[Intro – Clean Guitar, Atmospheric]
He wakes but never dreams
A silent war inside his scream
No wounds you see, but deep they go
A prisoner of long ago
A whisper crawls inside his head
Reminding him what’s left for dead
They said he'd make it, now he prays
To disappear in endless days
[Verse 1 – Slow, Clean-Electric Blend, Kick Drum Pulse]
[(Light gain on rhythm guitar, low tom hits. Vocals: calm, grim, spoken-sung like Hetfield’s delivery)]
He stares through glass that’s not there
Time froze beneath a blank stare
Hands won’t move, mouth won’t speak
Strength now sounds so goddamn weak
He hears the whispers in the dark
The gunfire left its final mark
Not on his flesh, but on his soul
A shattered man with no control
[Chorus – Heavy Distorted Guitars, Full Drums Kick In]
[(Distorted power chords, double-time cymbals, deeper vocal tone)]
Locked inside he’s screaming still
But silence is a louder kill
They see a man, but he's not whole
They saved his skin, not his soul
[Verse 2 – Faster, Mid-Tempo Thrash Riff Begins]
[(Guitars: Galloping rhythm. Drums: steady kick-snare. Vocals: firmer, more aggressive)]
He sees the ghosts when he blinks
Truth is crueler than they think
No medals soothe the war within
No honor covers broken skin
Flashbacks blaze in every breath
He walks the edge of life and death
He’s free outside, but deep below
He’s trapped in places no one knows
[Bridge – Clean Guitar Returns, Tension Builds Slowly]
[(Back to eerie calm, soft guitar arpeggios. Drums: light toms, slow heartbeat rhythm)]
He begged for light they never gave
Now walks the world a breathing grave
They call it healing, he calls it hell
A silent room becomes his cell
[Climax – Full-Speed Thrash, Double Bass, Screamed Vocals]
[(Tempo shifts to 120 BPM. Guitars: brutal downpicking. Drums: double kick barrage. Vocals: screamed/growled with anguish.)]
Suffocate the past!
No more voices, make them last!
Chain the screams behind his eyes
No one hears the man who dies!
Locked inside no open door
Lost in battles, won no war
Breathes in pain, exhales regret
Still not dead, but not here yet
[Outro – Clean Guitar Reprise, Fading Echoes]
[(Return to intro melody, just one guitar and soft ambient noise. Vocals whispered or spoken.)]
He walks… no footsteps fall
A ghost inside a soldier’s wall
You see a man… but can’t define
The cost of war that steals the mind