Is it cruel or kind
Not to speak my mind
And to lie to you
Rather than hurt you

Well, I'll confess all of my sins
After several large gins
But still I'll hide from you
Hide what's inside from you

And alarm bells ring
When you say your heart still sings
When you're with me
Oh won't you please forgive me

I no longer hear the music
Oh no no no no no

And all the memories of the pubs
And the clubs and the drugs and the tubs
We shared together
Will stay with me forever

But all the highs and the lows
And the to's and the fro's
They left me dizzy
Oh won't you please forgive me

I no longer hear the music
Oh no no no no no

Well I no longer hear the music when the lights go out
Love goes cold in the shades of doubt
The strange face in my mind it's all too clear
Music when the lights come on
The girl I thought I knew has gone
With her my heart it disappeared

Well I no longer hear the music
Oh no no no no no

All the memories of the fights and the nights
Under blue lights all the kites
We flew together
I thought they'll fly forever

But all the highs and the lows
And the to's and the fro's
They left me dizzy
Won't you forgive me

I no longer hear the music
I no longer hear the music

I no longer hear the music
When the lights go out
Love goes cold in the shades of doubt
The strange face in my mind is all too clear

Music when the lights come on
The girl I thought I knew has gone
With her my heart it disappeared

I no longer hear the music
Oh no no no no no
I no longer hear the music

Overall Meaning

The Libertines' song "Music When the Lights Go Out" tells the story of a troubled relationship and the internal struggle of deciding whether to lie or speak one's mind. The singer questions whether it is cruel or kind to lie to his partner rather than hurt them with the truth. However, despite the temptation to hide his feelings, he admits that he will eventually confess all of his sins. The chorus reveals the pain caused by the relationship as the singer confirms "I no longer hear the music" when the lights go out. The memories of the past are still vivid in his mind, but the love that once existed has now gone cold.

The line "And all the memories of the pubs and the clubs and the drugs and the tubs" showcases the hedonistic lifestyle of the singer and his partner. The reference to "large gins" and "drugs" suggests a party lifestyle that inevitably led to the downfall of the relationship. The line "But all the highs and the lows and the to's and the fro's, they left me dizzy" emphasizes the emotional turmoil that the singer experienced. The reference to "alarm bells" ringing when his partner says her heart still sings when she's with him suggests that they both know the relationship is over, but struggle to let go.

The chorus of "I no longer hear the music" refers to the loss of the joy and passion that once existed in their relationship. The lyrics are haunting and bittersweet, telling the story of a love that has faded away. Despite the sadness of the song, it remains one of The Libertines' most popular tracks, as it showcases the band's raw and emotional style.

Line by Line Meaning

Is it cruel or kind
I'm conflicted about whether it's better to speak honestly and potentially hurt you or to lie and spare your feelings

Not to speak my mind
I'm considering not telling you what's really on my mind

And to lie to you
I'm grappling with whether it's better to deceive you to avoid hurting you

Rather than hurt you
I'm trying to protect you from getting hurt

Well, I'll confess all of my sins
I plan on revealing all my bad behavior

After several large gins
I plan on getting drunk before confessing

But still I'll hide from you
Even though I'm confessing, there are things I'm not ready to reveal

Hide what's inside from you
I'm keeping my true feelings and thoughts secret from you

And alarm bells ring
I'm getting a warning signal that something is wrong

When you say your heart still sings
Your declaration that you still love me sets off a red flag

When you're with me
It's when we're together that the warning signal goes off

Oh won't you please forgive me
I'm asking for your forgiveness

I no longer hear the music
I don't feel the same passionate connection to you anymore

And all the memories of the pubs
I have fond memories of the times we spent together at bars and clubs

And the clubs and the drugs and the tubs
We often engaged in risky and hedonistic behaviors together

We shared together
These moments were significant and special to me because we experienced them as a pair

Will stay with me forever
I'll always remember these moments

But all the highs and the lows
Our relationship had its ups and downs

And the to's and the fro's
There were times when we weren't sure where our relationship was headed

They left me dizzy
These moments of uncertainty and turmoil made me feel unstable and unsure

Well I no longer hear the music when the lights go out
I don't feel the same passionate connection to you when we're alone in the dark

Love goes cold in the shades of doubt
My feelings for you have cooled because of my uncertainty about our relationship

The strange face in my mind it's all too clear
I'm realizing that I don't know you as well as I thought I did

Music when the lights come on
Our relationship used to feel passionate and exciting

The girl I thought I knew has gone
I'm realizing that you've changed and I don't know you anymore

With her my heart it disappeared
My feelings for you have vanished as I've come to realize you're not the person I thought you were

All the memories of the fights and the nights
I remember all the arguments and late nights we spent together

Under blue lights all the kites
We spent many memorable moments together in dimly lit rooms

We flew together
We had some thrilling experiences together

I thought they'll fly forever
I assumed that our exciting times together would never end

Won't you forgive me
I'm asking for your forgiveness

I no longer hear the music
I don't feel the same passionate connection to you anymore

Oh no no no no no
A repetition of my realization that I no longer feel the same way about you

I no longer hear the music
I don't feel the same passionate connection to you anymore

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