We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

The Collective Sigh

by Casey Stratton

/
1.
Dysfunction 06:03
Dysfunction Semper idem... The world in tatters Hearts and lives shattered The privileged ones need to act Systemic structures Too many souls punctured What can I do to empower? I’ll hold you up Even when you haven’t the strength We must show love But we have to make a change Sending out a candle to the fallen May they rest in everlasting peace Bombarded by all the news, all the time We must make space to heal I question why many can’t see the light Should we not be on the same side? I’ll hold you up Even when you haven’t the strength We must show love But we have to make a change Sending out a candle to the fallen May they rest in everlasting peace Radiate the light of the diamonds Mediate a shift in the design Ingratiate the ones with all the power From within, the change must be made I’ll hold you up Even when you haven’t the strength We must show love But we have to make a change Sending out a candle to the fallen May they rest in everlasting peace
2.
Movie In My Mind If there is anyone deserving If there is anybody there There are people who are yearning There are people here who care It’s not a natural disaster These are atrocities of man Through all the centuries of “answers” We haven’t done all that we can I can’t stop the movie in my mind from looping It feels like the violence is all we have I must believe a shift can happen I must believe that we are more Than the next attack of terror Than the next in “nevermore” I am tired of all the violence I am tired of being scared That the next trending hashtag Will be someone in my care I can’t stop the movie in my mind from looping It feels like the violence is all we have I hear what you are saying I’ll do all that I can To elevate your voices To push through with the plan With one step, then another We’ll march and we will chant Not one more grieving mother Not one more fallen man I can’t stop the movie in my mind from looping It feels like the violence is all we have
3.
Weight of the World It was easier when we were young And the world revolved around ourselves Around our dreams I remember well the setting sun And the ocean’s waves Swimming out, after a long day But now - we feel the weight of the world now We feel the urgency I thought I could stay fixed in one place But that’s not enough in these days It was easier when word spread Over days not seconds Must disconnect from time to time I remember well that other world Where we could hide So unaware of the collective sigh But now - we feel the weight of the world now We feel the urgency I thought I could stay fixed in one place But that’s not enough in these days Give me strength to be me now Give me courage to facilitate Give me language to be heard Give me challenges that I can face I will give all of myself I will give to our futures I will give and receive love I will and I’ll give and I’ll give Now - we feel the weight of the world now We feel the urgency I thought I could stay fixed in one place But that’s not enough in these days Give me strength to be me now Give me courage to facilitate Give me language to be heard Give me challenges that I can face I will give all of myself I will give to our futures I will give and receive love I will and I’ll give and I’ll give
4.
This Isn’t Justice Twelve year old boy shot dead Plastic toy in his hand How can nothing be done? Family without a son This can’t sustain as it is No one is served like this Police on the edge, all the time Split-second decisions with lives This is working for no one This isn’t justice for anyone This isn’t justice Panic in hearts and in streets America burning in effigy Everyone taking their sides Refusing to listen or empathize This is working for no one This isn’t justice for anyone Each of us is something to someone We can’t be blind, we are all one This isn’t justice
5.
Another One Gone In the middle of the night A terror engulfs me Will it be your time? Will the world let you go free? After all of this worry You left in a hurry When stars shine brightly Will you lie down beside me And be here to console me? Touch me, so lightly I’ll turn and hold you tightly It came - that day I’d been dreading Kissed you goodbye But I wasn’t ready After all of this sorrow I made it to tomorrow When stars shine brightly Will you lie down beside me And be here to console me? Touch me, so lightly I’ll turn and hold you tightly I know you’re near me I know you hear me I know you still know me I know you console me But sometimes those waves They crash so hard on the shore And leave me wanting more They leave me alone They leave me alone With another one gone Another one gone Another one gone Another one gone
6.
Aldebaran 04:40
Aldebaran Where - where in the dark, clear sky Where is Aldebaran’s light? I need the sight of the fiery eye Chase - chase all the mourning doves The Pleiades’ song of love Show me what I'm afraid of Fly into the night’s dark wind Where I can see you again Follow the stars to the end Lost - lost in the storm, as its doom Aldebaran moves Growing closer to freedom Show - show me the crimson sign That you have entered in flight Seven Sisters in moonlight Fly into the night’s dark wind Where I can see you again Follow the stars to the end Shock - shock me back into life I’m lost in endless night I’m lost inside this fight Shake - shake all the stars to the ground I cannot move them now I cannot move them myself
7.
Desperate Lives Gone - the stars and the moon they are gone What’s left here is stark truth in sun The brightness destroys while it glares And I can’t find anything… There against what I’ve come to find Deep within, the violence on the inside Garden dripping with memories Roses black and ravaged from disease Gone - my heart hurts, the saviors have gone Their messages twisted to spawn A hatred so deep it despairs The light cannot reach what is… There against what I’ve come to find Deep within, the violence on the inside Garden dripping with memories Roses black and ravaged from disease Terror starts at home, they say I can find it easily every day Snakes constrict around desperate lives Make the noise stop Are we out of time? Nothing gets through Don’t let this destroy you There against what I’ve come to find Deep within, the violence on the inside Garden dripping with memories Roses black and ravaged from disease Terror starts at home, they say I can find it easily every day Snakes constrict around desperate lives Make the noise stop Are we out of time?
8.
Sleep/Dream 04:14
Sleep/Dream Open the window and just lie down Listen to the wind, it knows your name And fall asleep, tomorrow brings another try It’s all right It’s all right You’re not expected to bear it all Everyone needs everyone else as well So let yourself dream, tomorrow brings another try It’s all right It’s all right Let this go, for now Find in yourself the candle’s flame And fall asleep, tomorrow brings another try It’s all right It’s all right Let yourself dream, tomorrow brings another try It’s all right It’s all right
9.
The Last Days of May Something isn’t right There’s a haze in this light I feel warning signs I can sense a demise When the thunder came In the last days of May I began to see An unraveling I know you, I know what you do to me This sadness creeping through my veins I know you, I live in fear of you This sorrow, remembering those days There’s a heavy force A deep sense of remorse What could I have done? Should have circled the sun But what’s done is done When you lose someone You can tell yourself lies But you can’t change “goodbye” I know you, I know what you do to me This sadness creeping through my veins I know you, I live in fear of you This sorrow, remembering those days We’re still on a collision course Anger fades into grief, into MORE Make me see what I don’t want to face There’s no way to recapture those days Watch the clouds as they roll in tonight A gathering storm in the fading twilight Nothing ahead will be easy to do But we must do what we can to get through I know you, I know what you do to me This sadness dripping through my veins I know you, I live in fear of you This sorrow, remembering those days I know what you do I know what you do to me
10.
Give Them My Stars This is a space I know well The forests of Hell Can’t let go but it must be so Trapped under history and pain Adding one more name To the moon’s light brigade I ask you treat her well And give them my stars So they can shine where they are And I’ll see them Night after night feeling lost The numbness gives way To a wound that’s so deeply made All alone I must weep In my dreams while I sleep You all visit to calm me I ask that they have peace And give them my stars So they can shine where they are And I’ll see them I send you love I send you love You’re never too far You’re never lost I’ll grab these ribbons And float to you In the moonlight Your stars will shine They will shine And I will see them
11.
All This I Know Here we go Feel the undertow A reckoning A beckoning In the waves I hear A message written with sound Good to know There’s a place to go A memory A reverie In the setting sun Hear the laughter of children outside It’s not all so negative Though it feels that way It’s so hard to take Take each step, one then another one And live each day Don’t hesitate Just find your way Just live through today Just cry your tears Just face your fears It’s hard letting go All this I know Don’t fade away Take a breath and say “I can understand” Nothing goes as planned In the trees I hear The connectedness of it all It’s not all worth everything Though it feels that way All those steps we take Make a path, one then another one And live each day Don’t hesitate Just find your way Just live through today Just cry your tears Just face your fears It’s hard letting go All this I know All this way we have come As the clock chimes at midnight It’s here Where we learn Where we grow Oh, let it be so Just find your way Just live through today Just cry your tears Just face your fears It’s hard letting go All this I know
12.
This Train 05:04
This Train Midnight train travels in pouring rain I cannot say why we went this way Lightning flash disrupts the night Our path, laden with smoldering ash Laden with fear So if we pray Will that bring change our way? I think it takes much more We must break down the doors And leave this train Make life from all this rain Look inside and say “I will push for change” Up ahead, is that the sunset? The rebirth of us, true connected love? We cannot stay barreling ahead this way We must change course, we must find the source So if we pray Will that bring change our way? I think it takes much more We must break down the doors And leave this train Make life from all this rain Look inside and say “I will make a change” In my dream there are fountains of light We co-exist with a shared set of insights The fireworks bring a message in code And every child has hope So if we pray Will that bring change our way? I think it takes much more We must break down the doors And leave this train Make life from all this rain Look inside and say “I will be the change” We must be the change I will be the change I want to see It all starts with me

credits

released September 1, 2016

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Casey Stratton Grand Rapids

Formerly signed to Sony Classical, Casey Stratton has experienced the corporate side of music in full force. His 2004 album "Standing at the Edge" received high critical praise from the likes of Billboard, People and USA Today. His song "House of Jupiter" reached #1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart. Now independent, Casey has released 28 albums and much, much more. ... more

contact / help

Contact Casey Stratton

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this album or account