You think I hide the truth from you That I would bind your wings with lies But I've seen what waits beneath the clouds The screams that haunt eternal skies You call it mercy, I call it war I've watched the gates stained red before You're too young to know the cost– The blood we drown so Heaven's not lost I see their faces when I close my eyes The fire consuming, the endless cries You say: Redemption: But I see decay Hell's claws will drag our souls away! These are the chains of Heaven, forged in fear The rules we keep so the light stays clear I've carried torment you'll never bear And I'll damn a thousand souls to keep you there You call me cruel, you call me blind But I see horrors burning in my mind If love means shielding you from Hell's embrace Then I'll play the monster to keep you safe Lucifer's fall was just the start One spark that tore our world apart He swore of freedom, of mortal choice Now Hell screams back with a billion voices I won't lose you, Emily, to that fire Your innocence fuels my one desire Better you hate me, curse my name Than watch your halo consumed in flame You think me heartless, but I'm afraid A thousand ghosts in my veins engraved Their claws reach higher with every year And only slaughter keeps them clear These are the chains of Heaven, forged in fear The rules we keep so the light stays clear I've carried torment you'll never bear And I'll damn a thousand souls to keep you there You call me liar, you call me lost But I've seen what mercy truly costs If doubt makes angels fall from grace Then I'll wear damnation to keep you safe Do you see their hands, clawing from the pit? Do you hear their wails when the trumpets hit? Every smile you bring would be torn away If I let redemption have its say These are the chains of Heaven, rusted steel They cut my hands but they make us heal I'll bear the nightmares, I'll wear the blame If it keeps your halo free from flame Hate me, despise me, turn away But you'll live to see another day I'll walk through madness, I'll bear the shame If that's the price, then let me be insane I'll be the monster, I'll take the fall Just don't follow him, don't follow at all