The Love Still Held Me Near Album Lyrics by City And Colour

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Meant to Be

When I grew up
I had big city dreams
I wondered if the Bible was wrong
What the hell were they teaching me?

I was lost in thought
And I could not hide it
But the sun, it kept on rising
So, I played along

But now that you're gone
And I write down this song
I don't believe this is how it's meant to be
The church bells they ring
You can hear the mourners sing
They still believe
This is how it's meant to be

The wheels touch down
All I can see is your face
Amidst the noise of the lights
The last thing on my mind was my faith

And then the morning came
And the sun started rising
But I was missing my friend
So, how do I carry on?

'Cause now that you're gone
And I write down this song
I don't believe this is how it's meant to be
The church bells they ring
You can hear the mourners sing
They still believe
This is how it's meant to be

Like a mother bird crying out for its young
I will sing it loud with all the might in my lungs

Cause now that you're gone
And I write down this song
I don't believe this is how it's meant to be
The church bells they ring
You can hear the mourners sing
They still believe
This is how it's meant to be

Oh, how it's meant to be

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Underground

Abandoned and lamenting
The wasted days we spent running from ourselves
Aimlessly ramblin'
But hey man, at least we've got our health
Oh, but it ain't enough just to be alive
We've gotta lean into the love a little
Before we die

So tell me what you need
You bring me to my knees
And I'm tired of running
I'm tired of moving life around
How do we deal with this?
Treat each day as the gift it is
I don't wanna be running
Until I'm underground

So let's just forget the unforgiving presence of death
And live wild and free
Godless or not
You can't let the fear control your body
Like a great Canadian darkness
I will cover you
Nothing will harm us
I will protect you

So tell me what you need
You bring me to my knees
And I'm tired of running
I'm tired of moving life around
How do we deal with this?
Treat each day as the gift it is
I don't wanna be running
'Til I'm underground
Underground

So tell me what you need
You bring me to my knees
And I'm tired of running
I'm tired of moving life around
How do we deal with this?
Treat each day as the gift it is
I don't wanna be running
Until I'm underground
Underground

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Fucked it Up

Turn off the lights
And roll down the window shades
We can't go outside
'Cause the world is hidden away

Ghosts are running wild
In these empty streets tonight
But here we are together, baby
Laying side by side

Ain't no sense
In making things worse
Let's hold on tight
And we'll try to break this curse

'Cause we had everything we wanted
Then we f*cked it up
We had everything we needed
But it wasn't enough
And ain't it strange how we keep fallin'
In and out of love?
We had everything we wanted
Then we f*cked it up

Out on a line
Oh, so thin and frail
But that sparrow will stand
As if it could never fail
Drifting through the tide
In a ship without a sail
Oh, at the mercy of the ebb and the flow
Waitin' on our love to prevail

And there ain't no sense
In making things worse
Let's hold on tight
And we'll try to break this curse

'Cause we had everything we wanted
Then we f*cked it up
We had everything we needed
But it wasn't enough
Ain't it strange how we keep fallin'
In and out of love?
We had everything we wanted
And then we f*cked it up

We had everything we wanted
Then we f*cked it up, oh

We had everything we wanted
Then we f*cked it up
We had everything we needed
But it wasn't enough
Ain't it strange how we keep fallin'
In and out of love?
We had everything we wanted
Then we f*cked it up

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The Love Still Held Me Near

Awake, awake, my darling
The moon is down
The waves, the waves, they are crashing all around

What would you do?
What would you say, if I was gone?
Losing your breath, toil and sweat
Just hold on

If you say it now, leave no doubt
You'd shatter the earth
It's where I will be found
'Cause the love still held me near
Say it now and time will disappear, oh

Awake, awake, my darling
From your beautiful dream
Save me from my sorrow
Which burns eternally

Oh, hammer me down
Into the fire, I am reborn
Let love's energy pour into me
I am yours

If you say it now, leave no doubt
You'd shatter the earth
It's where I will be found
'Cause the love still held me near
Say it now, then time will disappear

On still waters, the sky layin' its head
Hope is hanging on by a thread

Say it now, leave no doubt
You'd shatter the earth
It's where I will be found
'Cause the love still held me near
Say it now and time will disappear

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A Little Mercy

Oh, yeah, oh

The day begins to blur
Under this bruised light
Within, the beast still stirs
Am I unfit to guide?
And now I'm weeping towards the sky
For what seeps back into the earth

Are we not supposed to love
In fear of losing someone?
Are we too afraid to feel?
Too many wounds to heal?
Will they ever heal?
Will they ever heal?

'Cause we don't need this pain and this suffering, no
We don't need this pain and this suffering, no
Just a little mercy, no
No, no, oh

You cannot live the life
The life left behind you
You cry out loud with all your might
But no one will hear you
There will be desolation
We'll throw ourselves into the fire
But the sooner love is gone
Its ghosts will begin to haunt

But I know the beauty lies
In the dawn's early light
Well, it gives and gives in healing waves
But that's not enough
No, it's not enough

'Cause we don't need this pain and this suffering, no
We don't need this pain and this suffering, no
Just a little mercy, no

No
Just a little mercy
Just a little mercy
Just a little mercy

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Things We Choose to Care About

How?

How can you just walk out on me
Without a trace?
I don't hear the sound of your voice
I can't see your face
On one side of the coin there's a cure
But on the other there's a curse
Well, I'm living in the larger world now
Where work brings worth

To the things we choose to care about
So, what is life like for me now?
No more easy victories of youth
Just the things we choose to care about

I know that I have more than I will ever need
But I've learned that it does nothing to stop
The re-ocurrence of greed
And there ain't enough whiskey in this world
To ease a tormented mind
So, I'm longing for that place in my dreams
Where light brings life

To the things that we choose to care about
So, what is life like for me now?
No more easy victories of youth
Just the things that we choose to care about

Your memory
It will remain
Always and forever
As winter fades
What still remains, always

Just the things that we choose to care about
So, what is life like for me now?
No more easy victories of youth
Just the things that we choose to care about

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After Disaster

Now, I know this might be the hurt talkin'
But I can't imagine a world without us
I didn't think it would be this lonely
But now I feel it deep in my guts

Oh, maybe I didn't care enough for you
But darlin', love ain't temporary
I'm gonna do some transformin'
And you won't recognize me

And we'll be sailin' along, sailin' along
Sailin' along, sailin' along

And I know we're just searchin' for redemption
Terrified of f*ckin' things up
I'm so exhausted by this longing
For that spark that flies between us

I know that the storm was devastating
But can't you see we survived?
I got a feelin' that after disaster
History will be of no guide

And we'll be sailin' along, sailin' along
Sailin' along, sailin' along

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Without Warning

Did someone say that this would be easy?
Did they proclaim this too shall pass?
One thing I know you learn for certain
Is that the good times, they never last

But darling, you know I ain't got the answers
But I sure as hell won't surrender
It's gonna be you and me 'til the end of time

Though we lost it all without warning
After dark always comes morning
You know we can make it one more night

Did someone say that you deserve better?
Do you believe this world owes you more?
Sometimes in life you gotta work a little harder
Before you let the love walk out the door

But darling, you know I ain't got the answers
But I sure as hell won't surrender
It's gonna be you and me 'til the end of time

Though we lost it all without warning
After dark always comes morning
You know we can make it one more night

You always wanted a love song
Well, now I'm singing you one
Does it sound like the one in your dreams?

You see I know we are strong enough
To carry the weight of this love
Sometimes things just are not meant to be

But darling, you know I ain't got the answers
But I sure as hell won't surrender
It's gonna be you and me 'til the end of time

Though we lost it all without warning
After dark always comes morning
You know we can make it one more night
So hold on tight

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Hard, Hard Time

I've become acquainted with the dead
And the gratitude I owe to them, I could never comprehend
So many things I still wanna say
And if the word is true, then I will get a chance someday

But I have a hard, hard time believin'
Anything on the other side
Could be better than the love that you're leavin'
When you finally close your eyes
So, live your life

When I think about my past
And all those things I know I won't outlast
Like how my debts will go unpaid
Livin' in this everlastin' judgement day

I have a hard, hard time believin'
That anything on the other side
Could be better than the love that you're leavin'
When you finally close your eyes
So, live your life

But I (but I)
But I (but I)
But I (but I)
But I

I have a hard, hard time believin'
That anything on the other side
Could be better than the love that you're leavin'
When you close your eyes
So live your life

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The Water is Coming

The water is coming
Will we hold back the rising tide?
The water is coming
Can we survive mankind?

Pray for redemption
Gnash your teeth and gnaw it off at the bone
Keep on knocking
Turn your back, there ain't no one home

Because you will not care for me
So, I will not care for you
Is this who we hoped to be?
Living in our midnight's blackest doom (blackest doom)

Old heavens without a star
All desires falling away
Off with the beggar's head
Is this the fate we face?

The moon began falling
Crashing straight down from the sky
And my skin started crawling
Venomous thoughts tearing up my insides

Flame of suspicion
Burning wild all through the night
That the water is coming
And we will not survive mankind

Because you will not care for me
So, I will not care for you
Is this who we hoped to be?
Living in our midnight's blackest doom (blackest doom)

Old heavens without a star
All desires falling away
Off with the beggar's head
Is this the fate we face?

'Cause you will not care for me
So, I will not care for you
You will not care for me

But what if I care?
What if I care?
What if I care? Oh
What if I care?

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Bow Down to Love

If I could gather up all the hate
Light a match and burn it all away
Then with compassion in my voice
I would sing this song
In hope that we might find a better way

And bow down to love
Bow down to love
Bow down to love

And when I think about all the pain
That the carnage of wealth always leaves in its wake
And how nowadays it seems that we fear ourselves the most
Well, I hope you can find some solace in this poem

And bow down to love
Bow down to love
Bow down to love

Let's come down easy
Let's come down easy
Let's come down easy
Let's come down easy

And bow down to love
Bow down to love
Bow down to love

Bow down to love
Bow down to love
Bow down to love

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Begin Again

Cheers horse, cheers horse
One, two, three

It's been a long time since I've felt peace in my mind
Through cold, dark days I've been holding the line
Seems all my friends are stuck in this passing strange
And there ain't no relief in this dying game

This hungry beast, it will continue to feed
It cares not for your heart and it offers no sympathy
I've grown so tired of this boundless race
So let the wind and the water take me away

'Cause I loved you once
I will love you again
I knew you as you were
But I've come to understand

So leave the worry a little while
Take my healing hand
When all is said and done
We will begin again

They say joy will come along with the morning sun
But it's starless tonight and this grief, it weighs a ton
And I know this world was more than you could bare
So save me a seat at your table, I will meet you there

'Cause I loved you once
I will love you again
I knew you as you were
But I've come to understand

To leave the worry a little while
So take my healing hand
When all is said and done
We will begin again

It's been a long time since I've felt peace in my mind
It's been a long time since I've felt peace in my mind
But there on the horizon, I can see the light