A Day in Black and White is a driving, melodically-charged post-punk four-p… Read Full Bio ↴A Day in Black and White is a driving, melodically-charged post-punk four-piece - however, takes its innate D.C. music history in stride as it blends lessons from the past with an abundance of energy, passion and wit. Garnering the group comparisons to some of the most diverse punk-rooted bands of the past twenty years such as Fugazi and Sonic Youth, the band's new Level-Plane Records release, Notes, was recorded by Kurt Ballou (Converge, Cave In, Since By Man) and serves as the main piece of evidence to the aforementioned references. In short, these fellows are more than up to the challenge of finding their own place among D.C.'s musical luminaries.

A Literal Life
A Day in Black and White Lyrics

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You have to be careful what you say
You have to be careful with what you do
That's what you said
That's what you said to me then
Hey did you hear that somewhere else
or did you make it up just for me
That's what you said
That's what you said to me then

Sometimes a passing car and then I sang
Sometimes a TV billboard then I sang

Do the same every day
Hum to myself as I waste away

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of A Day in Black and White's song A Literal Life warns about the consequence of what one says or does, especially in front of others. The words spoken by someone, whether intentional or not, can have a profound impact on the person they're speaking to. The line "Hey did you hear that somewhere else or did you make it up just for me" highlights the importance of meaningful conversation and the value of individualism.

The next part of the song features the lead singer's habit of humming to himself whenever he's idle, accompanying. He seems to sing almost anything that passes his way, be it a passing car, a TV billboard or even situations around him. The tone of the song is slightly melancholic and hints at how the monotony of his everyday life has reduced him to this.

Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the mundanity of life and how the simplest of life's pleasures—such as humming or singing to oneself—can bring a sense of comfort and meaning to an otherwise ordinary situation.

Line by Line Meaning

You have to be careful what you say
You must watch your words and be cautious about what you say

You have to be careful with what you do
Your actions should also be taken with care and caution

That's what you said
This is something that was spoken to me before

That's what you said to me then
This is something you stated to me in the past

Hey did you hear that somewhere else
Did you learn this from another source?

or did you make it up just for me
Or is this something you came up with yourself to tell me?

Sometimes a passing car and then I sang
At times, hearing a vehicle driving by prompts me to sing

Sometimes a TV billboard then I sang
Other times, seeing a TV ad compels me to sing

Do the same every day
Continually repeat the same actions day after day

Hum to myself as I waste away
I pass the time humming to myself, feeling like I'm wasting away

Contributed by Keira E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.