Motion Carries-Lyrics

Music and Lyrics by Brent Bristow

All songs published by Targallian Rall Music, ASCAP.

© & ℗ Targallian Rall Music 2023. All rights reserved.

Emerald City Council are:
Jake Livgren- lead and backing vocals, keyboards
Noah Hungate-drums
Jeremy Nichols-bass
Seth Hankerson-guitar
Brent Bristow-saxophones, keyboards, recorder, guitar, vocals

Guest performances:
Brandon Goff-lead guitar on tracks 1 and 4
Paul Bielatowicz-guitar solos on track 3
Jeffrey Combs-narration on track 1 and acoustic guitar on track 7

Steve Rankin-acoustic guitar, guitar solo and mandolin on track 7

Mike Thompson-guitar solo on track 8

Additional musicians:
Phillip Moore-acoustic guitar on track 2
Heather Bristow-additional vocals on tracks 2 and 4
Douglas Case-additional guitar and backing vocals on track 3

Calvin Barnes-acoustic guitar on tracks 6 and 9

Realize I - Brutal Camouflage

Hello, did I catch you
At a difficult time?
My sources say you’re in a mess
They were a bit unkind
Hello, did I catch you
In a difficult way
Like all the papers seem to write about these days?

Wake up Monday morning

With a withering sigh
Your aspirations fade away

And it leaves you mystified

Waiting for a moment

With an elegant prayer
But all the while, you’re doing nothing to prepare

And when you feel it, oh
Like a million eyes dreaming
Brutally camouflaged
In your light machine
And when the moment rolls by
Will you still stand upon high
Or will you cry about the way it should have been?

Gazing out the window

Through a curious stare

You’re left alone, imagining

The life you could find there

Blaming those around you

In a terrible lie

That holds you down until you start to realize

And when you feel it, oh
Like a million eyes scheming
Brutally camouflaged
In your light machine
And when the moment rolls by
Will you still stand upon high
Or will you cry about the way it should have been?

Realizing all you’re finding

Hello, did I catch you
At a difficult time?
Locked inside your memories
Motivation in decline
Longing for a reason
With a promising sign
But only you can make your lucky stars align

And when you feel it

And when you feel it, oh
Like a million eyes dreaming
Brutally camouflaged
In your light machine
And when the moment rolls by
Will you still stand upon high
Or will you cry about the way it should have been?

Cry about the way it should be
Cry about the way you should be
Realizing all you’re finding

Noisy Talking

Moving toward light
With arms and legs flailing

Drawn in so near
My consciousness failing

I awaken in the sand

Blinded by rage
And a silence that deafens

Vaguely aware
Of the bonds we have threatened

So we end as we began

Strangers

Changing places
Taking sides
Romantic indiscretions
As we span the great divide

Moving nearer

Can’t decide
How can you be so open
When you have so much to hide?

Actions and words
Have all lost their meaning

Focusing will
On the thoughts intervening

A condition of your mind

The answers you seek
Are no longer written

Memories of old
Have now been forbidden

We can hear but only find

Noisy talking, noisy talking

Changing places
Taking sides
Romantic indiscretions
As we span the great divide

Moving nearer

Can’t decide
How can you be so open
When you have so much to hide?

Held inside

Looking for a place
To realign our failing senses

Clinging to beliefs
Once left behind
Weakening resolve
The lowering of our resistance

Have we found our way beyond

Or will our path be undefined

Purpose regained
As my limbs started moving

Crawling away

From the stares disapproving

But again I only find

Noisy talking

Changing places
Taking sides
Romantic indiscretions
As we span the great divide

On reflection

Magnified
Regrets and indecision
From the failures you provide

Moving nearer
Can’t decide
How can you be so open
When you have so much to hide?

Held inside

Held in

Mortal Game

When the shadow falls

A curtain call
Filled with sadness

Here you long to roam

Away from home
A certain madness

And I would have given all for you

No, I should have told you
And when I think of all we knew

No, I couldn’t hold you

I’ll fly higher and higher
I’ll reach beyond this mortal game
I’ll be looking for you
And on the other side, we shall remain

Words within your grasp
But fading fast
So much confusion

Now we’ve closed the door

Forever more
In your seclusion

And you would have given all for me

Still, I know you’d be there
And with each fading memory
No, life can be unfair

I’ll fly higher and higher
I’ll reach beyond this mortal game
I’ll be looking for you
And on the other side, we shall remain

As I follow where you’ve gone

Thinking of what’s meant to be
Is our future set in stone?
Can we write our destiny?

Looking back while moving on

Loving those who’ll see us through

Hoping to be reunited
In a place that’s out of view

And I would have given all for you

No, I should have told you
And when I think of all we knew

No, I couldn’t hold you

I’ll fly higher and higher
I’ll reach beyond this mortal game
I’ll be looking for you

And on the other side, we shall remain

-Dedicated to the memory of Revell and Marie Bristow

Ice Thinning

Obstinate resistance

Of those standing near

Failing coexistence
As we persevere

Lost communication

With forgotten friends

Desperate situation

Actions to defend
Everyday it’s harder to pretend

We must stand united
Not divided in our separate spheres

Teaching one another
To discover infinite frontiers

And now we allow
The joining of hands, a new beginning

Rise to devise
A passage across the ice thinning

Staging insurrections
Naming enemies
Lost in misconceptions
While we fail to see
Everyday we’re standing in debris

We must stand united
Not divided in our separate spheres

Teaching one another
To discover beautiful frontiers

And now we allow
The joining of hands, a new beginning

Rise to devise
A passage across the ice thinning

Below to change the world we know

We must stand united
Not divided in our separate spheres

Teaching one another
To discover infinite frontiers

And now we allow
The joining of hands, a new beginning

Rise to devise
A passage across the ice thinning

Below let wisdom overflow

Platforms of Illusion

I. Connection

Instrumental

II. Best Life

Photo taken
Get the angle right

Choose a filter

Manipulate our sight

Post the image
So we never forget
Such a lovely piece of content

Counting every like and comment

Blur the line
Between your dreams and reality

Redefine
All your faults to your fantasy

Share online
And get ready for your bow
As you’re faking your best life now

Change of status

Send it to our feed

Seek attention

Satisfy your need

Tell a story
Better to immerse us
Profanity and Bible verses
Random quotes to serve your purpose

Blur the line
Between your dreams and reality

Redefine
All your faults to your fantasy
Share online
And get ready for your bow
As you’re faking your best life now

Yes, you’re faking your best life now

‘Cause you’re faking your best life

Sing the praises of you
Let everyone here understand you have greatness

Bring yourself into view
We wait patiently to observe the insane mess

Entertaining
Impossible to fail
Keep complaining
Leaving out no detail

Every update meant to regale
Trains of thought cannot be derailed

Blur the line
Between your dreams and reality

Redefine
All your faults to your fantasy
Share online
And get ready for your bow
As you’re faking your best life now

Yes, you’re faking your best life now

‘Cause you’re faking your best life now

III. Comments

I must tell a random stranger how incorrect they are

The comments I am reading all border on bizarre
I’ll set the record straight
So follow me before it’s too late

You can trust the knowledge when you see my avatar

Face my facts
They are more than opinion
Be exact
And embrace my position
I’ll share with you my expertise

And alter all that you perceive
Be grateful for what you’ll receive

And face my facts

My favorite politician is the only one I trust
Those who would oppose him are becoming more corrupt

A choice to vote is clear
To avoid the end that now is so near
He will make a grand stand to combat with the unjust

Face my facts
They are more than opinion
Be exact
And embrace my position
I’ll share with you my expertise

And alter all that you perceive
Be grateful for what you’ll receive

And face my facts

Why does no one ever listen to me

While I have the answers?
Try to tell you but you disagree

You respond with laughter

Now, I’m typing faster

This entry of the franchise has been the worst by far

The writing and directing exemplify subpar
The characters are lame
The company producing is to blame

Face my facts
They are more than opinion
Be exact
And embrace my position
I’ll share with you my expertise
And alter all that you perceive
Be grateful for what you’ll receive
And face my facts
And face my facts
And face my, face my, face my, face my

IV. Identity

I am lost in my identity
Afraid to find out who I really am

Communicating through a tiny screen

How much more of this can I withstand?

The image I’m projecting

What am I protecting?
In the virtual, I am connecting

And I’m falling away
Into the source of my obsession

Feeling decay
From a dream denied
Falling away
Deeper into my depression
My phone display
Will keep me occupied

A photograph is all I’ve ever seen

But she makes feel in love again

And her voice is still a mystery
Is she for real or another scam?

Though I am suspecting
I am not objecting
Messages she sends, I am accepting

And I’m falling away
Into the source of my obsession

Feeling decay
From a dream denied
Falling away
Into the dark my depression
My phone display
Will keep me occupied

Please don’t see me in the flesh

Don’t attempt to call me
Never come to my address
I’m afraid you’ll all be

Witness to distress

The image I’m projecting
What am I protecting?
In the here and now I am rejecting

And I’m walking away
From suffering in desperation

Feeling dismay
For the dream’s alive
Walking away
From loneliness and devastation

Starting today
I’ll take a step outside
Trying to survive
I’ll see you all outside

V. Revelation

Mentally strained
I am making a change

To release myself

Free from the trap
I log out of the app

In which I was held

Wisdom won’t come easily

Took so long to see

It’s raised me up
It’s brought me down
And through it all
I’ve found
A revelation I take comfort in

‘Cause in the end
No one cares

Taking a scroll
While ignoring the trolls

And their lunacy

Arguments made

Never held them at bay

There’s no victory

Logic has no place online

Took so long to find

It’s raised me up
It’s brought me down
And through it all
I’ve found
A revelation I take comfort in

‘Cause in the end
No one cares

It is fascinating
Social, yet still isolating

We share
Too much information

On our creation
A dangerous temptation

Wisdom won’t come easily

Took so long to see

Seeking out
What is real
And all will be revealed

It’s raised me up
It’s brought me down

And through it all
I’ve found
A revelation I take comfort in

A revelation I take comfort in

A revelation I take comfort in

‘Cause in the end
No one cares
No one cares

VI. Best Life (Reprise)

Draw the line
Between absurd and our sanity

We’ll design
A new faith in humanity

Realign
As we make a new vow
We’re living our best life now

We’ll be living our real life now

We’re living our best life now

No Thanks To You

Made such a mess of the moment
Taking a stand, I turn to face my opponent

You asked me to leave

The weight of the shock overwhelmed me
Caught by the fear in the light that the others beheld me

They couldn’t perceive

That we can’t agree with one another
We’ll never speak to one another
Hoping you’ll fade like all the others
I’ll be happier when you’re gone

Living within this disaster
Fighting for air in the days that came tumbling after

I’m following through

Now my life is coming together
Now I finally found the way to make it all better

No thanks to you

‘Cause we can’t agree with one another

We’ll never speak to one another

Hoping you’ll fade like all the others
I’ll be happier when you’re gone

Nothing to me, you’re negative energy

Leave it to you, you’ve got it all wrong

Nothing to me, you’re a fading bad memory

Nothing is you, now let’s move along

Making the best of the moment
Taking a stand I refuse to ever condone it

No thanks to you

‘Cause we can’t agree with one another

We’ll never speak to one another
Hoping you’ll fade like all the others
I’ll be happier when you’re
We can’t agree with one another
We’ll never speak to one another
Hoping you’ll fade like all the others
I’ll be happier when you’re
Happier when you’re gone

Realize III - The Comfort of Suffering

And in the span of time
You walk upon the earth
Others will succeed while you observe

With angry jealousy
You’re questioning your worth
Why should they obtain what you deserve?

Indifference
And cold bitterness
Has clouded the ambitions

That you repress

In between suffering
And the ways that you find comforting

Hides a truth never told
Of desires you let go

And as the years roll by
A pattern will emerge
Every day is like the one before

With quiet dignity
You’re holding back an urge
To pursue the passions you’ve ignored

Conformity
Brings you certainty
While living with decisions

Remorsefully

In between suffering
And the ways that you find comforting

Hides a truth never told
Of desires you let go
Giving up is effortless
When trying becomes perilous
In a blink of your eye
Wasted years are justified

It’s hard to stand on high
When guarantees are seldom given

Cast the fear aside
You’re conquering your inhibitions

Like a million eyes
All waiting for your next decision

Your moment has arrived
A course collision

And can you feel it?

In between suffering
And the ways that you find comforting

Hides a truth never told
Of desires you let go
Giving up will cause regret
But time has not escaped you yet
In a blink of your eye
Visions can be realized

Epilogue
So long, now we’ll see you
At a different time
And if you found this meaningless

You’ve failed to see the signs

But when you recognize
All you’re hiding

You have agonized
For all you’ve been through

When you realize

All you’re finding

Is there, within you