clipping time's wings

Year of Song #4:  Family Is King

“Family Is King” was inspired by good ol’ family drama.  When I was back in Manila a few weeks ago I talked to my grandma about her life.  Up to this point I really haven’t had much interaction with her; she spent most of my waking life in the Philippines, so this was one of the first substantial conversations I had with her.  But to hear her open up about her life and the secret pains behind our family made me angry for what she’s gone through.  So this song came out, saying what I was feeling at the time — this blind and misguided allegiance to the family was forcing her to suffer in silence.  Don’t get me wrong, I strongly believe in the goodness of family.  But even within the family, people can be pretty cruel to each other…

i think i know how we’re gonna break, quartered by virtue, thrown to a silent storm
we tell ourselves that we’ll make it through, but we’re drifting away on an endless, endless sea; an endless, endless sea

even though we tried, yeah we both lost faith
just say you’ll remember me, say you’ll remember when you wanted this,
you used to want this life
but even though we tried, yeah we still said goodbye
no I can’t stay here anymore, or even call this home
there’s nothing here i own
forgive and forget, for the family is king
no matter how we break it’s the family that’s king

we’re running changes under the weight of a loaded gun, you and i just watched as we slowly frayed apart
how can you stand it, you were all i had, but you just had to have her, left me shackled to your reign

i could’ve loved you if you ever let me in, you never let me in
(but you always knew) i could’ve loved you if you ever let me in, can’t you   let me in?

so forgive and forget, for the family is king
no matter how we break it’s the family that’s king
you see what we made, in all we forsake, for the family is king