A Haunted House by JMA Lyrics
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
There's an old house close to my apartment
Across which, a little further there's a fire department
The old house is in ruins and it's about to dilapidate
If not fixed the state of this real estate is at stake
The windows are broken and the old parchment tapestry
Is torn off the walls, the paint is worn off the doors, the inside looks like a total catastrophe –
Even worse than from the outside, ironically
It's noteworthy when the first window was thrown in the amount of vandalism rose rapidly
The more the house had broken windows, the more it got damaged
Because once it starts, it continues, if the destruction isn't managed
It soon became a home for the poor, homeless and disadvantaged
It drew in people who were more criminal and savage
You can feel the pain of the house in the peeling paint
And the damage of the tooth of time in the crooked nails
The house that was once fancy now looks spooky and plaint
Time and not enough care have ruined its beams and rails
[Hook]
There's two ways how to deal with a house in ruins
And it's up to you what you choose and end up doing:
Whether burn it down to the ground and build upon it a new house
Or fix what is broken, otherwise, you'll be always bound to a house that haunts
[Verse 2]
There's a story about an old couple who was once asked:
"What is the secret of your long-lasting craft?
How were you able to fulfill such a hard task
That you didn't just last, but stayed happily married, while still having a blast?"
The woman replied: "I'm glad that you asked
I guess there's something that was way different in the past:
We were taught to fix what is broken, not to throw it in the trash
To be honest and open, not to put on a mask
But now, in contrast, relationships and people are seen as
Products that are displayed in stores, behind showcase glass
Just pick one and come back for a next when the due date has passed
Get a new phone when the screen cracks – that's not how relationships last."
Yes, there's two ways of dealing with anything that is broken:
Whether you take it apart and break it open
In order to repair it and make some order
Or you get a new one and just leave the former
It's the same way with this house, there have been long debates
Whether to burn it down or fix it up. Some say it's a disgrace
To the city, the others still hesitate and say that this place
Has a value of its own and that it displays
Something unique, that's why it can't be replaced
That it cannot be erased, but it has to be saved
So, they try to persuade others that the house would still remain
But only the owners of the house are the ones by whom the final decision will be made
[Hook]
There's two ways how to deal with a house in ruins
And it's up to you what you choose and end up doing:
Whether burn it down to the ground and build upon it a new house
Or fix what is broken, otherwise, you'll be always bound to a house that haunts
[Piano solo]
[Verse 3]
What's the point of burning it down if you can repair it?
If you can build it up, then why tear it down?
It would just cause a lot of pain, people would be tearing up
So, why do it, can't you just spare it?
Even if you build a new house on the old one
It will get old one day, then what have you won?
You're back to the same spot, just in a new building
But missing the old one’s floors, walls, and ceilings
In order to keep a house from falling apart
You have to constantly work on it from the start
Because everything that is used will wear out
So, with "burn it down" mentality you should already tear it down
Even though it doesn't really matter if it's a new or an old house
Because it will just take a little time to get to the same spot
Where the new house, too, will start to fall apart and rot
Its walls will come apart and the basement will be flooded with rats
But there's something that the new house won't have that the old one does
It will be of more value because it has far-reaching roots and heritage
It has memories because there have been families creating its history
It has substance, not just the outer appearance. It wants to tell its own story
If you build a new house on the old's ruins
It will keep haunting you
The memories from the old one
Will be always daunting the new
[Hook]
There's two ways how to deal with a house in ruins
And it's up to you what you choose and end up doing:
Whether burn it down to the ground and build upon it a new house
Or fix what is broken, otherwise, you'll be always bound to a house that haunts
[Outro]
[Verse 1]
There's an old house close to my apartment
Across which, a little further there's a fire department
The old house is in ruins and it's about to dilapidate
If not fixed the state of this real estate is at stake
The windows are broken and the old parchment tapestry
Is torn off the walls, the paint is worn off the doors, the inside looks like a total catastrophe –
Even worse than from the outside, ironically
It's noteworthy when the first window was thrown in the amount of vandalism rose rapidly
The more the house had broken windows, the more it got damaged
Because once it starts, it continues, if the destruction isn't managed
It soon became a home for the poor, homeless and disadvantaged
It drew in people who were more criminal and savage
You can feel the pain of the house in the peeling paint
And the damage of the tooth of time in the crooked nails
The house that was once fancy now looks spooky and plaint
Time and not enough care have ruined its beams and rails
[Hook]
There's two ways how to deal with a house in ruins
And it's up to you what you choose and end up doing:
Whether burn it down to the ground and build upon it a new house
Or fix what is broken, otherwise, you'll be always bound to a house that haunts
[Verse 2]
There's a story about an old couple who was once asked:
"What is the secret of your long-lasting craft?
How were you able to fulfill such a hard task
That you didn't just last, but stayed happily married, while still having a blast?"
The woman replied: "I'm glad that you asked
I guess there's something that was way different in the past:
We were taught to fix what is broken, not to throw it in the trash
To be honest and open, not to put on a mask
But now, in contrast, relationships and people are seen as
Products that are displayed in stores, behind showcase glass
Just pick one and come back for a next when the due date has passed
Get a new phone when the screen cracks – that's not how relationships last."
Yes, there's two ways of dealing with anything that is broken:
Whether you take it apart and break it open
In order to repair it and make some order
Or you get a new one and just leave the former
It's the same way with this house, there have been long debates
Whether to burn it down or fix it up. Some say it's a disgrace
To the city, the others still hesitate and say that this place
Has a value of its own and that it displays
Something unique, that's why it can't be replaced
That it cannot be erased, but it has to be saved
So, they try to persuade others that the house would still remain
But only the owners of the house are the ones by whom the final decision will be made
[Hook]
There's two ways how to deal with a house in ruins
And it's up to you what you choose and end up doing:
Whether burn it down to the ground and build upon it a new house
Or fix what is broken, otherwise, you'll be always bound to a house that haunts
[Piano solo]
[Verse 3]
What's the point of burning it down if you can repair it?
If you can build it up, then why tear it down?
It would just cause a lot of pain, people would be tearing up
So, why do it, can't you just spare it?
Even if you build a new house on the old one
It will get old one day, then what have you won?
You're back to the same spot, just in a new building
But missing the old one’s floors, walls, and ceilings
In order to keep a house from falling apart
You have to constantly work on it from the start
Because everything that is used will wear out
So, with "burn it down" mentality you should already tear it down
Even though it doesn't really matter if it's a new or an old house
Because it will just take a little time to get to the same spot
Where the new house, too, will start to fall apart and rot
Its walls will come apart and the basement will be flooded with rats
But there's something that the new house won't have that the old one does
It will be of more value because it has far-reaching roots and heritage
It has memories because there have been families creating its history
It has substance, not just the outer appearance. It wants to tell its own story
If you build a new house on the old's ruins
It will keep haunting you
The memories from the old one
Will be always daunting the new
[Hook]
There's two ways how to deal with a house in ruins
And it's up to you what you choose and end up doing:
Whether burn it down to the ground and build upon it a new house
Or fix what is broken, otherwise, you'll be always bound to a house that haunts
[Outro]