When Phil introduced the band to a demo that he had made of this song, about 95% of the music had been written. Phil had been singing the line "he sees his world, he sees it burn" while he worked on the demo, but otherwise the song had no lyrics.
I had been thinking about writing a song about a challenge that a friend of mine was facing, and this seemed like a good opportunity. At some point around the time when Sting released the song "Lithium Sunset" I discovered that the rays of the sun at dawn and dusk release high levels of lithium, which is thought to explain in part why people feel elated when they view the sunrise or sunset. A form of lithium is also used to treat bipolar disorder, and I found this connection interesting. I'm happy to say that my friend is doing well now.
lyrics
Slow creeps the sun
it pulls on the day
Thoughts come and go
then fall away
He wants to scream so loud, but he's trapped inside a lithium smile...
he sees his world
he sees it burn
Pendulum swing
Tide turn away
No black or white
Cold numbing grey
He wants to take control, but he's trapped inside a lithium smile...
he sees his world
he sees it burn
Work comes and goes
Friends fall away
Slow fades the sun
It closes the day
They say he's balanced now, but he's trapped inside a lithium smile...
he sees his world
he sees it burn
credits
from Vivement l'Automne,
track released February 6, 2010
Heesen/Hutcherson
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