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Chronology

by Bitter Ruin

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1.
There’s a little piece of you Tangled in my hair Get it out, get it out, get it out, get it out, get it out! I don’t want it there There’s a little piece of you Clawing at my ribcage Let it out, let it out, let it out, let it out, let it out! It needs to be saved Hell no Mother you’re wrong that fucker’s not gone He’s here in my bed, dying Rotting away, just smell that decay While you’re all asleep I’m crying There’s a little piece of you Still catching on my ribbon Get it off, get it off, get it off, get it off, get it off! Cos I simply don’t love you Not again, not again, not again, not again, not again! I’m not broken Hell No Mother you’re wrong that fucker’s not gone He’s here in my bed, dying Rotting away, just smell that decay While you’re all asleep I’m crying He has locked me up Punched air holes in this box Left me in this cage Left me here for days And I can’t find signs for an exit Collectively we find A person can’t survive Without an ounce of love Without an ounce of woe Mother you’re wrong that fucker’s not gone He’s here in my bed, dying Rotting away, just smell that decay While you’re all asleep I’m crying
2.
Roaming Soul 02:14
Knocked down for the last time Stood up for the first I gave you my best days You gave me your worst Filled my case with memories Possessions and clothes I closed the door on all that misery and I Step out into the cold Cos I’ve cut myself free at last My hands are no longer tied Cos I’m a roaming soul Hitching a ride Black clouds hang above me I think that it might rain I turn around and see your shelter but I I Carry on all the same Cos I’ve cut myself free at last My hands are no longer tied Cos I’m a roaming soul Hitching a ride And I’m hitching a ride And I’m hitching a ride And I’m hitching a ride And I’m hitching a ride And I won’t turn back Cos I’ve cut myself free at last My hands are no longer tied Cos I’m a roaming soul Hitching a ride And I’ve cut myself free at last My hands are no longer tied
3.
Cracked 03:34
I can’t get enough Of all your drugs That’s why I’m so weak You’ve poisoned my blood With your dirty substances Now I’m done It was meant to be A way to make a little space for me And now it’s gone a little too far I’m stuck and I don’t know where you are This place is so strange I can’t find a way back to my home There’s nothing to do except think of you and all of my pain It was meant to be A way to make a little space for me And now it’s gone a little too far I’m stuck and I don’t know where you are I hope I don’t meet You ever again For the rest of my life That way I can stay Clean so I can Get away from here
4.
Soldier 03:47
So I’m sitting here obediently Waiting for orders patiently And I know I’m not to move from this seat You don’t need to tie me down don’t wanna be free I am your soldier I come to serve you But I’ve been a good boy/girl I don’t deserve you Oh I salute you I’ve faced up to my fate, attempted escape before Oh I salute you You don’t need to sound the alarm, I’m not gonna run anymore So down behind my back and up through my feet Extracting the poison you claim to beat I can accept now fighting only ends in pleas How can I protest when you’re stronger than me? I am your soldier I come to serve you But I’ve been a good boy/girl I don’t deserve you Oh I salute you I’ve faced up to my fate, attempted escape before Oh I salute you You don’t need to sound the alarm, I’m not gonna run anymore Now that I’m worn you don’t want to wear me Now that I’m torn you don’t want to tear me Now that I’m done you’ve had your helping But I’m desperately used, no good to anyone else and I am your soldier I come to serve you But I’ve been a good boy/girl I don’t deserve you Oh I salute you I’ve faced up to my fate, attempted escape before Oh I salute you You don’t need to sound the alarm, I’m not gonna run anymore
5.
Outrageous 03:17
I wanted to put myself in your position to figure you out So I took a chainsaw to my skull and extracted my brain out And something I found out in this exercise is you are alone I wanted to think like you thought to answer some of the “whys?” So I took a blindfold of denial and bolted it to my eyes And what I saw was something I’d not known before that you are alone See those pretty eyes, can be pretty green See that pretty mouth, can be pretty mean This boy is, this boy is outrageous I tiptoed around you like a ballerina ‘cause I was naive But you made me murderous, viciousness showed itself in me Yeah it drew out a venom I’d not known about ‘cause he was alone Yeah he took it out on me And I took it readily Whilst surviving this attack I soon learned how to battle back See those pretty eyes, can be pretty green See that pretty mouth, can be pretty mean This boy is, this boy is outrageous I won’t say that I know myself anymore And I won’t say that I can be repaired But I know I’ve learnt from the trials that I was made to endure Now he won’t cross me, I’m angry, and he’s the one that needs to be scared See these pretty eyes, can be pretty green See this pretty mouth, can be pretty mean This girl is, this girl is outrageous
6.
The Vice 02:47
Oh neglect me my dear My brambles grow thick in your absence So next time you try to cut me down Your blades will blunten on my branches You wound the vice one turn too tight Too much pressure makes a lesser fool out of me You bent the bars one inch too far Now they’re gaping, I’m escaping Who needs a key? I’m long gone Oh insult me my dear And like a sponge I’ll absorb But when I’ve soaked all I can hold On your head like a rain cloud I’ll pour You wound the vice one turn too tight Too much pressure makes a lesser fool out of me You bent the bars one inch too far Now they’re gaping, I’m escaping Who needs a key? I’m long gone And you’re gonna cry like a mourner and I’m done cowering in corners Slowly and surely I saw through your sordid sob stories I’m long gone You wound the vice one turn too tight Too much pressure makes a lesser fool out of me You bent the bars one inch too far Now they’re gaping, I’m escaping Who needs a key? I’m long gone
7.
Beware 04:27
I snagged myself on your barbed defences And my chainmail unravelled as if woven from wool And so to lead by example I had to get out before I was trampled So heed my warning and steer well clear Beware, please beware If you’re gonna get involved with her then tread with care ‘Cause that girl is trouble, take it from me My flesh was scored by your thorny branches Now the patchwork I’m tailored from is ripped at the seams And the threadless warning flags waved as though the wind was mad But I chose not to notice and got caught in your snare Beware, please beware If you’re gonna get involved with him then tread with care ‘Cause that guy is trouble, take it from me And you’ve left your mark, girl A blot on my page I would Tipp-Ex you out but that only hides the pain Well you’ve left your mark, boy You’ve bulldozed my walls I could build them up brick by brick but they never stand quite as tall Beware, please beware If you’re gonna get involved with her/him then tread with care ‘Cause that girl/guy is trouble, take it from me Beware, yeah Oh yeah Beware, yeah Oh yeah Beware, yeah Oh Beware Cos that girl/guy is trouble, take it from me
8.
Withdrawal symptoms begin to occur And shaky vision begin to blur I find myself wanting to scream out loud And spurt violent outbursts resulting in fear The need to cry is so overwhelming I'm vitally missing vitality I can feel my skin is drying And my heart has slowed the blood That it should be supplying And I think that I am close to a place Where my spirit is dying Due to deficiency of you I am electronically blowing a fuse And if I was a piece of machinery, oh My cogs refuse to move And Billy has lassoed my horses Their pins are bowled by thread And everyone knows that a cure For a horse with a broken leg Is a shot to the head I can feel my skin is drying And my heart has slowed the blood That it should be supplying And I think that I am close to a place Where my spirit is dying Due to deficiency of you Come home to me Bring back the world Take hold of me Before I am cold I can feel my skin is drying And my heart has slowed the blood That it should be supplying And I think that I am close to a place Where my spirit is dying Due to deficiency of you
9.
Sick from the smell of the fire I disintegrated Into an urn full of life Full of passion of the wrong kind And my only option was fight “Go, you will march” I was told, I was laden with a gun And I knew of a plan And I knew my point of contact And empty handed I can’t come back And though I knew my mind was consumed I had no where I could run to So I’d hide behind enemy lines And though I was free to leave whenever I knew that if I endeavoured Through the fences I’d be caught defenceless They are only human Like you and I So who are they to tell us who to be? And why do we follow them And cry when we stand to attention? I should have screamed Should have clawed Had I not been in the midst of a fight, of a war Had I not been in the searchlight Had the smog not blurred my eyesight And I had a bullet had a gun But victimised my courage gone And had I made it out the other side I wouldn’t have a place to hide They are only human Like you and I So who are they to tell us who to be? And why do we follow them And cry when we stand to attention? And they shot and they hit and things I can’t live with Are pushing me harder to grow But had I not been through this I wouldn’t be witness To a strength many can’t claim to know They are only human Like you and I So who are they to tell us who to be? And why do we follow them And cry when we stand to attention?
10.
Life is hard living as a ghost When all I try to do is touch you My fingers disappear into you I must be shouting into A soundproof box Where nothing can be heard it’s locked I’m wasting my last breath Into a soundproof you I’m so close I’m moving your hairs By breathing onto your skin, that feeling But you brush away the sensation A frown, I’m disappearing Into Into Into A soundproof box Where nothing can be heard it’s locked I’m wasting my last breath Into a soundproof you And you’re never coming back You’re never coming back You’re never coming, oh Soundproof box Where nothing can be heard it’s locked I’m wasting my last breath Into a soundproof you
11.
Dust is settling on my eyelids as I sleep Tar is sliding down the window through which I see Somehow its blacker than these piano keys I think I’ve lost the ability to see I’m so cold through all these clothes I’m crushed to a pulp, on this whisky I gulp, pour pills down my throat Unlock me I mean you no harm / Far too risky to feed you with bare arms Bite the arm that feeds me real food / Wait your turn you’re greedy I hear you How do you expect me to tell the truth / How can I protect myself from you Trust belongs to you / Trust is for fools Don’t disguise yourself I’m easy led Don’t pretend you’re drunk that whisky’s down your dress And I know those pills are aspirin for your head An obvious fact ‘cause if they weren’t bitch you’d be dead Well I’m sick of this now, you’ve crossed the line Look at you, you state, wipe the tar of your face and the dust from your eyes Unlock me I mean you no harm / Far too risky to feed you with bare arms Bite the arm that feeds me real food / Wait your turn you’re greedy I hear you How do you expect me to tell the truth / How can I protect myself from you Trust belongs to you / Trust is for fools How can you ask me to trust you again? Did I ask you to trust me at all? How can you tell me you don’t want me back? I don’t want you around me at all Unlock me I mean you no harm / Far too risky to feed you with bare arms Bite the arm that feeds me real food / Wait your turn you’re greedy I hear you How do you expect me to tell the truth / How can I protect myself from you Trust belongs to you / Trust is for fools Trust is for fools Trust is for fools Trust is for fools Trust is for fools Trust is for fools Trust is for fools Trust is for fools
12.
For centuries, we have been at war
But this is where the battle ends, and I have won
And yes you may, raise awareness to
The damage I'm to mend, and what you've done 
But I know that you know the truth
And I know that you know comeuppance coming after you

So I will lie defeated here
And though it may take many years, you'll come clean
I will cry repeatedly
But I'll come out the other side a brand new me

A waiting game, and though I cant sit still
I'm sure that you are in more pain, as you've the guilty plea
And you can claim, upon your mother's life
That you are in the clear, the jury'll pin the blame on me 
But I know that you know the lie
And I know that you know there's details you cannot deny So I will lie defeated here
And though it may take many years, you'll come clean
I will cry repeatedly
But I'll come out the other side a brand new me So hide my little sheep
But do you hear me howling at the moon when you sleep
I'm a restless soul
And I'll creep around your house until the stories all fall out of all the closets you've been hoarding them in all the years I will lie defeated here
And though it may take many years, you'll come clean
I will cry repeatedly
But I'll come out the other side a brand new me
13.
Crazy banter and mental health Grey matter against myself Constantly unwanted skin Unfortunately holds it in I loved you and you fucking let me down You've given me a bush to beat around And I Could have died I have never been a battle ship I've just been carrying cargo So maybe that's why I feel So sunken You should have saved me You should have saved me Left like a lightbulb Off, no switch, in a dark room You should have saved me You should have saved me A child in a sea cave Watching a tidal wave And what's the point when I drink to drown? And where's the light when the power's down? I loved you and you fucking let me down You've given me a bush to beat around And I Could have died You stood and watched 'em make me walk the plank Knowing I was tied to a cannonball So maybe that's why I'm going Overboard You should have saved me You should have saved me Left like a lightbulb Off, no switch, in a dark room You should have saved me You should have saved me A child in a sea cave Watching a tidal wave Cold, cold, cold change Cold, cold, cold change Cold, cold, cold change Ah Ah You should have saved me You should have saved me Left like a lightbulb Off, no switch, in a dark room You should have saved me You should have saved me A child in a sea cave Watching a tidal wave
14.
Anchor of Us 05:15
I took to hand mortar and land To undermine a fundamental tune that I had sung for you But prerequisite you knew to fit A secondary hurdle when at worst it was a curse you knew That I’d wanna ‘scape to the towns tell everybody I’d been the face of a break out But you won’t let me run away Your hold unfolds and still I stay Under the anchor of us I am a child and I Must be crazy cos I’m still in love You talk to me just like I’m free But burden isn’t binding it’s a mindset in a time when I I don’t know how I forgot the motion to walk But action is reaction in a mind that I am finding lost So just like the dead I’ll be still Until the ticking tells of a time when I will leave But you won’t let me run away Your hold unfolds and still I stay Under the anchor of us I am a child and I Must be crazy cos I’m still in love Holding on ‘til the traces are gone Holding on to embraces of non-existing arms You won’t let me run away Your hold unfolds and still I stay Under the anchor of us I am a child and I Must be crazy cos I’m still in love
15.
Volunteer 04:21
Wait for a day when you're not relevant to the part I'm playing, I'm playing And it's not a game when you know that your chances are slim For winning, you're winning In all honesty you are undercutting everybody Lean on the door you're the easy find they're looking for In all honesty you're a mess In my mind I guess I am a volunteer The scientist in you is testing except something wrong And everyone around our table In hush voices says "it's too late she's already gone" Yes it's a shame but you're missing the point I am fine Reliving, reliving And yes I'm ashamed but the milestone is wandering far And I'm running, still running As matter of fact you're the bible with a violent impact Matter of fact you are blind In my mind I guess I am a volunteer Here out of choice In my mind I guess I am a volunteer Screaming with no voice My spade is heavy lord I cannot dig anymore I'm in for another win, pick up your cards off the floor And I'm feeling the pull to the door to the door to the draw In my mind I guess I am a volunteer In my mind I guess I am a volunteer
16.
Just a Book 02:56
There's a scroll you've yet to read out loud Get rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling out Rolling out the red like blood spill and I will be Holding, holding, holding, holding on Say what you need to Your stones cannot bare like threats of a snare So tear up these words like they're meat for the hungry The 'nobody told me's These words, nobody ever hears Just a book to be read Waiting on the seabed Under the weighty waves For years To the press we'll take it shave off slim pay offs for Turning, turning, turning, turning out All the leaves of all the tree breasts we use for the chests Now burning, burning, burning, burning Our candles both ends but Are you not tempted? Empty and rented Looting your temples and making example Pack-like to handle and These words, nobody ever hears Just a book to be read Waiting on the seabed Under the weighty waves For years Call, call them out From under the decks of wrecks and I'll bet you all They'll be loud Louder than thunder but silent in slumber These words, nobody ever hears Just a book to be read Waiting on the seabed Under the weighty waves For years
17.
Stampede 02:55
Not gone back, back, back Not gone back with that knife I see To invade my chest, break me at my best Tear up at me But I will not function I don't live life for loving you I can solve a puzzle, I can make me money, I don't need to be approved by you Stampede As we Sleep Your attack won't make a surface scratch on me Cat like claw, claw, claw Gums out, roar like you mean to bite Raise that chest plate proud, got to belt it loud Stir up a fight When you di'n't spit your words From that black tongue that barely taste I am running faster I've been storing ammo Little do you know an ambush awaits Stampede As we Sleep Your attack won't make a surface scratch on me You haven't lost me I won't be forgotten I'll drive you like cattle So heed Stampede As we Sleep Your attack won't make a surface scratch on me
18.
With no-one on my team your heartbeat came knocking and knocked me off my feet Your pennies took by thieves, your running jeans ain’t stopping, understandably And you once told me I’d regret It hasn’t happened to me yet So maybe I’m immune to your hundred yards of sad maybe I’m immune to that disease you thought you had But you never learned how to speak to, to me And after a while, a smile is not a smile Cos kisses turn to tears And when you bought your past you bought many, too heavy, and lumbered to defeat And when you paint you scrawl and when you speak you drawl, ill at ease to understand it all And you once told me I’d lament we drew partions in cement Well I guess I took it hard but I said I’d persevere I guess you heard me say that and I guess it hurt to hear But you never learned how to speak to, to me And after a while, a smile is not a smile Cos kisses turn to tears After a while, a smile is not a smile Cos kisses turn to tears
19.
There he sat his flaxen hair now flat Cos out of the light and under hat Like you took my hand you took it back For something to hold like putting the cold to match I can be kinder but stronger to drop so don’t you stop I’ll be a changer But you’re pushin’ out the light ‘til you’re in the dark again You wear this cloak to bathe to bed You’re under wraps afraid to shed Pushin’ out the light ‘til you’re on your own again Pushin’ out my love Singing like a dove says ‘who’ and why am I? ‘Cause I’ve been a door and nothing more When you’re out of love could you care that I’m not dry? Water to spare and plenty more I can be softer but harder to stop so keep the slow I’ll be a changer But you’re pushin’ out the light ‘til you’re in the dark again You wear this cloak to bathe to bed You’re under wraps afraid to shed Pushin’ out the light ‘til you’re on your own again Pushin’ out my love You’ve been a spoon-fed since you were a kid All I wanna know is why it is You’re pushin’ out the light ‘til you’re in the dark again You wear this cloak to bathe to bed You’re under wraps afraid to shed Pushin’ out the light ‘til you’re on your own again Pushin’ out my love
20.
Well my feet are burning and the clock don’t seem to be turning It seems to take an hour to put one foot in front of the other And now is the world spinning when I get the feeling it’s falling asleep I’ve been trying to see the light but every smile, it hurts I’m a raring bullet in a box of empty shells, go on! Pull the trigger pull it, bite the pin then leather for hell run At the mouth I’m foaming At the bit I’m champing Won’t you raise the gates love? Give it a try To waylay this aching my finger are shaking, my knuckles are breaking I’m walking the blade of a dagger and picturing all of the pieces I’d shatter to If this is the show, well I’m hoping that falling’s a ‘no’ But it’s better than this I’ve been trying to see the light but every smile it hurts I’m a raring bullet in a box of empty shells, go on! Pull the trigger pull it, bite the pin then leather for hell run At the mouth I’m foaming At the bit I’m champing Won’t you raise the gates love? Give it a try Euthanasia is gonna save ya It’s the kindest thing to do And you don’t know it yet But every time you take that breath Ten thousand other people suffer ‘Cause they feel the way I do! I’ve been trying to see the light but every smile it hurts I’m a raring bullet in a box of empty shells, go on! Pull the trigger pull it, bite the pin then leather for hell run I’m a raring bullet in a box of empty shells, go on! Pull the trigger pull it, bite the pin then leather for hell run I’m a raring bullet in a box of empty shells, go on! Pull the trigger pull it, bite the pin then leather for hell run At the mouth I’m foaming At the bit I’m champing Won’t you raise the gates love? Give it a try

about

A chronological journey through the minds and music of Bitter Ruin. Hear how their sound was forged, refined and fulfilled. Twenty songs, handpicked by the band to delight long-standing fans and newcomers alike!


Bitter Ruin 2007 (REMASTERED)
1. Chewing Gum (Live)
2. Roaming Soul
3. Cracked

We’re Not Dancing 2008 (REMASTERED)
4. Soldier
5. Outrageous
6. The Vice
7. Beware

Hung Drawn and Quartered 2010 (REMASTERED)
8. Deficiency of You
9. Stand to Attention
10. Soundproof Box

Trust Official Single 2011
11. Trust

Rocket Session 2012
12. A Brand New Me
13. Child in a Seacave (Live)

Waves 2014
14. Anchor of Us
15. Volunteer
16. Just a Book
17. Stampede

Live EP 2014 (REMASTERED)
18. After a While (live)
19. Pushin’ out the Light (Live)
20. Leather for Hell (Live)

credits

released September 1, 2023

All songs written by Georgia Train and Ben Richards
All songs produced by Bitter Ruin

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Bitter Ruin UK

Described as a boy/girl duo, but never to be underestimated when it comes to both their live and recorded sound, Bitter Ruin’s dynamic is a huge part of what makes them stand
out. Since their formation, Bitter Ruin have been a loud and proud voice in the brave new world of DIY artists - gigging, recording and releasing music direct to their fans around the world through social media.
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