Piece by Piece: lyrical analysis of "Hardest Path, Greatest End"
Hardest Path, Greatest End
This song began exactly as you hear it on the record. The descending chord progression was a product of simple experimentation, which quickly expanded upon itself. The flow of the song bounces between the "3" feel and the "6" quite a lot, but predominantly accented by the rhythm guitars rather than the drums. That's not to say that the drums aren't challenging; they are no cakewalk. This song is a dramatic onslaught from the instruments for the most part, aside from the delicate interlude provided in the beginning as a precursor to the mayhem. It also features quite the breakdown as a prelude to the outro.
I breathe air tinged with fervor, Blood flowing violently, Victimizing the body in return. Am I trapped in this mentality? The bull once enchained now set loose onto society. Can this grasp last me long enough? Loosening slowly, Tearing apart my memories, Every single thing I love. Every single thing I love fades away. And I'm left wondering, Is there hope for me? And I'm left wondering, Is there hope for me? And I'm left wondering, Is there... I breathe air tinged with fervor, Blood flowing violently, Victimizing the body in return. What am I harboring? My heart beats to a drum of terror and agony. This state of conflict. My instincts persist, I put my body into fits of interminable ire and blank consciousness And I am in A constant state of conflict. The more I resist, the harder it constricts around my throat, cutting off the ties to the life that I live. I see only one thing And it’s killing me so slowly Just a fatal mentality Rising from inside Nothing can compromise Rising from inside Nothing can compromise My definition of life is a reprise Of endless struggle and desperate cries And yet I keep breathing despite Everything that’s not right Through enduring hard times, A man will find solace In life
A bad mentality is a downward spiral. It sends you along wide arcs that gradually tighten and quicken as one descends. This song is written from the perspective of a troubled soul. As he contemplates and questions reality, his fears manifest before his eyes. Hell unfolds in the form of confusion and blind emotion for the man. His pulse quickens, sweat drips from his skin, and chills colder than the touch of winter jolt down his spine. In a fit of rage and helplessness, the man has become beast.
He sees the world through the eyes of a fatalist. He has free reign over his actions, but the dystopia that is his life seems to point in one direction only. As he is overcome by the fear of his fate, the memories that the man holds dear seem to fade into nothing. The images of the past, the fond and the frightful, the very substance of the man's existence are quickly forgotten in place of irrational fears. Desperation washes over him. He questions, "And I'm left wondering, is there hope for me? And I'm left wondering, is there hope for me? And I'm left wondering, is there..." The phrase is repeated over and over until the man is once again overcome with rage. His path down the spiral is now condensing, becoming more and more rapid. He begins to question the pain, and why it exists within. His questions only fuel the fire that is slowly overcoming his limbs. A numbness ensues. The end is near.
In the deluge of overwhelming thought that has rendered the man awestruck, his heart stops momentarily. His descent is paused within the space of time. Though seemingly motionless, an understanding creeps into the skull of the grieving man. He becomes aware of the illness, the very parasite that has been eating away at his insides. In this lucidity, he pours his last drop of energy into breaking from the cycle.
Like the reversal of an hourglass, the man is free. Time seems to flow backwards. Embers of his struggles dance past his eyes. He acknowledges these pains, and embraces them. The momentary burn felt on his fingertips and within his dried lungs courses travels through the veins and to the heart. Struggles that were once heavier than the weight of the world now reside within, as a reason to push onward. He feels his body rise towards the sun.
He awakes from the spot where he lay. The man who was on the brink of giving up now gazes upon his surroundings and smiles. He sees not beautiful scenery or tantalizing images, but the world as clear and unobstructed as ever. The man rises, and walks forth towards the future.
This man is every doubt than manifests in the mind. It eats away at positivity, solidarity, and understanding. The feeling multiplies the longer it persists, spreading like a virus without bounds. The only way to confront this overwhelming plague is with an equally strong force. It takes much determination and will to move on, and fight through the pain. Some do not make it; others come close. However, it is only the one who fully accepts the reality of the situation as his own truly breaks through the downward spiral that condemns those who simply are not willing to look up. The sky is gray, but the light shines through, even if only on a single spot. Meet me there.