Panacea and the Prelogue is the 11th and final song on the album Modern Synthesis. It was written by Kogie, Sparkles* and Leo, with lyrics by Kogie.
Lyrics
Wait inside
By the fire and we'll talk a while
I didn't mean to let the years go by
Waiting for love
Have we come to terms
With the lesson that our fathers learned?
Impermanent, it flows away
Everything goes away
[Chorus]
I'd follow you, but not this time
So I walk in streets unknown
Our bodies and their silver just a loan
I'm sorry that I let you down, let you down, a lifetime ago
I wanna say to all I leave behind
And to those I'll never find
That I need you to understand, understand, you're not on your own, you're not on your own
Hold in mind
What you value, is it worth the time?
The only melodies that I could ever call mine
Were friendship and lust
Will I feel absolved
At the moment when we have it solved?
A panacea for the absent soul
Still it's never enough
[Chorus]
I'd follow you, but not this time
So I walk in streets unknown
Our bodies and their silver just a loan
I'm sorry that I let you down, let you down, a lifetime ago
I wanna say to all I leave behind
And to those I'll never find
That I need you to understand, understand, you're not on your own, you're not on your own
For the art
I will sing most anything
We are worlds apart
I can do it all
For the art
I will sing most anything
We are worlds apart
I can do it all
For the art
I will sing most anything
We are worlds apart
I can do, do it all
Lines fade out, but you illuminate
The path back home, the path you've shown me
As lines fade out, you will illuminate
And lead a way back home
Lines fade out
[Layered lines from previous Area 11 Songs]
For the art
I will sing most anything
We are worlds apart
I can do it all
Layered Lyrics
- I want to be better on the inside - Processor
- ...spinning cycles in my mind. Tryin' to catch me out - In The Blind
- Are you listening? Are you listening? - Are You Listening?
- We're not just numbers, we are alive. A digital haunt in an analogue life - Cassandra Pt. II
- To be something - Override [A]
- ...from my skin so I can grow - All The Lights In The Sky
Sparkles*, on the 7.7.2016 facebook livestream, said: "I think there's 7 or 8 choruses in there [this layered part].", so it is possible (but far from guaranteed) that there is something else hidden
Trivia
- Sparks* has confirmed on the album commentary livestream on facebook on 7.7.2016 that the term "Prelogue" is a reference to the Prologue music series.
- "Panacea" is both the name of a Greek Goddess as well as being a name for a sort of "cure-all" to all illness (often also described as prolonging life forever.) often associated with alchemy. It can also be used as a term for a "magical" fix to a multi-faceted problem.
- In a Q&A on Twitter, Sparkles* responded to the question "How did you choose which lyrics to put in that rad layer-y bit of Panacea and the Prelogue?" with "There's actually something in common with them, see if you can work it out!"
- The song was written as a group effort by Sparkles*, Kogie and Leo.
- The piano melody started as Kogie playing around on a piano.
- The song originally consisted of two songs joined together, one being called "Smoke Rings" and the other "Homecoming".
- Sparkles* played bass in the chorus.
- One removed line from the end of the song was going to be about the sun.
- Part of the ending sequence came from Leo.
- Some of the vocal references to previous songs at the end were recorded by fans.
Theories
Layered Lines
Most of the layered lines are either related to self betterment (From my skin so I can grow, I want to be better on the inside) or receiving recognition (Are you listening?, We're not just numbers, we are alive) or potentially both (To be something).