Out Like a Light
The Honeysticks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strung
Up like a kite
Dumb
Wicked and white
Love me in spite
If I betray
All lonely nights
Spent out like a light
With
No kiss goodnight
We never fight
When I'm away
Did your mother
Always seem to hate me
I'm sicker every every day
And now I'm terrified
Of talking to my friends on the
I'm staying stuck
Dreaming of our first born
Your hair color
And popcorn
You never leave
You never leave
You never leave
You leave me in tight
Strung
Up like a kite
Dumb
Wicked and white
Love me in spite
If I betray
All lonely nights
Spent
Out like a light
With
No kiss goodnight
We never fight
When I'm away
The Honeysticks's song "Out Like a Light" is a deeply emotional portrayal of a dysfunctional relationship, characterized by anxiety, betrayal, and loneliness. Throughout the song, the singer expresses a feeling of being trapped in a cycle of pain and confusion, unable to reconcile their love for their partner with the sense of despair that arises from being constantly on edge. The first verse captures this tension effectively, with lines like "Take me out tight, strung up like a kite, dumb," which suggest the singer's feelings of helplessness and vulnerability.
The second verse switches gears slightly, sowing seeds of doubt and uncertainty within the listener's mind. The line "Did your mother always seem to hate me" implies that external factors beyond the singer's control may be at play, and introduces a note of paranoia into the song. This is reinforced with the reference to being "terrified of talking to my friends," which implies a sense of isolation and social exclusion. The bridge then provides a brief moment of respite, with the singer dreaming of a happy future with their partner, but this is quickly undermined by the final chorus, which once again emphasizes the feelings of loneliness and abandonment that characterize the singer's experience.
Overall, "Out Like a Light" is a haunting and poignant song that captures the ups and downs of a relationship in turmoil, painting a picture of a deeply flawed and intricately human connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Take me out tight
I want you to take me out of my negative emotional state.
Strung
I am feeling tense and anxious.
Up like a kite
My anxiety is so high that I feel like I am being lifted off the ground like a kite.
Dumb
I feel foolish for feeling this way.
Wicked and white
My mind is racing with negative thoughts.
Love me in spite
Please continue to love me even though I am struggling.
If I betray
Even if I make mistakes or hurt you, please don't give up on me.
All lonely nights
I spend so many nights feeling lonely and lost.
Spent out like a light
I often fall asleep quickly, exhausted from the emotional turmoil.
With no kiss goodnight
We no longer have the same connection we once had.
We never fight
We are drifting apart and no longer have the passion we once had.
When I'm away
Things seem to be okay when we are apart, but the distance between us is growing.
Writer(s): Benjamin Russin, Caleb Hurst, Ricky Montgomery
Contributed by Nathaniel W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.