Venona

“Pangea and the Earth Machine” lyrics

Act I

i. “…Give Me Truth”

ii. Refugee

iii. Geocentric

iv. Define Me

Act II

v. A Room With a View

vi. Atlas

vii. The Ballad of Pangea and Anthalla

viii. Firefly (An Intermission)

Act III

ix. Carry Me

x. Red Poppies

xi. Baptism Under Fire

xii. Manumit

xiii. Existence (An Epilogue)

xiv. Shadows and Dust (Bonus Track)

 …Give me truth

 

A stranger in my own skin, a ghost without a place

And all that’s left is my soul to give

I’d rather sink tonight than swim; I’d rather die than to be saved

An anvil sinking in the sea, begging for some air to breathe

Will I, will I ever be free?

 

We’re living in a world where we can’t see eye to eye

Can someone please tell me if it’s wrong to think I’m right?

Trying to survive in a place I so despise

My visions they tell me this: victory in due time

 

Now that I realized who I am and what I’m striving to become

These restraints that once shackled me have come undone

I’m stronger than I ever was seeing that I found the key

Never again will I be a prisoner to what I can’t see

Enough’s enough, there’s no giving up

 

Enough’s enough, there’s no giving up

Only you can save us, only you Vironus

 

Refugee

 

Fight back those words for me

This isn’t a dream

Fight back those tears for me

There’s no truer sign of defeat

 

Fight back those fists for me

Nows the time to retreat

And don’t be afraid for me

Just bide your time til meet

 

These things they did to me

These things they did…

 

They will not go without consequence

And I will learn to grow in my absence

 

Geocentric

 

Is my life just not supposed to…

 

Oh, where are these spoils of life?

Give it up if there’s nothing to be had, give it up if there’s nothing

Puppets, Predictable

We the innocent people, are we feeble?

 

Take a look and what do you see?

(The stage the players)

But repetition of history

(No lines, no director)

The best laid plans of mice and men

Are just meant to be laid once again

If my fate is truly in my hands

Then it’s time to make an executive decision

 

We are not the center of the universe and we’ll never be,

Oh Plato, how wrong you were.

Is my life just not supposed to have any meaning?

I am reasonless to reason thus?

 

Are we evil or just people?

Are we feeble as a people or just evil?

Are we feeble? Yes feeble, we’re feeble

 

If the world is a stage, the world as a stage

Then all eyes are on us as the audience waits

 

I refuse to believe we are nothing more than a dot in the sky

There is reason we were given wings to fly, we are grounded

 

And we are all rotating

(We are all rotating on an axis)

 

 

Define Me

 

Oh have I found myself?  (This time I hope so)

The past would beg to differ

But you’ll never stop the fire in my body or take the hunger from my eyes

 

Life, come define me!

 

Home, it seems that I’ve finally found you

Home, and now that I have I’ll never leave you

This place is a secret that many know nothing of

I’ll go ahead and keep it to myself

 

You see these four warm walls? (This time I know so)

The future looks much clearer (It will come to this…)

This burden will never stop me, I’ll let not but inertia touch me

Because I’ve been waiting my whole life for this

 

Life, come to me

Life come define me, don’t ever stop me

From being the person I know I can be.

 

 

 

 

A Room with a View

 

I just looked into my future to realize the fate of humanity and what’s left of our sanity

When the sun goes down I fear the worst for my family

Can I erase what hasn’t happened yet?

Can I take control of what I see or just endure it?

 

I’ve got this feeling for you; I need to know I can have you forever

 

I am on my way I can feel the weight

Of it crashing down corrupting my visions

I’m scared of what’s impending, not knowing the ending

Is what I can make myself to bare

 

I see the future of the world before me

You’re not included

I see the full extent of my destiny

You’re not included

Our time on this Earth will be forever plagued by what I see when I go to sleep

 

My dreams are not my invention, I pray for convention

For what I see is without you

I see a boy, who will save us, conquer something tremendous

For what I see is something new

 

 

Atlas

 

Oh, I’m feeling tragic. What they ask is too much and I feel I’ve had it.

And oh, I’m feeling frantic, deception is becoming habit.

And I’m afraid I like it…

 

I can see their faces, they stare back at me.

With each word, they hang at my lips.

So close, so close to my fingertips

Their contempt is the sea as each day passes

It threatens to swallow me

 

And when we stop it is time to start

 

I am holding the world on my back,

My morals are in question they’re under attack

As they scream “Alas, victory at last, Atlas”

 

I can hear their voices,

“You want glory? This is the price you pay”, they say to me.

If you build it they will come, they won’t stop til it’s done.

Oh just look at the man I’ve become

Woe is me, I just wish they could see

I am not the man I want to be

 

Alas, victory!

This is my will, oh, this is my will.

So let it be written, so let it be done.

 

My bones are not your bones.

 

 

The Ballad of Pangea and Anthalla

 

Two young bodies, two open minds

You are a war I will not lose;

You are the one I will always choose

Morose was my view of this life

My skin was soothed when it was connected to you

 

Their teeth would grind at the thought of this…

 

I want you, to hold you, to wait for me

 

Together we can live like anomalies

The two of us, dancing to our own melodies

So maestro please strike us a chord

(And I don’t care what they’ll do for this)

Let us dance to our own accord.

(Your body’s mine for now)

 

I want you, to hold you to wait for me

To hold you and find you, you can’t escape

 

Your heart is beating…

 

 

 

Firefly (An Intermission)

 

Don’t be afraid, don’t close your eyes

The world is lit by fireflies

Let them bring you in…

 

Carry Me

 

We all know the truth (Nothing falters the optimist)

But still we let it exist

The smoke chokes up the light (Our sins have caught us with up tonight)

Nothing but fools will remain (And now nothing can stop the pain)

No

 

They will say carry me away

To the place where my eyes won’t deceive me

Is this truth or madness?

 

Men of stone born and bred from the west

Came and put the ones I love to rest

These eyes have seen all they need to see

My home burns in my vacancy

You took everything else; take me

 

Fathers say goodbye to your daughters, your loved ones

They came without warning, what’s done is now done

I’ve lost, I’ve lost, my god. I’ve lost.

 

 

Red Poppies

 

I don’t know what to do

They should have been me

My eyes are crossed towards the mountains

The ones that you left behind today

 

And I know you’re supposed to go…

 

Next to the valley where we played our hearts like strings

It’s where you’ll stay

Red poppies outline your chest

As I lay your bodies to rest 

 

And I know you’re supposed to go far away from me

 

And I cannot follow you

But when my time is up that’s where I’ll be

Please follow me?

You knew you were the ones…

 

Baptism Under Fire

 

Trumpets sing, please sing for me

Let the sirens sound and the bells ring for me

I’m finding out that what I don’t know I will learn as I go

Know my name, they will know my name

Let none of those bastards who don’t remain

I’m finding out that what I don’t know I will learn as I go

 

From pole to pole, from East to West

They will all soon see the power of my fist

 

I am learning to fly while falling through the spheres

I am dreaming of places far from here

Call me when the circumstances are dire

Baptism under fire, baptism under fire

 

Let my will not falter; when we reach our limits we’ll move on further

Time is of no matter; we’ll stop when it’s done and not a moment sooner

God grant me the strength and courage to do what I must,

Oh my anxious flock put your faith in me, in Vironus you shall trust

 

God preserve us, I pray thee to you

God preserve us, and expel the wicked

 

 

 

Manumit

 

I remember years when I was the king

I had the world before me hanging on a string

Now I walk these streets and alleys of this city,

And I know nothing can stop me, not a thing.

 

I can’t move I can’t sleep I want my body back.

 

Goddamn these steps that brought me here

I’ve lost what I hold the most dear

I can’t move, I can’t sleep, I stay awake most nights

I can’t sleep I want your body back

 

I remember days that I spent with you

And now that you’re gone there’s only thing left to do

Anthalla , It’s all for you

Oh Anthalla, It’s all for you

 

I can’t move, I can’t sleep, I want your body back.

Can’t move.

Is this paralysis? It’s just paralysis.

 

 

Existence (An Epilogue)

 

Pity me, pity me,

No save it for the deserving

Hold me, hold me

For all my will I’m still shaking

So leave me, leave me be

My mind is made up

I only hope they’ll feel how I feel

Before my time is up

 

I am Earth, I am mountain, I am waves, I am ocean

 

I’ll pull these walls down around me

Make sure that we live for something

Not everyone is mad, and I know they’ll understand

This machine is all I need, to send the world my relief

To save us all who were deceived, to rebuild this city

 

To make the East and West whole again…

 

Go to these hills ‘til you know

So go to these hills ‘til you know

All that I see I will bury, this will be my opus

This will be my symphony

 

(It’s all for you, oh Anthalla)

The two of us, we are eternal

(Pangaea, Panthallasa)

So bid farewell to the anomalies

 

I am Earth, gifted from birth

I’ll destroy this machine and show my worth.

 

I’ll pull these walls around me

I’ll make sure that we live for something

Not everyone is mad

And I’ll pray for the day that they’ll understand

 

I can’t move, I can’t sleep, I want your body back

 

 

Shadows and Dust

 

You see these hands?

They pray and they beg just to make their mark

You see these hands?

This world is in need and it’s time, oh it’s time

For me to play the monarch

God preserve the king

 

They’ll sing it from the rooftops

They’ll yell it in the streets

Let it echo through the ages

And send them word of me

 

Shadows and dust,

If we are but shadows and dust

Years from now will they know of us?

 

Persist to exist, friends

There will be a time when this life ends

For time can give us days and days

Then take us while we live them

 

You see this light?

Oh God I just want to make my mark

You see this light?

It flickers and threatens to leave us alone in the dark

 

God preserve the king.

Should he fall let his choirs sing…

 

 

 

 

The Final Word.

For a couple weeks now we have made mention of a final show and the ending of Venona and I thought it time to put it to rest.  I apologize for the confusion and mystery of it all, we always like to be very open but we just wanted to make sure some things were in order before we announced anything.  I hope that you can forgive us.

In a little over a month, Venona will be disbanding indefinitely. 

Now, please know that not only was this planned, but that it is mutual.  Simply, Venona can’t operate in the same context that it has these past 3 to 4 years.  All of us are now at a point where our lives are taking us in completely different directions and I could not be more happy or proud of these guys.  Bill, who is a member of the Air Force, will be shipping off to Afghanistan soon after our final show to serve our country.  Justin is currently a student at the University at Buffalo pursuing a degree in Psychology and minor in Music.  Lance and Al, who both go to Buffalo State for Criminal Justice, will be continuing their studies and pursuing their careers as well.  I , Mike, will be studying acting at Rutgers in New Jersey for the next three years.  Obviously, I can’t speak of what the future will hold, but musically this will most certainly not be the end in our individual lives.  However, for Venona as a group, it will be.

Now I know it seems counterintuitive to announce our break up soon after announcing the release of our debut album, so please allow me to explain.  I also know that as a band we have broken up, gone on hiatus, stopping making music, what have you, some 30 times now but I assure you, this is it. 

For the past two years we have been writing and recording our first full length.  It has most certainly been a love to hate, hate to love relationship, the bane of our existence as well as one of the best things we have all been a part of.  In the fallout of many missed opportunities and unfortunate happenings both in our professional and individual lives, the only thing that has kept us together and lead us to this point was both our friendship and the music we have made together.  As all of those who take that first and unnerving step off their door step know, it’s a tough world out there and things very rarely work out the way you planned.  But it is in that exploration outside of your comfort zone that the greatest discoveries are made, the most important being that it is truly not the destination that matters, but rather the journey.  So how does all this preaching relate to Venona’s album?  I’m about to tell you.

About a year and a half ago, we came to a place where we just all unanimously decided to let go of any fears and/or uncertainties and just do exactly what we wanted.  For us, that was making the music we wanted to make without the influence of anyone or anything outside of our cozy little group of five.  It meant no further additions to the band, no deadlines or a specific set of time, and only answering to each other.  This CD is the product of that.  For me personally, and for the group, it gave us a chance to say the things we wanted to say and in the context that we wanted to say them.  It allowed us to explore, to push, to story tell, to present, but most importantly, to relate.  While this CD is based off of this very expansive and sprawling story, the ideas, opinions, and events expressed in this album are all influenced by reality and real happenings.  At the end of the day, I wanted to make sure people could listen to these tracks and find personal meaning within them.  For music, just as is with all forms of art is communication, and far too important a medium to just create carelessly.  Regardless of the work we’ve done, this is all for you.  Remember that.

The simple truth is we knew this day would come.  We just couldn’t stand the thought of not sharing what we have made with any of those willing to listen.  Please, let it not be another tree in the forest, left to a fate similar to thousands of those before it and falling without a sound.  By reading this alone you have already completed a task that I could not thank you enough for.  So in the event that you find Pangea and the Earth Machine in your hands, on your computer, or in the stereo of your car, do me just one more favor: share it with somebody.  We would be forever grateful, and somewhere down the road I’ll buy you a beer and we’ll talk until we can’t remember why it is we started.

Thank you for all your support, truly, deeply, and sincerely.  We hope to see you all at our final show on the 14th of May, 2011.

Lance, Al, Bill, Mike, and Justin.

Weightless Underwater

I don’t know about everyone else but I hate how good TREOS still is. I wish they would release a new song every once in while…

August 20th tickets

Hey guys, We are still selling tickets to our August 20th show. If you need any please email us at venonamusic@gmail.com

Hope to see you all there!

Justin.

Show announced!

Hey guys,

We finally announced our first show in over a year! It is August 20th at Xtreme Wheels with The Bigger Lights, The Graduate, Amely and MANY MORE!!! Head over to our myspace or facebook for more info!

-Justin-

http://www.myspace.com/venona

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Venona/35471747651?ref=ts