Chuck Shuldiner

[Kilgore Cod]

He is my all time favorite lyricist. So many of his words resonate with me, these being among my favorites:

from Cut Down:

Why is life a game where we are forced to play
I think it's safe to assume
Don't feed off a loss or a win
The reward is to survive

from Symbolic:

Do you remember when
Things seemed so eternal?
Heroes were so real...
Their magic frozen in time
The only way to learn
Is be aware and hold on tight

from Perennial Quest:

No time for mental crutches
The maker has moved on
I will take it raw and be on my way

Those that stood beside me
I'm glad you understand
Behind these written words
I share the simple plan
To hang on to the way that we feel

That last one is almost like Chuck was mentally preparing himself for his own death, even though it didn't happen til six years later.