A Thousand Yard Stare (Broken Man)
[Intro – sparse guitar riff, slightly detuned, warbly analog tone] [quiet layered locals in background, sounding like memories bleeding through static] [vocals: whisper-sung, drained but melodic] As I sit in bed tonight I think of what has been Yet I feel like I'm in my twilight Like it's the last I've seen [lead vocal: slightly strained, double-tracked in places] My past behind me still pulls at the seams Still shows me inside and all my old dreams Your face, your touch, the warmth of a woman Yet... I'm nothing but a... [SCREAMED, saturated delay] A BROKEN MAN! YEAHHHH! [Chorus – chorus effect on guitars, layered vocal harmonies with a Layne/Jerry vibe] I’m just a broken man I've wasted so much time I fall on my knees from a stand I’m so far down but I gotta climb [harmonized "Mmm-hmmm" and "Ohhhh-yeah" echo faintly] --- [Verse 2 – slightly slowed, darker tone, bass drives the groove] Ooooo I'm a broken man But I crawl forward, I can Ooooo… Just an empty soul… Mmm… Am I a man or a GHOUL? [SCREAMED – distorted vocals layered under clean] A BROKEN MAN! YEAHHHH! Oooooooo… Mmmm… Oooo… --- [Chorus – repeat with more intensity, add high harmonies above main line] I’m just a broken man I've wasted so much time I fall on my knees from a stand I’m so far down but I gotta climb --- [Bridge – guitars drop to ambient droning, bass pulses like a heart] [vocals: half-spoken, half-moan, like confessions in the dark] Ooooo… Broken, yeahhh… Mmmm… Ooooo… A broken man… Ooooo… Standing so far… Yeah… From where I could've been… --- [Outro – return to intro riff, stripped down, barely held together] [vocals: dry and close-mic’d, almost spoken – a man unraveling into resolve] From the pain I reforge my strength again To face the day and be better than then I may be broken but I can repair But for now a... [slow fading delivery with reverb increasing] thousand… Yard… Stare… [Chorus – repeat with more intensity, add high harmonies above main line] I’m just a broken man I've wasted so much time I fall on my knees from a stand I’m so far down but I gotta climb [Epic Outro Solo fading out slowly]
