Honest To A Faultline

I woke up on the wrong side of the board today
To find that I was robed in black
Always was the white knight to honor and obey
And guard my house from blind attack
It turns out that I have no business in such clothes
Designed for those who know the truth
Honesty's a grey-hued element of oaths
And empathy should die with youth

I'm not cut out to be human
No sleeves up which tricks can hide
My heart is bared and illuminated
I show my gambits with pride

Pieces on my new side are fallin' down in droves
I'm cornered each way that I face
The lightest ones among us deal the strongest blows
And my steadfast ground is givin' way
Altruism was my suit, my shield, my sword
Transparency my coat of arms
But traits like that will get ya bludgeoned, pierced, and gored
The animal that's born of harm awakens

I'm not cut out to be human
No skin off which barbs can fly
My teeth are bared and they're salivatin'
Is this how most go through life?
The tiles have shapelessly crumbled
Crushed by these fiends in disguise
Now the beast in me lumbers forward
And so the world must abide
My roar

About the song

I couldn't *not* have some acoustic guits on a Domino joint, so here we are!

My tendency toward blunt, concise honesty has always been a double-edged sword. I say what I mean, mean what I say, don't mince words, and don't suffer foolishness. This can certainly put people off, but I still prefer it to fake or manipulative doublespeak. However, the fact that I can be so easily read has led to sheep-clad wolves luring me in with enticements, only to take advantage. I don't like that I'm now more cautious of people when I meet them, but I guess it's all part of this silly dance we call being human.

PHUN PHACT: This is the first and only song I've written starting with drums. This outlying factor made me want to arrange all of the instrumentation in an entirely different way from the rest of the album, giving it more of a layered, oldschool TLD sensibility. Shoutout once again to album co-producer/mixer Luiza Carvalho for her work toward helping me craft this delicate slowburn. She knew when we needed to vibe on a part, but as she said, "If it's not building, it's dying." A metaphor for the album's overall message maybe?