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Lanthanum
(Verse 1)
Streetlights bleedin' through the blinds, another Tuesday
I'm fighting gravity in these empty rooms we designed
Every system that I built, every signal that I knew
Ran on a rare earth element, and that element was you
I trace your circuits on the window pane, a map that leads to naught
Running diagnostics on the damage, on the war we fought.
(Pre-Chorus)
They said the source was stable, they said the line was clean
A once-in-a-century failure, this catastrophic scene
Now the factories are silent, the motherboard is cracked
There’s no substitute component, there’s no turning back.
(Chorus)
You were my Lanthanum, the spark in every wire
The current for the craving, the fuel for the fire
My one and only element, my irreplaceable
Now the line is dead, the voltage is unstable
And every circuit board I built with you is burning up in shame
While I’m just trying to operate a world without your name.
(Verse 2)
Friends call like diplomats, with fragile peace accords
They speak in hushed agreements, avoiding certain words
I just nod and wear the quiet like a lead-lined coat
Managing this personal blackout, this engine that won't float
I tried to force a reboot, held the button down for ten
But the screen just stares back blankly, never to begin again.
(Pre-Chorus)
They told me to diversify, that reliance was a curse
But every port I open now just makes the system worse
Yeah, the factories are silent, the motherboard is cracked
And I’m the sole proprietor of this wreckage, that's a fact.
(Chorus)
You were my Lanthanum, the spark in every wire
The current for the craving, the fuel for the fire
My one and only element, my irreplaceable
Now the line is dead, the voltage is unstable
And every circuit board I built with you is burning up in shame
While I’m just trying to operate a world without your name.
(Bridge)
I’m patching the mainframe with unsteady hands
Rerouting the power through barren lands
Scavenging parts just to understand
This shutdown wasn't in the plans
I’m tearing up the floorboards, trying to find a reason why
The heart of all this tech just laid down to die!
(Breakdown / Chorus)
(Drums drop out, just sub-bass pulse and a distorted, aching vocal)
My... Lanthanum... gone... there’s none...
(Drums crash back in, full power)
YOU WERE MY LANTHANUM, THE SPARK IN EVERY WIRE
THE CURRENT FOR THE CRAVING, THE FUEL FOR THE FIRE
MY ONE AND ONLY ELEMENT, MY IRREPLACEABLE
NOW THE LINE IS DEAD, THE VOLTAGE IS UNSTABLE
AND EVERY CIRCUIT BOARD I BUILT WITH YOU IS BURNING UP IN SHAME
WHILE I'M JUST SCREAMING AT A WORLD THAT DOESN'T KNOW YOUR NAME!
(Outro)
System failure...
Cascading error...
Please insert element...
...source not found.
...source not found.
About The Song
"Lanthanum" transforms a global news event—a hypothetical critical supply chain disruption for a rare-earth mineral essential for technology—into a visceral metaphor for catastrophic emotional dependency. The song takes the raw, soulful vocal angst of artists like Teddy Swims and sets it against a dark, electronic, Alt-R&B soundscape. Here, the lost partner isn't just a person; they are the "Lanthanum," the singular, non-substitutable component that kept the narrator's entire world and sense of self operational. The breakup isn't just heartache; it's a complete system collapse, a personal manufacturing shutdown. The lyrics consciously apply the Active Agency Mandate (AAM), framing the narrator not as passively sad, but as an engineer actively and desperately trying to manage the fallout, patching mainframes and fighting gravity in a world that has ceased to function.
Production Notes
Vocals: The performance is key. Verses should be close-miked (Neumann U87) with minimal effects, capturing intimate breaths and rhythmic precision. Pre-choruses build with subtle parallel compression. The chorus vocal chain should be slammed: slight autotune for effect, heavy compression (1176 style), and a stereo plate reverb blended with a tight slapback delay to give it size and urgency. The bridge and breakdown vocals must be raw, bordering on a scream, with audible strain and distortion. Arrangement: The song is built on a foundation of a deep, resonant 808 sub-bass and a syncopated trap hi-hat pattern. Verses are sparse, letting the vocal carry the narrative. In the chorus, introduce layers of washed-out synth pads and a sharp, cracking snare to create a massive dynamic lift. The bridge should strip back to just a filtered drum loop and a tense synth arpeggio before the final chorus explodes. Mix Automation: This is a song of dynamics. Automate the stereo width: narrow for the verses to feel claustrophobic, then open up dramatically to 120% in the chorus. Automate the reverb sends on the snare, making them much larger in the chorus. The final outro should have a low-pass filter slowly closing over the entire mix, simulating the system powering down.
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