"Old Flames"

The Album Art by Chase Stone.

**"Old Flames"** is a song by the American rock band Coheed and Cambria. It is the fourteenth song and fourth single on their 2018 album *Vaxis – Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures*.

## Lyrics

**[Verse 1]**

Hey, what became of my head?

The beats in my heart? The jokes that I said?

I guess all these false starts

Of a puzzle you can't finish 'cause you're missing the best parts

Oh, don't you fear, I'm bringing you home

Out of this pit where I left you alone...

In this horrible mess that I made

But I guess that's what you get

When you're not paying attention

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So baby, welcome back to the man you've been missing

Baby, welcome back to confusing, perplexing

**[Chorus]**

We all go up in flames, going out in style

And Heaven help us, hope that hell will let us rest

For just a little while, yeah

We all go up in flames, going out in style

Am I out of my head to think

The world could start believing me when I am dead?

**[Verse 2]**

I was a mess of a man with washed up excuses

I know, I know, pardon the confusion, it's me

We've both agreed that I wasn't the man that you needed me to be

But, oh, how I've changed and oh, how I've grown

But could she believe me when I've got nothing to show?

My everything, she needs to see

The choice is hers to believe in me

**[Pre-Chorus]**

So baby, I'm back and I'm not gonna stop

Baby, I'm back and I'm not gonna stop

**[Chorus]**

We all go up in flames, going out in style

And Heaven help us, hope that hell will let us rest

For just a little while, yeah

We all go up in flames, going out in style

Am I out of my head to think

The world could start believing me when I am dead?

**[Bridge]**

You and me, we're not enemies, I'm begging

If anything, all we are, we are

In harmony, sing with me, I plead

Oh, if I can't make things right then this will be our night

The world against you and I

We all go up in flames, go out in style, style

**[Chorus]**

We all go up in flames, going out in style

And Heaven help us, hope that hell will let us rest

For just a little while, yeah

We all go up in flames, going out in style

Am I out of my head to think

The world could start believing me when I am dead?

**[Outro]**

I said na, na-na na na na, na-na na na na

Na-na na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na, na na-na-na

Na, na-na na na na, na-na na na na

Na-na na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na, na na-na-na

*"Are you ready?"*

*"As the day we met."*

*"You're adorable."*

Na, na na na na na, na na na na na

Na-na na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na, na na-na-na

Na, na-na na na na, na-na na na na

Na-na na, na-na-na-na, na-na-na, na-na-na, na na-na-na

## Music Video

An official music video was released for the single on October 4, 2018. It was directed by Charles Todd and features uncredited actors in the role of the Unheavenly Creatures. It also features choreography by Jon Rua and his dance collective, The Grit.

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## Story Context

This song doesn't seem to have a specific one-to-one in the novella, but it could be describing Nia and Nos' celebration as they are able to escape the planet. It seems to recap their story and the outro lines, "'Are you ready? / As the day we met. / You're adorable.'" is a quote from the novella where, now that they defeated Otto Cruger, Nia presents Nos with his old Unheavenly Creatures mask and dons her own before (presumably) escaping. These are among some of the last lines of the novella.

## Trivia

* The melody of this track acts as the Piano Interlude heard throughout the album.

## References

1. ↑ Coheed and Cambria. Booklet. *Vaxis - Act I: The Unheavenly Creatures*, RoadRunner Records, 2018.
2. ↑ https://genius.com/Coheed-and-cambria-it-walks-among-us-lyrics
3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SX6Dz0JRifU
4. ↑ https://www.jonrua.com/news/2018/10/24/watch-coheed-amp-cambrias-old-flames-featuring-jons-choreography-and-work-by-the-grit