Ashes of Yesterday - West Coast AI (Power Metal Ballad)

“Ashes of Yesterday” is a powerful reflection on a life spent in war, told from the perspective of an old, weary soldier filled with regret. As he looks back on lost comrades, faded ideals, and the dreams he sacrificed, he questions the purpose of his battles and laments the life he might have lived. With a sense of acceptance and finality, the song captures his farewell to the past, leaving behind the shadows of his journey and finding peace amid the ashes of yesterday.
This is song #5 of 5 from the EP “Beneath the Banner”.
Lyrics:
Verse:
An old man stares at distant skies
Where once he dreamed, where freedom lies
The echoes fade of battles past
In shadows deep, the die is cast
Verse:
A life he gave, a path he chose
Yet wonders now where sorrow grows
The faces lost in clouds of gray
The friends he’d vowed would never stray
Verse:
Each name a scar upon his heart
A memory that won’t depart
They call to him from fields unseen
A world that was, a might-have-been
Pre-Chorus:
Through years of war, his soul was chained
In fire and blood, his honor stained
The dreams of youth, in ashes lie
But still he stands beneath the sky
Chorus:
Ashes of yesterday, scattered in the wind
A lifetime spent on battle’s edge, where shadows never end
For every victory, a thousand dreams were lost
In cold embrace of endless war, he learns the final cost
The fire once burned bright and true, now only embers stay
In bitter silence, he lets go of hopes he cast away
The echoes fade, the songs decay
Left with the ashes of yesterday
Verse:
He sees the boy with sword in hand
Who once believed, who took his stand
With eyes of fire and heart so bold
Unbroken by the lies he’d hold
But time wore down that youthful frame
And left a man he’d never name
Pre-Chorus:
A thousand scars, a thousand tears
In shadows lost across the years
The friends he’d known, the foes he’d faced
In fading light, all laid to waste
Chorus:
Ashes of yesterday, scattered in the wind
A lifetime spent on battle’s edge, where shadows never end
For every victory, a thousand dreams were lost
In cold embrace of endless war, he learns the final cost
The fire once burned bright and true, now only embers stay
In bitter silence, he lets go of hopes he cast away
The echoes fade, the songs decay
Left with the ashes of yesterday
Bridge:
A final breath, a final sigh
He bows his head beneath the sky
For in the dark, he finds release
An end at last, a whispered peace
Chorus:
Ashes of yesterday, scattered in the wind
A lifetime spent on battle’s edge, where shadows never end
For every victory, a thousand dreams were lost
In cold embrace of endless war, he learns the final cost
The fire once burned bright and true, now only embers stay
In bitter silence, he lets go of hopes he cast away
The echoes fade, the songs decay
Left with the ashes of yesterday
Final Chorus:
Ashes of yesterday, scattered to the stars
The years he spent in honor’s name, beneath a veil of scars
For every loss, for every dream, he finds his peace at last
With shadows gone and battles done, his journey’s fading cast
The fire dims, the echoes die, and peace is finally won
In silent grace, he lays to rest the wars that made him run
The battles fade, the skies turn gray
Leaving behind the ashes of yesterday
#WestCoastAI #AshesOfYesterday #PowerMetalBallad #Reflective #WarStory #Nostalgia #EmotionalJourney #Farewell #HeavyRiffs #PianoAndGuitar #RegretAndAcceptance

[@frank3770]

sabaton should be aware of this masterpiece and maybe make a cover

[@WestCoastAI]

That would be a huge honour and I wouldn't mind at all. ❤❤❤

[@TwilightRage2099]

Dammit... Right in the feels!

[@WestCoastAI]

Thank you. I feel the same and I created the song... 😄

[@Sir_Frog_Knight]

same here... same here... sounds like my life in the form of a song...

[@jasonbaker7362]

Got this vet misty eyed thinking about brothers in arms. Awesome music.

[@WestCoastAI]

Even though I created the song and have heard it probably more times than anyone else, I still get tears in my eyes every time I hear it.
Thank you. ❤️

[@CarlGraham-tu5fw]

​@@WestCoastAIawesome

[@odairbarbarini777]

Após ouvir várias vezes, só resta dizer que você encontrou o caminho. Música maravilhosa

[@WestCoastAI]

Thank you for your kind words. I hope you keep following me on my way. ❤❤

[@AlexanderCorriveau]

I'm just dust of these ashes of a burnt out fire

[@WestCoastAI]

Did your fire once burn bright but now only embers stay? ❤️

[@vickialbertson4068]

❤❤❤❤❤. I love this. Brings tears to my eyes. 😢😢😢

[@WestCoastAI]

Thank you so much, and I get that same feeling too ❤️❤️❤️

[@Lady_Lamia48]

❤️‍🔥🤘❤️‍🔥🤘❤️‍🔥

[@WestCoastAI]

Glad you liked it. I think it is one of my best songs.

[@Lady_Lamia48]

@WestCoastAI 🤗

[@mikaelnaslund2964]

Outstanding!!! Really OUTSTANDING!!! Beautyfull music i must say. Thank you for your efforts in making this!!!!!!! 💖💖🥰🥰

[@WestCoastAI]

Thank you so much. I think this one turned very well. A tear breaker. ❤

[@mikaelnaslund2964]

@@WestCoastAI Indeed 💖💖

[@Dreamfall_55]

Nice work! Really like the chorus :) I got some power metal ai songs uploaded if it is of any interest :)

[@WestCoastAI]

Thank you. I will check them out.