First, they charm you, promise you a rose garden, a castle in the sky. You stumble, you fall. The breakdown begins: gaslighting, fear-mongering, isolation, abuse. And the beating. You know you should run. But you're alone, afraid dependent, and torn. Not everyone gets away. But this one did.

NARCISSIST

“Who Longs for Your Love, Burns Out” is a slow-burning neo-soul ballad. With smoky vocals, jazz-infused melodies, and poetic lyrics, the song explores the heartbreak of loving someone who can't return it. It's a story of longing, emotional exhaustion, and the quiet strength in letting go. Perfect for late nights, broken hearts, and souls that still crave a little soul.


Who Longs for Your Love, Burns Out

---

## [Verse 1]
You stand like silence in a crowded room  
Cold as marble, wrapped in your perfume  
I reach for fire, you give me ice  
I'm chasing love at any price  

---

## [Pre-Chorus]
And I wait for a sign,  
Just one crack in your wall  
But you love like a question—  
With no answer at all  

---

## [Chorus]
Who longs for your love, burns out  
Like a candle in the wind's cruel doubt  
You give just enough to make me believe  
But never enough for my heart to breathe  
Who longs for your love, burns out  

---

## [Verse 2]
I painted dreams on your frosted heart  
You blink, and watch them fall apart  
I'd be your shelter, I'd be your light  
But darling, I'm invisible to your sight  

---

## [Pre-Chorus]
I keep reaching for stars,  
But you're smoke in my hands  
You love like a riddle  
No soul understands  

---

## [Chorus]
Who longs for your love, burns out  
Like a scream that's lost in the crowd  
You pull me close, then drift away  
I'm drowning slow in yesterday  
Who longs for your love, burns out  

---

## [Bridge – spoken/sung, minimal arrangement]
Maybe love's a language  
You were never taught to speak  
Maybe what I'm calling love  
Is just the hurt you'll never heal  

---

## [Final Chorus – building intensity]
Who longs for your love, burns out  
And I was flame, now I'm doubt  
One last breath, one final bow  
But love...  
You never learned how  

---

Who Longs for Your Love, Burns Out

Okay now—breathe in, keep walking
Don’t matter what broke, keep talking
It gets better, yeah it gets better

She said, “The car broke down on the Texas line”
He said, “Perfect, we’re just in time”
Kicked the dust, wiped blood from his brow
Said, “Life ain’t waitin’, so we start right now”
Then he looked out west with a crooked grin
Said, “You get knocked down, you get back in
Don’t need luck when your lungs still breathe,
The world throws punches, but you never leave”
And they marched through dirt with the sky on fire
Said, “It’s pain that shapes you—not desire”

I lost my name in a motel drawer
Left my pride in a grocery store
But I got this tune and a stubborn friend
And we both believe the ache might end
 
It gets better—don’t ask how
You just wake up and it hurts less now
It gets better—ain’t no plan
Just a sunburnt kiss and an open hand
It gets better 
It gets better 
Oh-oh-oh—it gets better!

Oh, the rain don’t warn you
And the road don’t end
But we all keep walking
And we all pretend
'Til one day—
It’s not pretend
It’s not pretend
It’s not pretend

Found a photo taped to the dash with sweat
He said, “That’s the day I learned to forget—
Not the love, but the fear that chased it
Not the road, just the way I faced it”
She said, “You fall, but you fall with teeth”
He laughed, “Yeah, and I land on beat”
Every scar in the mirror, I framed it gold
'Cause the cracks in the story are how it's told
We don’t pray for the pain to end
We pray for the grit to rise again

It gets better—don’t ask how
You just wake up and it hurts less now
It gets better—ain’t no plan
Just a sunburnt kiss and an open hand
It gets better 
It gets better 
La-la-la, it gets better!

It gets better!
It gets better!

It gets better—like a fire escape
Like a song you sing when you’re half-awake
It gets better—like a runaway train
But the kind that flies, not the kind that pains
It gets better! 
It gets better!
Oh-oh-oh—it gets better!

“Do it again!”


It Gets Better

There’s a coastline stitched in whisper-thread,
Where brackish reeds make up the dead.
The gulls all scream in cursive flight,
Their wings inscribe the failing light—
And silence nests where prayers once bled.

There’s a dock drowned under silt and bone,
A mastless ship that forever sails alone.
Its hull is lined with lovers' oaths,
Its anchor snagged in wedding clothes—
No compass left to point or guide you home.

The tide forgets your name,
The wind erases maps.
We rose once, high and wild—
Now drift where time collapse.
The stars have turned their backs,
The lanterns lost their flame.
Come and see. Come and see.
No one ever leaves the same.

In lowland hollows, warm and deep,
A cradle rocks a child to sleep.
The mother’s teeth are sharp as grief,
She sings beneath the coral reef—
Her lullaby a vow to keep.

I wandered past the old salt mill,
And met a girl so strange and still.
She wore no name, just storm for eyes—
I spoke of gold, she spoke of lies.
She said, “You’ll never leave this hill.”

No silver coins, no bloodied blade,
Could part the night from what it made.
I kissed her once and felt the sea
Pour down my throat, unceasingly.
She sang, “You’re here with me, with me...”
I said, Come with me, Come and see

Lay dimes upon the drowned,
A toll to pass the shoal.
No bell will chime for you—
No ledger names your soul.
Forget your father's voice son,
He never made you tough.
Forget your mother’s hymn boy.
She never showed you love.
Go to sleep now, little bastard.
You won’t feel the sinking.
You won’t fight the drowning.
You won’t fight the drowning.

The Bone Jar Hymn

Rows of windows all breathing in the dust
I can feel their cold light watching us
All these days, they fall in motion
All these days, we learn to carry stone
Then bleed out again
Then bleed out

This mirror will, will not reflect me right
It forgets the name I held last night
Drink red fourty, hold the silence
Before we all return beneath the stone
Then bleed out again
Then bleed out

Cracked bones, every limb
Burning bright and then goes dim,
Tastless dreams,and grinding teeth
Cut my feet on a jagged reef

All these days, they fall in motion
All these days, we learn to carry stone
Then bleed out again
Then bleed out

We bury our names in love
We bury our names in love

Jagged Reef

She left a thread beneath the dying light
A word half-said, then swallowed by the night
You lit a smoke but never struck a flame
And wore her leaving like a borrowed name

You said her silence felt like choice
But heard the truth behind her voice

I still chase that stubborn light
Flickering beneath the fight
Even if it never stays
I trace its shape across the haze

I still chase that stubborn light
Even when it blinds my sight
What you lose, you learn to find
Where love once burned, it leaves a sign

You drew her laugh into your notebook’s spine
And underlined the parts that made it rhyme
But pages tear in different ways
Some fold in half, some drift away

She wasn’t yours to hold or keep
But she still walks inside your sleep

I still chase that stubborn light
Glowing soft, but never right
Even if it breaks me clean
I follow what was never seen

I still chase that stubborn light
Flickering beyond the night
Even if it fades too soon
It pulls the tide like haunted moons

The heart will build what time erodes
A quiet room with locked-up oaths
I saw you burn your final thread
And light a lamp beside your bed

I still chase that stubborn light
Hiding in the things you write
Even if it slips the frame
I love what doesn’t take a name

I still chase that stubborn light
Even when it leaves no sign
It never stayed, but never strayed—
And still it shines
Still it shines

Stubborn Light

Flint in the feed, now the wires are clean
Blood's just a rumor in the mezzanine
Click-click hymn in a bang-bang dream
The leveller comes without a name

He’s all safety off and Sunday best
Chalk lines tangled in a bulletproof vest
Lipstick smear on a broadcast test
No prayers, just pre-set regrets

Leveller, leveller — draw the line
He don’t preach, he just aligns
Bang-bang reason, bang-bang grace
Same old gods in a pad-lock case

He sweeps the malls, he sighs through screens
Prints his gospel in AR beams
You won’t feel the body, just the seams
Unravel slow in machine-gun dreams

You thought you’d see him coming —
But he’s post-time, pre-cry, un-running
The kind of truth you don’t detect
Until your angles disconnect

He’s the prayer without the voice
The war declared without a choice
A blur between the fall and fact
A quiet click where worlds contract

And if you breathe, and if you shake
And if you reach — it’s still too late
Because he’s not here to mend or end —
He takes what no one can defend

Leveller, leveller — draw the line
He don’t preach, he just aligns
Bang-bang reason, bang-bang grace
Same old gods in a pad-lock case

Leveller, leveller — draw the line
He don’t preach, he just aligns
Bang-bang reason, bang-bang grace
Same old gods in a pad-lock case

He levels love, he levels luck
Leaves a silence sharp as rust
And when they ask you where he stood...
You’ll say "where anyone could."

Leveller

The dirt’s kicked up where the fight begins,  
The air hangs heavy with the weight of sins.  
The crowd leans back, safe in their place,  
But he stands alone, steady in grace.  

The blows land hard, the blood runs deep,  
But he’s here for more than just talk is cheap.  
It ain’t about glory, it ain’t about fame,  
It’s about showing up and playing the game.  

He’s the man in the arena, where the strong hearts go,  
Through the fire and the shadows, where the real truth shows.  
Win or lose, it’s the trying that stays,  
The fight’s in his blood, and it won’t go away.  

The ones who judge don’t feel the sting,  
They never risk anything.  
But he’s known failure and the weight it bears,  
Still he fights like hell, ‘cause he knows it’s fair.  

It’s not for the watchers, not for the safe,  
It’s for the fighters who hold their place.  
With dirt in his hands and grit in his soul,  
He knows the cost of chasing the goal.  

He’s the man in the arena, where the strong hearts go,  
Through the fire and the shadows, where the real truth shows.  
Win or lose, it’s the trying that stays,  
The fight’s in his blood, and it won’t go away.  

You don’t taste life if you don’t take a chance,  
There’s no reward for sitting the dance.  
So here’s to the ones who know the fall,  
But rise again, no matter the call.  

He’s the man in the arena, where the strong hearts go,  
Through the fire and the shadows, where the real truth shows.  
Win or lose, it’s the trying that stays,  
The fight’s in his blood, and it won’t go away.  

So let the world talk, let them throw stones,  
He’ll stand tall, even when he’s alone.  
For the fight ain’t easy, but it’s the only way,  
To live life fully, come what may.

The Man In The Arena

Based on the poem "Boots" by Rudyard Kipling 

Boots

We're foot—slog—slog—slog—sloggin' over Africa —
Foot—foot—foot—foot—sloggin' over Africa —
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
                There's no discharge in the war!

Seven—six—eleven—five—nine-an'-twenty mile to-day —
Four—eleven—seventeen—thirty-two the day before —
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
                There's no discharge in the war!

Don't—don't—don't—don't—look at what's in front of you.
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again);
Men—men—men—men—men go mad with watchin' em,
                An' there's no discharge in the war!

Try—try—try—try—to think o' something different —
Oh—my—God—keep—me from goin' lunatic!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again!)
                There's no discharge in the war!

Count—count—count—count—the bullets in the bandoliers.
If—your—eyes—drop—they will get atop o' you!
(Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again) —
                There's no discharge in the war!

We—can—stick—out—'unger, thirst, an' weariness,
But—not—not—not—not the chronic sight of 'em —
Boot—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,
                An' there's no discharge in the war!

'Taint—so—bad—by—day because o' company,
But night—brings—long—strings—o' forty thousand million
Boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again.
                There's no discharge in the war!

I—'ave—marched—six—weeks in 'Ell an' certify
It—is—not—fire—devils, dark, or anything,
But boots—boots—boots—boots—movin' up an' down again,
                An' there's no discharge in the war!

Boots (No Discharge In The War)

Velvet heels on shattered glass
You said, “Love me like I won’t last”
You twist the blade with painted grace
And I still kiss your ghost each day

Mirror cracked, you traced your name
In blood and blush, we played that game
You begged for pain in diamond tones
But cried when I made hell your home

Babe, you bleed so easy
Drip like red on ivory
Say it’s love, but it’s too needy
You bruise just to believe me
Babe, you bleed so easy
And I still want you deeply
You're the wound I keep reopening
The curse I keep repeating

Chanel smoke in your sad laugh
You stitched your lies in velvet wraps
I carved your name in midnight rooms
You left your scent, then left too soon

Satin chains and wine-stained sheets
You said the thrill was in deceit
I watched you dance with broken wings
Swan dive into my suffering

Babe, you bleed so easy
Drip like red on ivory
Say it’s love, but it’s too needy
You bruise just to believe me
Babe, you bleed so easy
And I still want you deeply
You're the wound I keep reopening
The curse I keep repeating

You're not the victim, you're the scene
A film noir queen in amphetamines
We wrote our vows in gasoline
And lit a match just to feel clean

Babe, you bleed so easy
Drip like red on ivory
Say it’s love, but it’s too needy
You bruise just to believe me
Babe, you bleed so easy
And I still want you deeply
You're the wound I keep reopening
The curse I keep repeating

Love like this don’t come with mercy
Babe, you bleed so easy...
And I bleed just to keep you near me

Babe, You Bleed So Easy

Onkeerbare gevoelens, opgeneem in wit en swart
Gister se bedoelings, wat emosies pesel en tart.
Skynbaarheid van vergete, verdwyn tot alle-wete,
Vertolk deur my mompelstem, afgerompel en verslete.

Maar die mens van gister weet — dis tyd om te vergeet,
Want die grense wat ons nasit, is verbode en verkeerd.

Onkeerbare gevoelens, met jou kiekie in my sak,
Die glimlag van gister steel my nog en maak my swak.
En al is ons paaie noord en suid, skryf ek jou naam nog in elke ruit —
Treursang van verlange raak ’n elegie vir ’n verlore bruid.

Maar die man van gister weet — dis beter om te vergeet,
Want die drome wat ons jaag, is onuitreikbaar en verkeerd.

Onkeerbare bedoelings breek my kopkastele,
Want die fraksies van jou bind my tot ’n hele.
Maar al wil ek nog aan jou hou, en jy aan my sy dalk wil klou,
Moet ek die landpad huistoe neem, jou lewenspad van ver beskou.

Ek dra jou soos stof in my moue,
warm herinneringe in die diepste koue.
Jy’s die sin wat ek nie klaar geskryf het nie,
’n storie wat selfs die wind nie wil vertel nie.

Maar die mens van gister weet — dis moeilik om te vergeet,
Maar die paaie wat ons naaloop, is verleidend en verkeerd.

Onkeerbare Gevoelens

Skadulyn, voorheen bekend as Pyplyn, is ’n Afrikaanse musikale duo uit Port Elizabeth, Suid-Afrika, bestaande uit Ignus Kritzinger en Dirk Crafford. Die twee het hul musikale wortels gevestig in die klanke van Leonard Cohen, Koos Du Plessis en Simon & Garfunkel – kunstenaars wat bekend is vir hul poëtiese diepgang en introspektiewe lirieke.

Wat as ’n passie vir egte, liriekgedrewe musiek begin het, het vinnig ontwikkel tot ’n missie: om ’n stem te gee aan die stilte wat hulle in hedendaagse Afrikaanse musiek ervaar het. Skadulyn neem sterk standpunt in teen die oppervlakkige gebruik van Engels in Afrikaanse liedjies bloot vir kommersiële aanloklikheid. Hulle is trots om hulself 100% Afrikaans te noem – nie net in taal nie, maar in hart en siel.

As universiteitstudente het hulle hul kitare geneem na enige plek waar iemand sou luister – kroeë, studentesentrums, klein venues – en met tyd het hulle hul plek begin vind in die breër musiektoneel. Hulle was finaliste in die landwye ATKV-liedjieskryfkompetisie en het ook die verhoog gedeel by KKNK, een van Suid-Afrika se voorste kunstefeeste.

Een van die hoogtepunte in hul vroeë loopbaan was om saam te werk en op te tree met die legendariese Stef Kruger, die man agter talle treffers van Suid-Afrikaanse ikoon Dozi.

Skadulyn is nie net ’n musiekgroep nie – hulle is ’n refleksie van ’n generasie wat smag na betekenis. Met donker klanke, eerlike lirieke en ’n liefde vir taal, skep hulle musiek wat bly spook lank nadat die laaste akkoord gespeel het.

Onkeerbare Gevoelens

Skadulyn

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