Lee grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA. He has been quoted as saying that he is fortunate to have seen different sides of life in America. Lee enrolled at the University of South Carolina in 1995. He began to play guitar and write songs seriously while he studied English. After graduating with an English degree, Lee moved back to Philadelphia to teach elementary school. He later made the tough decision to stop teaching in order to pursue a career in music. Shortly thereafter, he released a self-produced EP that featured five of his original songs, which did extremely well in Philadelphia and created a buzz. Norah Jones was the person who finally gave Lee his big breakthrough when she asked him to open for her 2004 tour. Lee then went on to produce his self-titled debut album. In March and April of 2005 Lee opened for the tour that Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan were both embarking on, all 3 performers were extremely well received by critics as the tour went by, with Dylan receiving some of his strongest reviews in years. On October 3, 2006, Lee released his second album, "Supply & Demand" to critical and commercial acclaim.
At the age of only 27, Amos Lee has enjoyed notable success with his debut album and looks to have a promising future in the music business. His favorite artists and sources of inspiration include Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, John Prine, Bill Withers, and James Taylor.
The Darkness
Amos Lee Lyrics
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I got nothin' in return
Turn out that there's something
Letters bound and burned
Well I know you think you knew me
Well I thought I knew you too
I guess I was a fool but
We all fall into the darkness
Oh the darkness
Oh the darkness
Before the Dawn
Well I never was wasteful
With the time I had at hand
Guess I had to chase you
So I had to understand
That we all fall into... the darkness
Oh the Darkness
Oh the Darkness
Before the Dawn
So go get out my records
If you take one last request
Tell me that you love me
That you always did your best
So I sense I fell into the darkness
Oh the darkness
Oh the darkness
Oh the darkness
The song "The Darkness" by Amos Lee encapsulates the feelings of betrayal and heartbreak. The lyrics depict a situation where the singer had given his all to a person who had eventually let him down. He feels used and unappreciated, "Well I never asked for nothin', I got nothin' in return." Despite the fact that there seemed to be something special between them, he was fooled, "Well I know you think you knew me, well I thought I knew you too, I guess I was a fool but that ain't nothing new." He is left with nothing but the memory of the letters they wrote, which ended up being burned.
The chorus, "We all fall into the darkness, oh the darkness, oh the darkness, before the dawn," suggests that regardless of how much someone may try to avoid pain, it is something that eventually happens to everyone. The darkness before the dawn signifies the period of pain, struggle, and hurt before eventual healing and recovery.
In the last verse, the singer asks his former lover to get his records and tells them to express their love for him and the fact that they tried their best. He acknowledges that he has fallen into the darkness, just like everyone else, and there is nothing left but to move on.
Overall, "The Darkness" is a very emotive and poignant song that conveys a message of hope and acceptance despite the pain that may occur in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I never asked for nothin'
I never begged or expected anything from anyone.
I got nothin' in return
Despite not asking anything, I still didn't receive anything in return.
Turns out that there's something
Even though I didn't ask for anything, I did end up getting something, which wasn't good.
Letters bound and burned
The evidence of something that happened was deliberately destroyed.
Well I know you think you knew me
You thought you know me well.
Well I thought I knew you too
I also thought I knew you well too.
I guess I was a fool but
However, it seems like we were both naive and mistaken.
That ain't nothing new
It isn't uncommon for people to not know each other as well.
We all fall into the darkness
All of us will experience difficult times and situations where we feel lost.
Oh the darkness
The darkness represents the hardships we face.
Before the Dawn
The darkness is present before any positive changes occur.
Well I never was wasteful
I never spent my time or resources on frivolous activities.
With the time I had at hand
The time I had was spent with care and consideration.
Guess I had to chase you
I had to actively pursue and seek out the other person.
So I had to understand
It took effort to comprehend the other person's thoughts, feelings, and intentions.
So I sense I fell into the darkness
I suddenly find myself in a difficult and confusing place.
So go get out my records
The other person is instructed to retrieve my records.
If you take one last request
If a final favor could be granted.
Tell me that you love me
The request is to hear those important words before parting ways.
That you always did your best
The hope is that the other person tried their hardest.
Oh the darkness
The darkness that we face is complex and multi-dimensional.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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