"The Border Between" by Velvet Skies

"The Border Between" by Velvet Skies, with lyrics by Samuel E. Burns, is a haunting and deeply introspective song that explores the disorienting journey into the unknown—both literally and metaphorically. It captures the tension between discovery and loss, the unsettling feeling of stepping into a place where nothing is familiar, and everything is out of reach.

The opening lines set the tone for the song’s journey: “We step into a silence, / The world behind us fading into shadow.” This is a moment of transition, as the familiar world falls away, leaving only an uncertain, unfamiliar space. The metaphor of a “breach” or “crack” where “nothing and everything collide” suggests a place of deep paradox, where the boundaries of reality and identity begin to blur.

The imagery throughout the song evokes an alien and surreal landscape, where the laws of nature no longer apply. The trees, the air, and even the sun are not what they once were. This strangeness mirrors the internal landscape of the characters, as they step into a space where their understanding of themselves and the world around them begins to unravel. “We are fragments now,” they admit, reflecting a loss of wholeness and certainty.

The journey, initially framed as an "expedition," becomes something more profound: a journey of self-discovery and loss. Instead of uncovering the world, they are being transformed by it. “We thought we came here to map the world, / But we are the ones being mapped,” perfectly captures this shift in perspective. What was once an outward exploration becomes an inward one, as the boundaries between who they were and who they’ve become become increasingly unclear.

The haunting atmosphere of the song is heightened by the portrayal of an environment where nature itself feels like a sentient force—“the animals have forgotten their names,” and “the soil hums with secrets we dare not ask.” It suggests that this place holds knowledge and truths far beyond the reach of the explorers, and they are powerless against its gravitational pull. There is a sense of inevitable change, as they are drawn deeper into the mystery, unsure of what they have lost along the way.

The central theme of transformation is reinforced by the imagery of “the land folds into itself,” symbolizing the way the environment itself is reshaping the explorers. They are no longer clear on their purpose, as they “no longer know what we came for, / What we’re running from.” It’s as though the journey is no longer about the destination but about the process of change itself, and the irreversible impact that the experience has on them.

The final lines are chilling in their reflection on the impermanence of memory and experience. “And we are the last ones who’ll ever remember / What lies on the other side.” It is as if the journey has erased the borders between the known and the unknown, leaving them as the last witnesses to a reality that will never be understood by anyone else.

In "The Border Between," Velvet Skies and Samuel E. Burns offer a striking meditation on the fragility of self and the uncharted territories of both the physical world and the human psyche. The song’s emotional and existential depth lingers long after the music fades, leaving listeners to contemplate the borders in their own lives—the thresholds that, once crossed, irrevocably change everything. It’s a piece about the vulnerability inherent in discovery and the inevitable transformation that comes with stepping into the unknown.