Propagandhi - Nigredo Lyrics






Our lives lead to nowhere, we're counting time
Then grasping for each other, as we're crushed beneath the tide
No rising from the ashes, your final flight
Was a plunge into Nigredo's endless night

Suffocate
The squeezing hands of fate
Our lives can't be replaced

Searching for the reasons we were thrown into the world
Always waiting, but out of time
I wish that you believed that, just as you hit the brink
Of total despair, you'd find your way

Drifting out of phase
The squeezing hands of fate

I know you think you've found some certainty
But you know we always learn the hard way
If you get lucky and you're last to leave
You'll watch the burning out of everything
Some stories end and nothing more
A quiet aching we endure
We're all just faces and nothing more
So take the ashes, I'm heading out

Have you ever seen someone wasting away?
First by choice, then after it's too late
They decide that they to come back to life
But they're drowning in a sea so endless
You see them come up for air then go under forever

The squeezing hands of fate
Our lives can't be replaced





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Propagandhi Nigredo Comments
  1. K.... G....

    One of the best Propagandhi songs ever written, especially from my perspective as someone who had both an alcoholic dad who is in recovery. Its so great to hear a soft spoken Todd Kowalski song.

  2. B.... S....

    I love this band and everything they do. So fucking powerful

  3. l.... ....

    Thank u for saving my life!

  4. f.... h....

    The squeezing hands of fate. Our lives can't be replaced.

  5. C.... B....

    Holy shit I'm musically alive again. Can't stop playing this song over and over. Instant classic.

  6. F.... ....

    Tears in my eyes and flames in my heart. Reminds me of my fallen ones... go on Propagandhi - love you since years and guess I´ll always do!

  7. o.... 8....

    I was life at disconnect, now im in nigredo, shit!

  8. I.... ....

    I have a friend who seems like they're going through the cycle described in this song. Just a neverending circle of anxiety and depression further exacerbated by the capitalist system we all fight through. I hate feeling powerless to help.

    I.... ....

    The song is actually about addiction, but that's plenty applicable. The song was inspired by the childhood of Todd Kowalski (the singer on this song), whose estranged father was an alcoholic throughout much of his life. He died during the recording of Victory Lap and Todd has said he regrets that he never got that emotionally close to his father, especially in his last days.

  9. L.... R....

    The Rod

  10. N.... B....

    "Have you ever seen someone wasting away? First by choice, then after it's too late They decide that they want to come back to life But they're drowning in a sea so endless You see them come up for air then go under forever"

    Yes, I have. This song made me relive it but at the same time made it easier to think back knowing someone...relates, you know?

    N.... B....

    Nefarias Bredd
    Yes.

  11. J.... D....

    best song of the album!

  12. l.... ....

    best song ever. R.I.P mom and dad :(

  13. g.... ....

    Best song of the new album

  14. B.... ....

    This song blows me away.

  15. l.... ....

    is this the only rod song? hard to tell who's singing. that's my only disappointment on this new brilliant master piece. love the rod songs too.

    l.... ....

    Rod's on vox duty on "When All Your Fears Collide"

    l.... ....

    We need more ROD!

    l.... ....

    Erik B
    Maybe he simply decided he didn't want to sing as many songs this time around? This song alone though makes up for the lack of Todd vocals elsewhere. Amazing stuff -- really cool to hear him actualy sing, y'know, with clean(ish) vocals. Works well for this song, I think he emotes really well.

  16. G.... B....

    Yeah the best on the album. And the song that came right in time to save my life.

    G.... B....

    Gustavo Bitencourt moito obrigado hermano! :)

    G.... B....

    "No true Scotsman"

    This song is decent, nowhere near their best. I probably do about as much in the real world as you to help others, literally nothing. Keep saving the world from your keyboard.

    G.... B....

    On the spectrum and a warped sense of humour, I'm actually fairly average.

    G.... B....

    Niall Colbeck lol you don't stand a chance with me lil kid! ;)

    G.... B....

    Niall Colbeck
    I wasn't sympathetic til your last comment... Made me laugh. Not necessarily in a bad way. But it does explain a lot.

  17. W.... M....

    goddamn this song is depressing. amazing but depressing. is there any glimmer of hope anywhere in the lyrics? or is it just to be found in realizing our lives can't be replaced so don't squander what you got?

    W.... M....

    Yeah i agree. But that's just the truth hey, it is depressing sometimes. Everyone loses an unfathomably bad amount of friends and family where I live. so this song instantly meant a lot to me.
    The fact the riffs are off the dog just broadens the greatness of the song, and the whole release, every song is deep and totally af as fuck

    W.... M....

    Walker Mich I suppose the glimmer of hope is you can't fix it till you realize the truth nor gravity of the situation. Everything seems like it sucks sometimes because of what happens to us but if we stop letting everything affect us and identify the problem then we can identify the solutions.

    W.... M....

    I heard it's about Todd's father

    W.... M....

    longliveavalon
    Yeah, that was the sort of genesis of this song, but to say it's "about Todd's father" isn't quite accurate, since it's pretty obvious the lyrics are meant to transcend that one thing (I mean, look at the final verse where he includes the listener in the despair).

    W.... M....

    @longliveavalon12 It was inspired by the death of Todd's father. Todd has said his father and him were estranged due to his father's alcoholism, but that Todd tried reaching out to his father right before he died during the recording of Victory Lap, and that's where Todd got the inspiration for this song.

  18. S.... ....

    I miss parkway drive horizons style music I could cry. This is great band tho keep up the great work , guys!!! Peace Love from Pennsylvania

    S.... ....

    StraightupGamer parkway drive never gave a fuck about you. If this song doesn't break your heart and make you love everyone in your life there's something missing in you.

    S.... ....

    Parkway drive is not in the same league !! Propagandhi is the best band on the planet !!

    S.... ....

    Wait, why are you talking about Parkway Drive here? lol

    S.... ....

    Probably because Epitaph. Just thinking.

  19. C.... H....

    Lyrics:
    Our lives lead to nowhere, we're counting time
    Then grasping for each other, as we're crushed beneath the tide
    No rising from the ashes, your final flight
    Was a plunge into Nigredo's endless night

    Suffocate
    The squeezing hands of fate
    Our lives can't be replaced

    Searching for the reasons we were thrown into the world
    Always waiting, but out of time
    I wish that you believed that, just as you hit the brink
    Of total despair, you'd find your way

    Drifting out of phase
    The squeezing hands of fate

    I know you think you've found some certainty
    But you know we always learn the hard way
    If you get lucky and you're last to leave
    You'll watch the burning out of everything
    Some stories end and nothing more
    A quiet aching we endure
    We're all just faces and nothing more
    So take the ashes, I'm heading out

    Have you ever seen someone wasting away?
    First by choice, then after it's too late
    They decide that they want to come back to life
    But they're drowning in a sea so endless
    You see them come up for air then go under forever

    The squeezing hands of fate
    Our lives can't be replaced

    C.... H....

    Hello again Corey. You're doing a public service. I've been listening "hard" to this and a couple other songs, largely because of our discussion(s) earlier in the week. It actually got me writing, you could say it "inspired" me. This is really the only band that does that, and while I already had some things to write about (before they fucking consume me alive), this particular song put me in a specific frame of mind, thinking about a few specific people. I ended up with 3 pages, and even if I try to speed it up, there's no way to make it less than a 5 minute song without speeding it up to the point that it sounds forced. It's not a tribute, though it is directly "inspired" by this song, it's more like my own personal take on the ultimate frailty and impermanence of life, with references to a handful of people; my dad, mom, sister, my drummer, a girl I knew in a town called Willimantic CT (the place that 60 Minutes called "Heroin Town"), and my ex. I'm actually *scared* to sit down and record it. I wish this shit was just a little easier, or even a little easier for a little while so I could catch my breath.

    C.... H....

    Adam Rainstopper
    Heya man. So sorry it took me so long to reply to this! Anyhow, that's really badass stuff. I don't know if i've mentioned this to you before, but I come from a city in Maine which is basically known as the drug capital of the state, more or less (Lewiston). I'm a recovering heroin/opioid/crack addict actually haha. Anyhow, never been to that particular place in CT, but I can certainly imagine what it is/was like.

    Hey, this might be a weird question, buuuuut... Is there some way we can exchange private messages on YT? Or some other medium, whatever it may be? I'd like to talk to you about some things and it doesn't make sense to do so through YT comments, so.

    C.... H....

    Adam Rainstopper
    Also, i'm curious: what other songs have you been analyzing (for lack of a better term)?

    C.... H....

    Yeah, there should be a private message link on youtube, toward the top of any user's profile page, but there's facebook links there too, and I use the same name on gmail, no punctuation. So send me a message wherever.

  20. c.... d....

    Favorite song on the album for sure!

    c.... d....

    carlos de la torre
    Same.