Winter

Hey kid, I’ve been watching you
Sleeping in the lilies with that old dull-bladed knife
Still in those bulletproof pajamas you’ve worn all your life
But tonight you’re in some murky bar
The music’s too loud, and you don’t feel like dancing
Not a familiar face in the room
Just that little voice in the back of your head
That’s always been there, but tonight it says:
The days are getting shorter, the air is getting colder
And as you sip your rum and coke, kid
You’re just getting older
You realize you’re sweating, and the air around you stinks
You stumble to the bathroom
Throw your head beneath the sink
And as you raise your eyes, your lips release a little groan
'Cause the face that’s grinning back at you
Just isn’t quite your own
So you go back to your lily petals
Pull those old pajamas tight
But you can’t shake this feeling
That your life is just a game of chess
Where ancient gods and devils fight
People stagger by you
Thick blood running down their faces
While little jet-black serpents
Try to mate with your shoelaces
An old blind dog’s been at your heels
With the overpowering stench of decay
And an old friend sends a package
The skull inside it seems to say:
I’m the face in every mirror, the shadow at your feet
The little light that glows behind
Each pair of eyes that you meet
You can hide inside your castle
Spend years thinking you’re free
But I’m like ancient Rome, baby, all roads lead to me
Okay kid, let me tell you a little story. See, I don’t get into town too often
these days, but sometime soon old Jack Frost’s gonna blow back into the heart
of the big city
And I’ll scream until the buildings melt
Then whisper 'til they freeze
And I’ll stand on an icy tower with every eye fixed on me
And everyone will follow
As I raise my left hand to the sky
And together we’ll peel back the fabric
Of this world and stare into the void that lies behind