Story Behind The Song

The idea for 'Your Move' started with an odd-time 5/4 groove from Pat (Alterstate drummer), while messing around after a band practice one day. Cliff (Alterstate keyboard player) added some chords with an atmospheric keyboard sound, and the body of the song was immediately there. The concept for the lyrics came from the dark, atmospheric instrumentation used, and using a pawn on a chess board as a metaphor for a soldier on a battlefield, worked brilliantly.

Song Description

The verses of 'Your Move' are atmospheric and ominous sounding, and tell the story of a pawn on a chess board 'wondering why our king's at war again'. The verses release into a melodic, repetitive rock chorus, with the pawn pleading - 'Make sense of it for me'. His disillusionment about the ideals of war 'so we pretend this is the end until tomorrow's show', are followed by a massive release ino the guitar solo, key change, and dramatic ending.

Lyrics

THE SCENE IS SET,
ONE MORE WEARY SOLDIER WONDERING WHY OUR KING'S AT WAR AGAIN
YOU KNOW WE ALMOST HAD THEM YESTERDAY UNTIL I LEFT MY QUEEN ALONE,
SHADOW AND LIGHT HAVE COME TO FIGHT THIS AGING WAR IN STONE

MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, WHILE WE MOVE AROUND ENCIRCLED
MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, AND I'LL TRY TO UNDERSTAND
MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, WHILE YOU JUSTIFY THE REASON
IT'S YOUR MOVE

THE STAGE IS SET,
THE QUEEN REMOVES THE CASTLE QUIETLY, BEFORE THE BISHOP TAKES THE THRONE
SO WE PRETEND THIS IS THE END UNTIL TOMORROW'S SHOW

MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, WHILE WE MOVE AROUND ENCIRCLED
MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, AND I'LL TRY TO UNDERSTAND
MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, WHILE YOU JUSTIFY THE REASON
IT'S YOUR MOVE

MY SWORD IS SET, MY LORD HAS SPOKEN - NOW WE ARE IN LINE
THE KNIGHT HAS CALLED FOR ME TO OPEN

MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, WHILE WE MOVE AROUND ENCIRCLED
MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, AND I'LL TRY TO UNDERSTAND
MAKE SENSE OF IT FOR ME, WHILE YOU JUSTIFY THE REASON
IT'S YOUR MOVE