12 Mile
Lyrics and music by Alex Waters
Yeah!
At the end of the trail, you’re still you
Now staggering under the load
All your bottles and burdens and half-truths
Pulled the marrow straight out of the bone
So you go
Pushing!
Breaking!
Fading!
Killing time!
You can run from me,
But you cannot run from yourself
Twelve miles later, you reappear,
Ash and dust on your soul
The mountain has taught you nothing, dear,
Except how to die on your own
You’re so cold when you’re sober,
Cut the deck, pull The Tower
Divination and closure
Now it’s over!
You can run from me,
But you cannot run from yourself
You can run from me,
But you cannot run from yourself
You confuse me,
Bruise me,
Terrify me
You can’t hear me,
Reach me,
Or ever be clean
By yourself!
Now that you’ve run from me,
I cannot save you, I cannot help
Now that you think you’re free,
You cannot run from yourself
From yourself!
Case File: HF01
The accusatory lyricism that Circa 1996 began to develop with "Loving the Leech" made its next evolution on this outing, with scathing and personal attacks levied on the songs's subject. Alcoholism, domestic violence, and abandonment all appear as themes, with Waters' emphatic vocal performance bordering on manic by the final lines.
Tarot imagery returns in this one, with "The Tower" card mentioned -- said to predict "sudden upheaval," surprise changes of circumstance, and if pulled in reverse, to signify a crisis that has been avoided.
Status: Canonical
Origin: October 2025
See also: "Loving the Leech," Tower card in tarot