Escape Artist came along early and tracked quick. To me, it's the most musical song on the record. It stood tall among most of the finished tracks, even without a vocal melody, we knew that it would be a statement track. It reminds me the most of what we sound like as a band.- Jeremy Taggart
One that stands out for me is “Escape Artist,” that one I just love the vibe and the colors of the verse, the lyrics in that one just kill me, the way Raine sings the verse and the just the whole color or the whole band. Then the chorus just explodes and his this guitar lick that kind of came up at the last minute and then the bridge of that song just now, even after hearing it a hundred times, my head just swirls with that one.- Steve Mazur, Shockwave Magazine, Jul. 2009
Escape Artist, I know that that song came super, super early, but I don’t know exactly when. We just know that we were really happy and we had a couple of pillar songs like that and Monkey Brains, to know that we had the bulk of a really good record.- Jeremy Taggart, iProng, 28 Jul. 2009
Escape Artist was written about a loved one's passing and not having closure. Dealing with the regret.- Raine Maida, (twitter, 19 December 2010)
Every time I think of you
I feel the coldest chill
I think about your great escape
An artist with expert skills
It's painful when you're not around
But it's bound to change
You're the ghost
Empty are these hands
You're the ghost
There's no turning back
No turning back
Every time these lights go out
I'm in this fire drill
With blood shot eyes I stand on guard
This room is quiet and still
Was never one to lay any blame
For the story's the same
You're the ghost
And empty are these hands
You're the ghost
There's no turning back
There's no turning back
You're the ghost
And empty are these hands
You're the ghost
There's no turning back
There's no turning back
Oh there's no turning back
There's no turning...
see concise lyrics