Tattoo

The story

I wrote a message on the skin of time, a letter to myself, and pressed the needle down until it stung. It is every wound I wore without the shame, a mark to prove I wasn't here alone. You cannot wash it off, but the song keeps a secret: you can undo the dream that made the mark. The veil is thin at 3:33, and the bird on the wire was calling me. You build it, you dream it, you feel it, and if you feel it, it's real.

Lyrics

[Verse 1 — The Mark]

I wrote a message on the skin of time
A letter to myself in blood and brine
I pressed the needle down, I felt it sting
I gave the universe my only thing

It's in my veins, it's running through my rain
It's every wound I wore without the shame
I carved it deep so deep it touched the bone
A mark to prove I wasn't here alone

[Pre-Chorus]

You build it, you dream it
You wish it, you keep it
You see it, you feel it
And if you feel it — it's real

[Chorus]

Tattoo, tattoo
Me too, me too
I love you, you love me
It's the only thing that keeps me
Together with you

Tattoo, tattoo
Where are you?
Go on, go on
Tattoo

[Verse 2 — The Paradox]

You cannot wash it off, you cannot hide
The ink has married every nerve inside
But here's the secret no one ever knew —
You cannot take it off, but you can undo
The dream that made the dream that made the mark
The light that drew the shadow in the dark

So everything it circles, everything it turns
The twins below, the bridge above that burns
And everything is here and everything is there
And everything can be and everything is air

[Pre-Chorus]

I feed it, I need it
I eat it, I breathe it
It's running, it's coming
And I can't sit on it anymore

[Chorus]

Tattoo, tattoo
Me too, me too
I love you, you love me
It's the only thing that keeps me
Together with you

Tattoo, tattoo
Where are you?
Go on, go on
Tattoo

[Bridge — The Breaking]

She's crying now
It's crying now
The ink is running down
Like rain on stone
Like prayers alone
Like every word I've ever thrown
Into the dark and hoped would land
On something warm, a human hand

Leave it as soul
Leave it as soul

[Verse 3 — The Veil]

I am because I dared to imagine
I am because I dropped beneath the margin
The veil is thin at three-three-three
The bird is on the wire and it's calling me

This is it — this is it — this is it
One shot, one life, one needle and it hit
Every truth I tried to tell the world
Every flag I never quite unfurled

[Final Chorus]

Tattoo, tattoo
Me too, me too
I love you, you love me
It's the only thing that keeps me
Together with you

Tattoo, tattoo
Oh, come on
I love you
Go for it

[Outro — whispered]

Tattoo
Tattoo
Tattoo