The Calm And The Chaos

[Intro: Immediate raspy male singing, no instrumental intro] I hear you arguing again One wants peace, one wants revenge I know how both of you got here But neither one can hear me yet [Verse 1: Tight gritty melodic rock singing, driving rhythm] I learned how to listen before I react How to hear what was said without giving it back How to leave an argument right where it stands Without letting my temper make all of my plans But there's a limit to biting my tongue To swallowing words till my patience is done I know how to walk when there's nothing to gain That doesn't mean I don't remember the names I can sit with the anger and give it some room Let the worst of the feeling pass through But there's somebody else with a different opinion And I know what he's getting ready to do [Pre Chorus: Rising gritty singing, no pause] I know every reason to leave it alone I know what it costs when I don't But the part of me waiting to answer Has never been good at letting things go [Chorus 1: Explosive arena rock, huge raspy cracked belts] I'm the calm and the chaos Two sides trying to agree One knows when to walk away One's got something to prove to me I can keep my hands steady I can choose what I say But there's a fight over who gets the final word Every time I turn away [Verse 2: Aggressive melodic rock singing, tight continuous phrasing] You can count to a hundred, I counted the damage You call it restraint, I call it a habit Of handing the advantage to somebody laughing While you sit there pretending that nothing just happened I'm not saying swing, I'm not saying attack I'm saying quit letting them talk to you like that You can set a boundary without being cruel But you gotta stop playing by somebody else's rules I'm the part that remembers the details you miss Every broken agreement, every casual dismissal Every time you said fine when you clearly were pissed Every time you backed down just to keep it civil You think I'm the problem because I get loud But I never showed up till you shut yourself down You can call me a temper, a flaw, a reaction I'm the reason you finally decided to take action [Heavy Vocal Section: Fast gritty melodic singing, no break] I pick up the pattern, I question the motive I notice the moments you chose to ignore it I measure the damage, I separate fact From the stories you tell when you're holding it back I challenge the habit of making excuses For people who know what they're doing and use it I push you to speak when you're tempted to fold But I still need a hand when I'm losing control [Interlude: Continuous backing, restrained raspy singing] I don't need another promise That you'll never lose your head I just need you both to listen Before the damage gets ahead [Chorus 2: Massive arena rock, crushing guitars and raspy belts] I'm the calm and the chaos Two sides trying to agree One knows when to walk away One's got something to prove to me I can keep my hands steady I can choose what I say But there's a fight over who gets the final word Every time I turn away [Verse 3: Driving gritty melodic rock singing, minimal pauses] I hear what you're saying, and some of it's fair I spent too many years acting like I don't care I mistook being quiet for doing what's right And carried those arguments home every night But you don't get to drive just because you get mad You don't get to ruin the good that we have There's a difference between making somebody hear And giving them one more good reason to fear You can help me be firm without making a scene You can tell me the truth without getting mean I don't need to be harmless, I don't need to be hard I just need to decide when to lower my guard [Final Heavy Vocal Section: Forceful gritty singing, continuous momentum] I can channel the anger and sharpen the message And turn all the pressure to something effective I don't need a fight just to make an impression I need you to quit second guessing your judgment I can follow the rhythm and finish the thought Without turning a difference of opinion to war You handle the timing, I'll handle the nerve And we'll both make damn sure that our voices get heard [Bridge: Emotional raspy singing, continuous rise into higher cracked belt] You don't have to bury every feeling You don't have to let it take the wheel Say what happened, say why it matters Let it hurt without making it worse [Final Chorus: Immediate explosive arena rock, soaring cracked belts] I'm the calm and the chaos And I'm done choosing sides I can stand up for myself Without losing my mind I can keep my hands steady And still mean what I say I don't have to give the anger control Just to stop walking away [Outro: Four close mic sung lines, immediate final hit] I counted to ten Then I said what I meant And for once That was enough [End: Single heavy guitar and bass impact, hard stop]