Remains to be Seen
from Invasive EP by James Paddock
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Full Digital Discography
Get all 40 James Paddock releases available on Bandcamp.
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of SIGIL II - The MIDI Soundtrack, Abyss of Time, Abyss of Time (Instrumentals), Swallow [ft. The Final Event & Keagan Dunn] - SINGLE, Impossible - SINGLE, The Penalty [ft. Marian Paddock] - SINGLE, Destroyer of Worlds - SINGLE, Invasive EP, and 32 more.
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about
An outpouring of intrusive thoughts of death; or, more specifically, the idea of leaving behind an actual legacy or some other lasting impact on the world, rather than remaining but a fleeting iota of life in this wrathful universe. This song also expresses frustration with the idea that despite one's best efforts throughout life, one might in fact only be recognised fully once death embraces.
Leaving a legacy takes insurmountable fortitude – it can be a deeply troubling dichotomy wanting to leave a significant mark on the world while also remaining insular and painfully shy of the world around you. While it's obviously natural to want to surround yourself with trusted friends and good company, it is expanding your network into unseen and uncertain territories that is the only way to get your name well and truly recognised, and this can be utterly paralysing for someone who isn't the social type.
I know that I'm *known*, at the very least. But there's a strong impetus to continue growing the small but faithful audience I have to the point where it might become overnumerous or even unmanageable – just in order to stay relevant. Much of the world these days, including the music industry and online culture, is built on a model of "endless growth" – a model known to be unsustainable. The challenge of trying to adhere to it just to stay afloat in the world can seem dauntingly impossible.
We spill our guts and bare our souls, just to risk being drowned out by the incessant noise produced by the inscrutable algorithms of social media – which, in a cruel twist of irony, are the one option provided to us that seems powerful enough to viably reach mass audiences at all.
While I'm eternally grateful for the love and faithfulness of the community that I have fostered over the last 15 years around my music, I realise I'm still residing in a pretty niche corner of the world at large. The point at which I decide to break through the ceiling I've built above me, for fear of exposure to the world beyond, remains to be seen.
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Leaving a legacy takes insurmountable fortitude – it can be a deeply troubling dichotomy wanting to leave a significant mark on the world while also remaining insular and painfully shy of the world around you. While it's obviously natural to want to surround yourself with trusted friends and good company, it is expanding your network into unseen and uncertain territories that is the only way to get your name well and truly recognised, and this can be utterly paralysing for someone who isn't the social type.
I know that I'm *known*, at the very least. But there's a strong impetus to continue growing the small but faithful audience I have to the point where it might become overnumerous or even unmanageable – just in order to stay relevant. Much of the world these days, including the music industry and online culture, is built on a model of "endless growth" – a model known to be unsustainable. The challenge of trying to adhere to it just to stay afloat in the world can seem dauntingly impossible.
We spill our guts and bare our souls, just to risk being drowned out by the incessant noise produced by the inscrutable algorithms of social media – which, in a cruel twist of irony, are the one option provided to us that seems powerful enough to viably reach mass audiences at all.
While I'm eternally grateful for the love and faithfulness of the community that I have fostered over the last 15 years around my music, I realise I'm still residing in a pretty niche corner of the world at large. The point at which I decide to break through the ceiling I've built above me, for fear of exposure to the world beyond, remains to be seen.
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lyrics
I shelter warm from the bleakest outdoors
And it gives me some comfort for sure
That within the arms of at least a thousand hearts
I am unconditionally... known
I've done my time, laid it all out on the line
At least that's what I'll write in my story
'Cos my soul's not for sale, it's public domain
And if I've left out any details, then I'm sorry
But life today is temporal
Fleeting and ephemeral
One thing keeps me fearful
And that's one day you'll forget me at all...
But down in the earth
Where I'll finally sleep
Will I see a rebirth
As the one I've sought to be?
Of my buried hurt
That I keep so deep
Will they ever ask, or learn?
I guess that remains to be seen
Staring down both barrels is
What I'm facing up against
Fighting endless choice paralysis
A world of unfathomable depth
But down in the earth
Where I'll finally sleep
Will I see a rebirth
As the one I've sought to be?
Of my buried hurt
That I keep so deep
Will they ever ask, or learn?
I guess that remains to be seen
Yeah, yeah
And once down in the dirt
Will I finally see peace?
And will I ever stir
In your memories?
They must never learn
Of the courage I've burned
And like embers from the pyre
Will I spark and light a fire?
All I want's to have inspired
And for what remains to be seen
(And for my remains to be seen...)
And it gives me some comfort for sure
That within the arms of at least a thousand hearts
I am unconditionally... known
I've done my time, laid it all out on the line
At least that's what I'll write in my story
'Cos my soul's not for sale, it's public domain
And if I've left out any details, then I'm sorry
But life today is temporal
Fleeting and ephemeral
One thing keeps me fearful
And that's one day you'll forget me at all...
But down in the earth
Where I'll finally sleep
Will I see a rebirth
As the one I've sought to be?
Of my buried hurt
That I keep so deep
Will they ever ask, or learn?
I guess that remains to be seen
Staring down both barrels is
What I'm facing up against
Fighting endless choice paralysis
A world of unfathomable depth
But down in the earth
Where I'll finally sleep
Will I see a rebirth
As the one I've sought to be?
Of my buried hurt
That I keep so deep
Will they ever ask, or learn?
I guess that remains to be seen
Yeah, yeah
And once down in the dirt
Will I finally see peace?
And will I ever stir
In your memories?
They must never learn
Of the courage I've burned
And like embers from the pyre
Will I spark and light a fire?
All I want's to have inspired
And for what remains to be seen
(And for my remains to be seen...)
credits
from Invasive EP,
released May 27, 2023
license
all rights reserved
tags
about
James Paddock England, UK
Composer, singer, artist, and video game developer.
discography
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Nov 2023 -
Dec 2023 -
Aug 2023 -
Nov 2023
contact / help
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