Respawn

[Intro — Glitching Synthesizers, Distorted Electronic Pulse] Game over. Try again. Funny how that worked back then. [Verse 1 — Rhythmic Vocal] Quarter in the arcade slot. Give it everything you've got. Miss the jump and hit the floor. Feed the machine and try once more. Back when every broken dream Came with one more loading screen. Every loss was temporary. Every ending arbitrary. [Verse 1] Now the dust is on my hands. We're a long way from the Pines. I keep waiting for your eyes to open, Counting breaths instead of time. There's no screen to tell me when, No button I can press. I just hold your hand and listen. I ain't giving up on you yet. [Pre-Chorus] And I've been running through the levels, Trying not to lose my way. But there's no one at the controls Who can make the damage fade. [Chorus] I can't respawn! Can't turn back time! Can't reload the years Or reclaim what's mine! No extra lives! No second screen! Just a thousand fucking chances To become who I should've been! Let the whole world fall apart! Let it tear me limb from limb! I can't respawn! But I can start again! [Post-Chorus] Start again! Start again! No more waiting for the end! Start again! Start again! I'm not finished playing yet! [Verse 2] I've been chasing high-score dreams, Losing sleep to loading screens. Every checkpoint that I missed Is another name upon the list. People I was gonna call. Promises I let dissolve. All the words I should've said Keep repeating in my head. [Verse 2] You were there when I stopped running. You were there when I came home. And I'm sitting here beside you, Scared to death to be alone. So I tell you something stupid, How I tripped outside the door. Anything to keep on talking Till I hear your voice once more. [Pre-Chorus] I can't fix the roads behind me. Can't erase the scars I've earned. But there's still a road ahead, And I've got something left to learn. [Chorus] I can't respawn! Can't turn back time! Can't reload the years Or reclaim what's mine! No extra lives! No second screen! Just a thousand fucking chances To become who I should've been! Let the whole world fall apart! Let it tear me limb from limb! I can't respawn! But I can start again! [Bridge — Sparse Synth, Heartbeat Pulse] System failure. Screen goes black. No cheat code to bring you back. I hold your hand. I say your name. And then your fingers move again. [Bridge] Your eyes come open slowly. For a second, neither speaks. Then you give my hand a squeeze, And all that fear comes out of me. I laugh and try to hide it. Yeah, I know you see right through. You don't have to say a word. I'm just glad it's really you. [Instrumental — Synth Hook Returns, Guitar Builds] [Final Chorus] I can't respawn! Can't turn back time! Can't bring back the moments That we left behind! No extra lives! No guarantees! But your hand is holding mine, And you're right here next to me! Let the whole world fall apart! Let the ending fucking sting! I can't respawn! But we're still here! And that means everything! [Outro — Fading Synthesizers] No save file. No magic trick. No way to change the past. But your eyes are open. Your hand's in mine. Tomorrow comes. We'll take our time. Then when you're ready, We press start again.