Song of the Day – 09/22/09

Ballad of a Paralysed Citizen – The Faint

I’ve noticed while listening to a lot of music from The Faint lately that a lot of their songs tell stories. This song in particular struck an emotional chord in me…it may be because I just watched an episode of True Life on MTV last weekend about a 17 year old paralyzed boy…but either way this song really makes you feel the subject’s pain, and not just from the lyrics. The overall mood of the song is pulled together with a very somber, slow and cold electronic beat, which leaves you slightly depressed..but grateful for things we usually take for granted.

If you like this song, I also suggest their song: The Conducter [Thin White Duke Remix] It’s not nearly as depressing, but another very story-like song. There are a few versions, but personally I like this one the best.

Lyrics of Ballad of a Paralysed Citizen:

I’m paralysed and things could change for you as well
you’re not so bad off now, you can move anything you need.
I’m not this way because of an emergency I caused
at seventeen a guard perched above the chlorine floor
when I saw a hand raise up from just beneath the air,
a frantic move for help, I made an instant judgment call.
dive- I arced my feet to dive, I broke the elemental line
to save a child. dive- into the shallow floor
the bottom scraped my palms and compressed my spine.
now i’m paralysed while they just hope to make amends
the family and the kid who faked the drowning incident,
i’ve felt the hand of god and that’s the last thing that I felt
at all below my back, i’ve lost the faith I thought I had.