Tiny Voices

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Details

Written by:	Greg Graffin
Released in:	1994
BPM:	148

Lyrics

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The brown and orange sky holds its breath
As the sun retreats to the distant horizon,
And our hearts palpitate anxiously as we soon will lay supine
And wait for sleep to overcome us.

And from somewhere in our black,
Subconscious minds when we're asleep,
Comes a haunting swelling mass of voices,
Resonating, its screams of forgotten victims and the cries of innocence,
And the desperate plea for recognition and recompense.

Tiny voices, echoes of our heritage,
Our long and sallow faces turn the other way,
Tiny voices, harbored deep within
As we outwardly deny that they have something to say,
And if we don't confront them they will never go away.

The billions of tiny pinhole embers fade into a morning sky
Filled with poignant morose wonder,
Waking we bear a cosmetic peace that verifies the turmoil
That we carry deep inside.

And from somewhere in our black,
Subconscious minds when we're asleep,
Comes a haunting swelling mass of voices,
Resonating, its screams of forgotten victims and the cries of innocence,
And the desperate plea for recognition and recompense.

Tiny voices, echoes of our heritage,
Our long and sallow faces turn the other way,
Tiny voices, harbored deep within
As we outwardly deny that they have something to say,
And if we don't confront them they will never go away.

Versions

Version	Length	Release	Catalog ID	Country	Format	Year
Album version
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	MC	2018
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Europe	CD	2018
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Europe	12"	2018
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	86994-2	United States	CD	2018
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Europe	12"	2013
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	6994-1	Europe	12"	2013
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	6994-1	United States	12"	2010
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	12"	2009
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	R1 82658	United States	12"	2009
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	82658-2	United States	CD	2004
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	n/a	Russia	MC	1996
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	ESCA 6057	Japan	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Germany	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	DRA 477343-1	Germany	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	DRA 477343-1	Germany	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Germany	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	DRA 477343-1	Germany	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Brazil	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	82658-2	United States	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	CD 82658	Canada	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	DRA 477343 60	Europe	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	82658-4	United States	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Spain	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Canada	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Yugoslavia	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United Kingdom	12"	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Russia	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	82658-2	United States	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	DRA 477343 2	Israel	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		United States	CD	1994
*Not specified*
		Stranger Than Fiction		United States	12"	2018
	2.36	Stranger Than Fiction	86994-1GRY	United States	12"	2018
		Stranger Than Fiction		United States	12"	2018
		Stranger Than Fiction	EPIT-69942	Europe	CD	2008
		Stranger Than Fiction		Russia	CD	1997
		Stranger Than Fiction	DRA SAMP 2262 2	Germany	CD	1995
		Stranger Than Fiction	PRCD 5742-2	United States	CD	1995
		Stranger Than Fiction	82658-4	United States	MC	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction		United States	MC	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction	MJM337M	Poland	MC	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction		Canada	CD	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction	DRA 477343 2	Germany	CD	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction	MATTCD003	Australia	CD	1994
	2:36	Stranger Than Fiction	82658-2	United States	CD	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction		Germany	MC	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction	78 26584	Canada	MC	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction	82658	United States	MC	1994
		Stranger Than Fiction	789.076 \| 2-477343	Brazil	CD	1994

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Song interpretations (5)

John Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote "Tiny Voices" are our subconscious versions of our moral compass. Apparently sleep is being lost over whatever is haunting our subconsciousnes, and its making our cosmetic peace show turmoil. It seems like we're putting issues on the back burner in hopes that it will resolve itself. I think the tiny voices are nagging at us to make better decisions and don't turn away from problems, but solve them (recognition and recompense). 06/07/2018 at 01:51 "Tiny Voices" are our subconscious versions of our moral compass. Apparently sleep is being lost over whatever is haunting our subconsciousnes, and its making our cosmetic peace show turmoil. It seems like we're putting issues on the back burner in hopes that it will resolve itself. I think the tiny voices are nagging at us to make better decisions and don't turn away from problems, but solve them (recognition and recompense).
Bromley Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote Greg G said the song was influence by the fighting and conflagration in Bosnia at the time he wrote it. It's very much what you all were talking about. We go to sleep every night content, oblivious to the problems of the world, and how we shrug off any bad feelings about those problems with pity and thanks. 07/11/2004 at 17:31 Greg G said the song was influence by the fighting and conflagration in Bosnia at the time he wrote it. It's very much what you all were talking about. We go to sleep every night content, oblivious to the problems of the world, and how we shrug off any bad feelings about those problems with pity and thanks.
HealthyBodySickMind Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote I always thought this song was about our primal urges surfacing, and our want to be recognized. We weren't made to be in such a society. So many of our common practices seem to go against our natural instincts, that's why there's so much stupid shit going on. IE: War, domestic violence. I think we were meant to leave home much earlier than we do. And who invented this marriage shit? Why does everyone's life have to stay in the path of growing up, getting married and having kids? 07/11/2004 at 17:31 I always thought this song was about our primal urges surfacing, and our want to be recognized. We weren't made to be in such a society. So many of our common practices seem to go against our natural instincts, that's why there's so much stupid shit going on. IE: War, domestic violence. I think we were meant to leave home much earlier than we do. And who invented this marriage shit? Why does everyone's life have to stay in the path of growing up, getting married and having kids?
Adam Style Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote I think the last interpretation was pretty dead on, except for one thing. I'm not sure that the suffering that is being mentioned is really about people in third world countries. I always thought it was much more local, and maybe even a mental struggle as opposed to a physical one. I think the line, 'waking a bear a cosmetic peace that verifies the turmoil which we carry deep inside' is a good indication of internal conflict. About what is anybody's guess. My initial feeling was about how we treat others and how we are treated in return. 07/11/2004 at 17:31 I think the last interpretation was pretty dead on, except for one thing. I'm not sure that the suffering that is being mentioned is really about people in third world countries. I always thought it was much more local, and maybe even a mental struggle as opposed to a physical one. I think the line, 'waking a bear a cosmetic peace that verifies the turmoil which we carry deep inside' is a good indication of internal conflict. About what is anybody's guess. My initial feeling was about how we treat others and how we are treated in return.
Captain Guest Location: Global Citizen	Quote This song is about the fact that we go to sleep every night and wake up every morning happy and content suppressing our knowledge about all the pain and suffering occurring in third world nations. Meanwhile, in our subconscious minds, while we sleep, we hear these 'tiny voices' screaming for help, but we are still not inclined to do anything about it. In the first verse it says we go to bed soon to lay 'supine' which cleverly defines both as 1. lying on your back face upwards and 2. not inclined to take action. 07/11/2004 at 17:31 This song is about the fact that we go to sleep every night and wake up every morning happy and content suppressing our knowledge about all the pain and suffering occurring in third world nations. Meanwhile, in our subconscious minds, while we sleep, we hear these 'tiny voices' screaming for help, but we are still not inclined to do anything about it. In the first verse it says we go to bed soon to lay 'supine' which cleverly defines both as 1. lying on your back face upwards and 2. not inclined to take action.