(The Gallery of Ghosts) (or The Look Back) (Verse 1) The lights are dimmed, the colors loud I stand amidst the silent crowd Oil on canvas, distorted lines Twisted bodies, grieving souls A title on the wall beneath Screams out the lies they once sowed “Degenerate”—a word they hurled To brand those souls they could not bear. (Pre-Chorus) And I lift my head, I hold my breath Staring death right in the face They silenced not only brush and pen They taught the world how to hate again. (Chorus) We must look back to save our future Before memories crumble into dust Through shattered glass, through blasted ruins Where torchlight smashed the art we trusted They burned the books, they banned the ink They drew the line where we were meant to sink We must look back, beyond the pain To ensure we never walk this path again. (Verse 2) They piled the books in public squares And struck a match to our silent stories They tore the canvases from their frames And stamped a number on every arm For the sake of faith, for the sake of birth For the color of skin, for the sake of “worth” A twisted limb, a different mind They killed with glee anyone they deemed worthless. (Chorus) We must look back to save our future Before the memories crumble into dust Through the shattered glass, through the broken ruins Where torchlight smashed the art we trusted They burned the books, they banned the ink They drew the line where we were meant to sink We must look back, beyond the pain To ensure we never walk this path again. (Bridge) And as I stand here, I can scarcely grasp What ordinary minds can bring to pass When fear becomes the only law And empathy is crushed by dread A human life, a single soul A broken dream, a narrow grave They saw no face, they saw no heart They simply tore the soul apart. (Guitar Solo / Instrumental Interlude – melancholic, driving) (Outro) I cannot grasp what humans are capable of When hatred turns the sky to gray Look back... Look back... We must look back... To save tomorrow from today (Whispered) Do not let the memory fade Do not let the fire ignite again Look back Save our future
