The Killers - Battle Born Album Lyrics

I've gone through life white-knuckled
In the moments that left me behind
Refusing to heed the yield
I penetrate the force fields in the blind
They say I'll adjust
God knows I must
But I'm not sure how
This natural selection picked me out to be
A dark horse running in a fantasy

(Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time,
(Flesh and bone)

Somewhere outside that finish line
I square up and break through the chains
And I hit like a raging bull
Anointed by the blood, I take the reins
Cut from the cloth, of a flag that
Bears the name of "Battle Born"
They'll call me the contender
They'll listen for the bell
With my face flashing crimson from the fires of hell

(What are you afraid of?)
And what are you made of?
(Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time,
(Flesh and bone)
And what are you made of?
(Flesh and bone)
Man, I'm turning on a dime,
(Flesh and bone)

(This could decay)
This could decay
Like the valley below
Defences are down
The stakes are high
(Scouting the crowd for a face of compassion)
The fairytale end
(To face off the journey that fathers no more)
The staggering blow
(You'll find the truth in the roots of desire)
You lead with your chin
(Thinkin' with your corners, just a compass and the sun)
This could be real
(Thinkin' with your corners, just a)
Simple

And what are you made of?
(Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time
(Flesh and bone)
What are you made of?

He faces forward,
Trading in his blindness for the world of love,
And time is raging, may it rage in vain,
And you always had it, but you never knew,
So boots and saddles, get on your feet,
There's no surrender, cause there's no retreat,
The bells are sounding, bring this match to an end,
We are the descendents of giant men.

Blonde hair blowin' in the summer wind
A blue-eyed girl playing in the sand
I'd been on a trail for a little while
But that was the night that she broke down and held my hand
The teenage rush, she said, 'maybe I'll just runaway, we got time'
Well that ain't much...
We can't wait 'til tomorrow
You gotta know that this is real, baby why you wanna fight it?
It's the one thing you can choose, oh!

We got engaged on a Friday night
I swore on the head of our unborn child that I could take care of the three of us
But I got the tendency to slip when the nights get wild.
It's in my blood
She says she might just runaway somewhere else, some place good
We can't wait 'til tomorrow
You gotta know that this is real, baby why you wanna fight it?
It's the one thing you can choose

Let's take a chance baby we can't lose
Mean we're all just runaways
I knew that when I met you, I'm not gonna let you runaway
I knew that when I held you, I wasn't lettin' go

We used to look at the stars and confess our dreams
Hold each other to the morning light
We used to laugh, now we only fight
Baby are you lonesome now?

At night I come home after they go to sleep
Like a stumbling ghost, I haunt these halls
There's a picture of us on our wedding day
I recognize the girl but I can't settle in these walls

We can't wait 'til tomorrow
No we're caught up in the appeal, baby why you wanna hide it?
It's the last thing on my mind
(Why you wanna hide it?)
I turn the engine over and my body just comes alive and we all just runaway
I knew that when I met you, I'm not gonna let you runaway
I knew that when I held you, I wasn't lettin go, no no no!
(No no no!)
(And we're all just runaways)
Yeah runaway
(And we're all just runaways)
Yeah

I drove through the desert last night
I carried the weight of our last fight
Elvis singing "don't be cruel"
And I wonder if you feel it too
It's like we're going under

Somewhere outside the lonely Esmeralda county line
The question of my heart came to my mind

If I go on
With you by my side
Can it be
The way it was
When we met
Did you forget all about those golden nights?

Maybe a thief stole your heart
Or maybe we just drifted apart
I remember driving
In my daddy's car to the airfield
Blanket on the hood, backs against the windshield
Back then this thing was running on momentum, love and trust
That paradise is buried in the dust

If I go on
With you by my side
Can it be
The way it was
When we met
Did you forget all about those golden nights?
(The way it was)

All of our plans have fallen through
Sometimes a dream, it don't come true

Darling!
Darling!

If we go on
Can it be
The way it was
When we met
Did you forget all about them golden nights?

If I go on
With you by my side
Can it be
The way it was
My heart is true
Girl, it's just you
I'm thinking of
Can it be the way it was?

Maybe a thief stole your heart

Wheels are turning
I remember when you were mine
Now just to reach you
Baby, I'd stand in line

But there's another world
We're living in
Tonight

And there's another heart
That's fading in
The light

Don't want your picture
On my cell phone
I want you here with me
Don't want your memory
In my head now
I want you here with me

Spent the summer, just laying out in the sun
Time seems to move so slow
When you're taking it as it comes
Maybe we were just too young

Your body was tanned and your hair was long
You showed me your smile and my cares were gone
Falling in love filled my soul with fright
You said "Come on babe, it'll be alright"
I must have been a fool to the bitter end
Now I hold on to hope to have you back again
I'd bargain and I'd fight

But there's another world
We're living in
Tonight

Don't want your picture
On my cell phone
I want you here with me
I don't want your memory
In my head now
I want you here with me

Well I saw you in a restaurant
The other day
And instead of walking towards you
I ran away
And I'll keep on waiting for you
Till you'll come around
Come around and say

Don't want your picture
On my cell phone
I want you here with me
Don't need those memories
In my head now
I want you here with me

Ooooh!
Ooooh!
Here with me
Ooooh!
Ooooh!
Ooooh!
Here with me

You're looking for a way out, I can feel it
Come on, show me where it hurts, maybe I can heal it
Your feelings are your own, now you keep them under lock and key
You've got me driving through the streets for an answer to the mystery

The world's still awake on Charleston Avenue
Outside that vacant starlight motel
I see you
Laughing with your girlfriends
Not a care in the world
Not a burden on your mind

It was a matter of time

There's a panic in this house and it's bound to surface
Just walking through the front door makes me nervous
It's creeping up the floorboards, got me wondering where I stand
I cannot put out the fire, I've got a book of matches in my hand

When we first met, headstrong and filled with doubt
Made just enough, hustling tables, that summer to take you out
I was falling back on forever
When you told me about your heart
You laid it on the line

Laughing with your girlfriends
Not a care in the world
Not a burden on your mind
You're hanging on the line!

It was just a matter
It was a matter of time

We'd find ourselves a place, we belong in this forever
Ain't that what it's all about?
Make the promise and keep it
Come hell or high water
We'd figure it out

It was the night, it was the moon
It was the green grass in the garden
The victory and the sin

I know you're weary, look at me
Flailing in the corner
Here's the towel
Go on, throw it in

It was a matter of time
Can't you see that it's tearing me up inside?
Look what's laying at our feet
That's the wreckage of broken dreams
And burned out halos
And it's here on our street

That place we all run to
It can come down on you
The expectation can be great

If you should ever tire
Or if you should require
A sudden, simple twist of fate

Don't hide away
There's something to be said for pushing through
We'd never ride on horses that discourage you

If you should fall upon hard times
If you should lose your way
There is a place
Here in this house
That you can stay

If you should find romance
Go on and take that chance
Before the strategies begin

Deadlines and commitments
Every morning
And in the evening
They can suck you in
Boy, don't I know it

This offer would be standing
All you've got to do is call
Don't be afraid to knock on the door

If you should fall upon hard times
If you should lose your way
There is a place
Here in this house
That you can stay

I'm not talking about
Deadlines and commitments
Sold out of confusion
There is a place
Here in this house
That you can stay

Catch you, darling
I'll be waiting
I am on your side

This offer would be standing
All you've got to do is call
Don't be afraid to knock on the door

If you should fall upon hard times
If you should lose your way
There is a place
Here in this house
That you can stay

I'm not talking about
Deadlines and commitments
Sold out of confusion
There is a place
Here in this house
That you can stay

Catch you, darling
I'll be waiting
I am on your side

I'll catch you, darling
I'll be waiting
I am on your side

You were standing with your girlfriends in the street
Falling back on forever, I wonder what you came to be...
I was new in town, the boy with the eager eyes
I never was a quitter, oblivious to schoolgirls' lies

When I look back on those neon nights
The leather seats, the passage rite
I feel the heat, I see the light

Miss Atomic Bomb
Making out, we've got the radio on
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

Racing shadows under moonlight
Through the desert on a hot night
And for a second there we'd won
Yeah, we were innocent and young

Cast out of the night, well you've got a foolish heart
So you took your place but the fall from grace was the hardest part
It feels just like a dagger buried deep in your back
You run for cover but you can't escape the second attack
Your soul was innocent, she kissed him and she painted it black
You should have seen your little face, burnin' for love
Holdin on' for your life

All that I wanted was a little touch,
A little tenderness and truth, I didn't ask for much, no
Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time...

Miss Atomic Bomb
Making out we've got the radio on
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone
You're gonna miss me when I'm gone

Racing shadows under moonlight
We're taking chances on a hot night
And for a second there we'd won
Yeah we were innocent and young

The dust cloud has settled, and my eyes are clear
But sometimes in dreams of impact I still hear
Miss Atomic Bomb, I'm standing here
Sweat on my skin
And this love that I've cradled
Is wearing thin (Miss Atomic Bomb)
But I'm standing here and your too late
Your shock-wave whisper has sealed your fate

It feels just like a dagger buried deep in your back (It's so cruel [?])
You run for cover but you can't escape the second attack (and you turn your back, you're so)
Your soul was innocent, she kissed him and she painted it black (on a losing game)
You should have seen your little face, burning for love,
(Miss Atomic Bomb) Holdin' on for your life

But you can't survive (All that I wanted was a little touch)
When you want it all (A little tenderness and truth, I didn't ask for much)
There's another side (Talk about being at the wrong place at the wrong time)

The streets of persuasion
Are plated with gold
Your heart's in the right place,
But you travel down the wrong road
Like so many before you
The gates open wide
Here come the rising tide (rising tide)

Let's go out tonight
There's a mystery underneath the neon light
Before life and dreams collide
Cause the truth's gonna come and cut me open wide
And you can't escape the rising of the tide

Keep up your appearance; you're joining the choir
With everybody singing out "Glory, Hallelujah" (Hallelujah)
The time came for your solo
But there was nowhere to hide
Here come the rising tide (rising tide)

And the company you keep,
Well they plan your crucifixion as we speak
So, baby 'til life and the dream collide
There's gonna be a mystery underneath those neon lights
If you can't decipher just who's on your side
You will not escape the rising of the tide

Can you tell me brother? Was I deceived, or in denial?
I was there, in the back of the room, when you testified

With your pitchfork tongue, you licked your lips and lied
We're never gonna know how hard you cried
When you petitioned and your access was denied
'Til the venom in your veins is satisfied
'Til you suffocate and swallow down the pride

Well you can't escape
(You can't escape)
Yeah, you can't escape
(You can't escape)
No, you can't escape the rising of the tide

Looking out my window
An angel in robes appeared and nearly pulled me apart
A million miles of freedom, a million miles of road,
But I still don't know where to start

She wrote her number down
And she gave it to me
They had to scrape me off the floor
In this transient town, waiters and dealers
Trying to get their foot in the door

That night I called her and she said
"Daddy daddy daddy, all my life
I've been trying to find my place in the world"
And I said to her
"Baby baby babe, I got all night to listen to the heart of a girl"

I can see the time drippin' down the clock,
We've been trying to hear that ancient refrain
It's the one that knows just when our heads are down
And reminds us of the place from where we came
Where we came

"Daddy daddy daddy, all my life
I've been trying to find my place in this world"
"Baby baby babe, I got all night to listen to the heart of a girl"

What happened here, what is this world?
It's too far from the heart of a girl
A ripple in the water
From the drop of a pearl
I'm on the shore waitin'
For the heart of a girl

Many doors, knock on one
Standin' still, time is raging
Staring down the mouth of a hundred thousand guns
And you're still here, you're still here

I believe that we never have to be alone
Yes I believe it's just around the bend
You can hold it in
Or you can scream it on a microphone
There is no end (there is no end)
There is no end (there is no end)

Deep in the night, I feel the presence
Of something that was long ago told to me
There is a hand, guiding the river
The river to wide open sea
And deep in my heart, [?]
On any mountain, no I'm not afraid
Standing on stone, you stand beside me
And honour the plans that were made

A little birdie whispered in my ear
You've been cooking up a world of fear
Put your hands in things you shouldn't have known
You was riding in the danger zone

Well you had us all fooled with your quarterback smile
And your crocodile tears there for a while
And my paradigm shifted, man you're making me shout

Hey, from here from out
Friends are gonna be hard to come by
Left us wonderin' what it all was about
He had it easy, man he chose the hard way
Walk that old, lonely road in the shadow of a doubt
From here on out

Should our paths ever decide to cross
You may wonder what the trouble cost
That don't matter now, life goes on
Hallelujah, the troubles' gone

No sense in holding purpose and it's better to forgive
These are things that I must learn, to practice while I live
And my paradigm shifted, man you're making me shout

Hey, from here from out
Friends are gonna be hard to come by
Left us wonderin' what it all was about
He had it easy, man he chose the hard way
Walk that old, lonely road in the shadow of a doubt

Hey, from here on out
Let the bugle blow a song of peace time
Left us wonderin' what it all was about
You may deny it but you carry it with you
Down that old lonely road in the shadow of a doubt
Yeah, from here on out

Be still
And go on to bed
Nobody knows what lies ahead
And life is short
To say the least
We're in the belly of the beast

Be still
Wild and young
Long may your innocence reign
Like shells on the shore
And may your limits be unknown
And may your efforts be your own
If you ever feel you can't take it anymore

Don't break character
You've got a lot of heart
Is this real or just a dream?
Rise up like the sun
Labor till the work is done

Be still
One day you'll leave
Fearlessness on your sleeve
When you've come back, tell me what did you see
What did you see
Was there something out there for me?

Be still
Close your eyes
Soon enough you'll be on your own
Steady and straight
And if they drag you through the mud
It doesn't change what's in your blood
(Over chains)
When they knock you down

Don't break character
You've got a lot of heart
Is this real or just a dream?
Be still
Be still
Be still
Be still

Over rock and chain
Over sunset plain
Over trap and snare
When you're in too deep
In your wildest dream
In your made up scheme
When they knock you down
When they knock you down

Don't break character
You've got sooooo much heart
Is this real or just a dream?
Oh Rise up like the sun
And labor till the work is done
Rise up like the sun
Labor till the work is

Rise up like the sun
And labor till the work is done

You lost faith in the human spirit
You walk around like a ghost
Your star-spangled heart
Took a train for the coast

When you shine you're a hilltop mansion
So how'd you lose the light?
Was it blown by the wind,
In the still of the night?

We're up against the wall

Up against the wall
There's something dying on the street
When they knock you down
You're gonna get back on your feet
(No you can't stop now)

I always saw you as a kind of keeper
A mother to a child
But your boys have grown soft
And your girls have gone wild

From the blue ranch to the black hills
To the redwood sky
The season may pass
But the dream doesn't die

Why did you drop the ball?

Up against the wall
There's something dying on the street
When they knock you down
You're gonna get back on your feet
(No you can't stop now)

When they break your heart
When they cause your soul to mourn
Remember what I said
Boy you was battle born

(No, you can't stop now)
You was battle born

When the night falls on the land
Are you haunted by the sound?
It's gonna take more than a hand
To turn this thing around

Won't you lean it on me?
Rescue, set me free

Up against the wall (Up against the wall)
There's something dying on the street
When they knock you down (Up against the wall)
You're gonna get back on your feet
Cause you can't stop now (Cause you can't stop now)

Did they break your heart? (Did they break your heart?)
And did they cause your soul to mourn
Remember what I said
Boy you was battle born
Cause you can't stop now (Cause you can't stop now)

Come on show your face
Come on give us one more spark
So we'll start a fire
Unless we fall into the dark
And you can't stop now (No, you can't stop now)

You never know
If you never learn
You never shine
If you never burn
The rising tide
The undertow
The venom and
The overflow
You turn away
Welcome home