Oh , is done maliciously,
The unforgettable part, is contradictory
For when you win you lose
Oh, it’s not a victory
It took so long for me to fight,
To feel this night unfold,
We’ll bring the sad old world to life,
You are my love; with you I’m whole,
Taking my hand beyond twilight,
Feeling my pulse as it grows,
Feeding the flames of this fire like
Strangers in the night
Pushing the realms beyond finite,
Steeped in the love as it flows,
Finally tasting desire like
Strangers in the night…
What we have is love reborn,
We can spread out wings and sore,
I will be there to catch you if you fall,
Now we know what love is for,
We can have it all and more,
I will be there to answer when you call…
Taking my hand beyond twilight,
Feeling my pulse as it grows,
Feeding the flames of this fire like
Strangers in the night
Pushing the realms beyond finite,
Steeped in the love as it flows,
Finally tasting desire like
Strangers in the night…
Strangers in the night…
8. Evil’s On Top Of The World
She’s the victim, she’s a giver not a taker,
She was sheltered from the world outside,
She grew up thinking love conquers all in the end,
Back in the city there’s a man on the loose,
He holds a gun,
And their time lines are synchronized,
Lying in the dark,
He’s the fire, she’s the spark tonight…
Hold on, there’s some bad blood coming,
It’s from the dark side, blackened with pain
Hold on, now there’s no point running,
It’s got your hands tied,
Evil’s on top of the world…
She’s a vixen, she’s a crime against the nation,
She’s a devil in an angel’s guise,
She’s number one and to hell with the feelings of friends,
Back to the city and the man couldn’t choose,
A coin is tossed
As their lives slide and coincide,
Fires to the heart,
Tears another world apart,
Tonight…
Hold on, there’s some bad blood coming,
It’s from the dark side, blackened with pain
Hold on, now there’s no point running,
It’s got your hands tied,
Evil’s on top of the world…
9. The One
Pyres in the night,
Burning slowly,
Candlelight crawls across her lips to beg a kiss,
Sighs,
She’s alive,
She flows, she’s elemental
She’s a gift,
She’s a granted wish,
Tied by the eyes,
Silken ribbons brace the lines
Of shadow tracing shapes that lie within,
Bound,
Tantalized,
She knows, she’s monumental,
In a spin,
Unafraid of sin,
If the dream seemed impossible,
Then she found a way somehow,
Once I looked through the eyes of love,
I embraced the “one true now”…
Take, take me, get on, she cries,
Break, break me, your fears can’t hold you,
Make, make me, the one tonight,
Shake, shake me, your tears controlled you,
Writhe in the night,
Climbing slowly to the heights,
Sacred in the ecstasy of this,
Cries,
Hypnotized,
She glows, she’s warm and gentle,
So I drift,
In the endless bliss,
Wired to the mind
By the manacles of time,
Perfect her embrace,
I’m like a king,
Crowned, canonized,
She shows, it’s fundamental
Never pin down an angel’s wings,
If the dream seemed impossible,
Then she found a way somehow,
Once I looked through the eyes of love,
I embraced the “one true now”…
Take, take me, get on, she cries,
Break, break me, your fears can’t hold you,
Make, make me, the one tonight,
Shake, shake me, your tears controlled you.
10. Lost Soul
Catch me when I’m falling,
Shield me from the rain,
Help me when I’m crawling,
Pick me up again,
I have days on which I’m stalling from the start,
Never finishing the race,
Though the wind says maybe,
Another time and place,
Flying minus visionary controls,
Balancing emotions on a fine line,
Lying like a missionary, stone cold,
Blind to the danger signs,
Bound like a prisoner, in a freak show,
Want to say I love you but I’m tongue-tied,
Crowned by derision, I’m a lost soul,
Dying ‘til the end of time.
Answer when I’m calling,
Hold me once again,
Keep me safe ‘till morning,
Teach me how to pray,
If the truest words are spoken from the heart,
Then my darling I should say,
That I truly love you,
Let me count the ways,
Flying minus visionary controls,
Balancing emotions on a fine line,
Lying like a missionary, stone cold,
Blind to the danger signs,
Bound like a prisoner, in a freak show,
Want to say I love you but I’m tongue-tied,
Crowned by derision, I’m a lost soul,
Dying ‘til the end of time.
11. Stay A While
Love burned a hole in the night
Don’t be afraid to take,
This love from the embers now,
Love drew your soul to the light
Then turned away to break,
So fragile, so tender…
The morning star
Can bind the broken lance,
The sunlight echoes
But remembers,
Won’t you stay till the end?
Won’t you stay a while?
Play ‘till the end, I can make you smile,
Won’t you stay, don’t pretend,
Won’t you stay a while?
I used to be so unsure,
But now I need so much more…
Love brought a stone heart to life
Don’t be afraid to ache,
When love hurts, it mends in time,
Love needs to romanticize,
It leads a tender chase,
Returns to the sender…
Within my heart
You’ll always find a place,
So when the night falls now,
Surrender…
Won’t you stay till the end?
Won’t you stay a while?
Play ‘till the end, I can make you smile,
Won’t you stay, don’t pretend,
Won’t you stay a while?
I used to be so unsure,
But now I need so much more…
12. Tearing My Heart Out
Well my soul is empty now,
You slipped away from me somehow,
I guess I knew
It had to be,
We tore the flesh from fantasy…
I can feel
This setting sun
Chill my veins,
The blood has gone,
I can feel the spirit
Tearing my heart out,
This is real,
The damage done
Never heals
This skeleton,
Still I feel her ripping,
Tearing my heart out…
So much for love’s intensity,
It runs so hot,
But cuts so deep,
It makes us blind,
Afraid to speak,
You’ve seen me sweat,
Now watch me bleed…
I can feel
This setting sun
Chill my veins,
The blood has gone,
I can feel the spirit
Tearing my heart out,
This is real,
The damage done
Never heals
This skeleton,
Still I feel her ripping,
Tearing my heart out…
Tearing my heart out…
Clawing me undone…
13. It's You I Adore
(Bonus Track)
Light
Disturbs the endless summer night
Inside my restless spirit twists and turns
Spins and burns
Longs for the day that love will return
Someday
Beyond a dream, she lies in wait
And through the sleepless hours
I think of her
Lost for words
Aching to touch
The one I love so very much
Won’t you return to me
My love is pure
Just like the seasons it will last for evermore
Won’t you return to me
I know for sure
I love you endlessly
It’s you I adore
Time
Has never been a friend or guide
I was a fool and now sit and wait
Locked in space
She has the key
The answers I seek
So frail
I seek redemption for betrayal
I’d risk it all if I could hold her tight
One more night
Here in my arms
Safe and embraced by the dark
Won’t you return to me
My love is pure
Just like the seasons it will last for evermore
Won’t you return to me
I know for sure
I love endlessly
It’s you I adore
Won’t you return to me
It’s you I adore
I love endlessly
It’s you I adore…
RETURN TO EVERMORE - 2004
Release Date: June 23, 2004
Label: Frontiers Records (FR CD 298)
Producer: Gary Hughes
Tracklisting:
All songs written by Gary Hughes.
1.Apparition – 8:34
2.Dreamtide – 6:29
3.Evermore – 4:37
4.Sail Away – 5:12
5.Temple of Love – 4:46
6.Even the Ghosts Cry – 5:52
7.Strangers in the Night – 5:19
8.Evil's on Top in the World – 4:31
9.The One – 5:33
10.Lost Soul – 5:29
11.Stay a While – 4:42
12.Tearing My Heart Out – 5:42
Asian version (Avalon Records MICP-10444) adds
13.It's You I Adore – 3:37
Personnel:
Gary Hughes – vocals
Chris Francis – guitar
John Halliwell – guitar
Steve McKenna – bass guitar
Paul Hodson – keyboards
Greg Morgan – drums and percussion
Pete Coleman – English pipes (track 3)
Jason Thanos – backing vocals
Production:
Mixing – Pete Coleman
Engineers – Gary Hughes, Roger Smith and Jason Thanos
Additional Engineering – Pete Coleman, Billy Churchill and
Mark Sumner