Khan graduated Brighton University, in music and visual arts, where her experimental multi-media / installation / animation / performance art's influences spanned tape loop / effects pioneer Steve Reich and installation / performance artist Susan Hiller. Afterwards, when working as a nursery school teacher, she began writing for her début. "Whenever I'm writing music it's a very visual place in my mind," she said, "It has a location full of characters and colours and landscapes, so those two things really complement each other, and they help the other one to blossom and support the other. They are like brother and sister." Bat for Lashes music has been likened to that of Björk (who herself attended Khan's early gigs), Kate Bush, PJ Harvey, Annie Lennox, Tori Amos and Fiona Apple.
"The Wizard" was primarily released on 7-inch from Khan's own She Bear label and subsequently Fur and Gold on Echo. In 2007, she was honoured with a ASCAP Vanguard Award and selected to open the prestigious ASCAP Presents… 2007, 14 Mar in Austin, TX, USA (an industry showcase, within SXSW 2007). Later, via a small Manimal Vinyl Fur and Gold pressing (May 2007), Bat for Lashes transferred to Parlophone. She appeared at Glastonbury 2007 (23 June).
In July 2007, Fur and Gold, Joe's Pub, NYC, on 1 May 2007 recordings and a Plaid remix, yielded EP What's A Girl To Do? (7 Jul 2007, EMI). Then on the 17th, the album's 2007 Mercury Prize nomination was announced - despite being a UK media favourite to win, it lost to Klaxons' Myths of the Near Future. 25 Jul 2007, at Knitting Factory, Brooklyn, NY was the fist gig of a three month North American tour, interrupted only by European festival appearances.
In 2008, Bat for Lashes was nominated for Brit Awards ('Best British Breakthrough Act' and 'Best British Female'), her distinctive What's a Girl to Do? video brought her to prominence and, starting with Malahide Castle, Dublin, IE, on 6 Jun 2008, she toured with Radiohead for a month, opening more than a dozen European shows. Perfect As Cats: A Tribute to the Cure (Oct 2008, Manimal Vinyl), included her cover of A Forest.
The lead single for her second album was "Daniel" and released in March. On 23 February, Khan revealed in an interview on radio station XFM that the cover for the single had been shot on Brighton beach, near her home. She also designed a limited edition cover for Fact Magazine which coincided with an interview she did for them. Bat for Lashes released her second album Two Suns in April 2009, which received comparisons to the work of Stevie Nicks, Dolores O'Riordan and Fleetwood Mac.
Bat for Lashes live backing during the Two Suns tours, as March 2009, included among others: Ben Christophers, Charlotte Hatherley and Sarah Jones (drums - of New Young Pony Club). She appeared on BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge. She performed an acoustic version of the single, "Daniel," and also covered "Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon. Her first appearance on US broadcast television was 1 May 2009 on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing the song "Daniel". On May 15, 2009 she appeared on NPR (World Cafe) where she performed "Daniel", "Moon and Moon (piano only) and Prescilla".
On June 13, 2012 Bat for Lashes announced the title of her upcoming third studio album "The Haunted Man" to be released in October. The album was produced, as with Fur And Gold and Two Suns, by Faultline. While not performing as well in Europe as Two Suns, The Haunted Man was her highest charting album in the US to date, at #64. Singles "Laura", "All Your Gold", "A Wall", and "Lilies" followed.
Kids in the dark
Bat for Lashes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We could be on the moon
Tell me you're not leaving
'Cause you're always on my mind
It's been such a dark night
Boy, I know you've been grieving
Riding through the pines
And everything is on fire
Let's take it down
To the heart
Let's take it down
To where the loving starts
Where we're just kids in the dark
Lying next to you
And I wanna live for two
I tell you I'm never leaving
'Cause you're always on my mind
It's been such a hard time
But I know it's the real thing
Riding through the pines
See you in the red light
And everything is on fire
Let's take it down
To the heart
Let's take it down
To where the loving starts
Where we're just kids in the dark
The song "Kids In The Dark" by Bat for Lashes is a love song that talks about two people lying next to each other and feeling like they could be on the moon. The person singing asks the other not to leave because they are always on their mind despite the difficulties they might be facing. The lyrics say that both of them have been through a dark night and that the other person has been grieving.
The song is about finding comfort and solace in someone else during dark times. The red light could represent a metaphor for danger or caution that they are ignoring, or it could represent passion and love. The idea of "riding through the pines" could represent the journey they are going through together, navigating through the forest of life. The chorus encourages them to go back to the basics, to where the love started, and where they can be "just kids in the dark" again.
Overall, the lyrics of "Kids In The Dark" are quite poetic and evoke a sense of longing for the simplicity of childhood love and nostalgia for the innocent moments in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Lying next to you
Being near to you, physically and emotionally
We could be on the moon
Being far away from the rest of the world, enjoying each other's company
Tell me you're not leaving
Assurance, a request for you to stay
'Cause you're always on my mind
Thinking and remembering you always, even when we're not together
It's been such a dark night
An allusion to the difficult, uncertain times we're currently in
Boy, I know you've been grieving
Acknowledging the pain and struggle we both are feeling
Riding through the pines
A metaphorical journey through the unknown, experiencing what life has to offer
See you in the red light
Meeting at a poignant, memorable moment
And everything is on fire
Both in love and in crisis
Let's take it down
A call to being grounded, staying in the moment
To the heart
Focusing on what matters most
Let's take it down
A repetition of the previous line with emphasis
To where the loving starts
Returning to the beginning, to where the love started
Where we're just kids in the dark
Where we can feel free and uninhibited, like children, without fear or worry in the darkness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Natasha Khan, Charles Scott IV
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Regina E. Costa II
Lying next to you
We could be on the moon
Tell me you're not leaving
'Cause you're always on my mind
It's been such a dark night
Boy, I know you've been grieving
Riding through the pines
See you in the red light
And everything is on fire
Let's take it down
To the heart
Let's take it down
To where the loving starts
Where we're just kids in the dark
Lying next to you
And I wanna live for two
I tell you I'm never leaving
'Cause you're always on my mind
It's been such a hard time
But I know it's the real thing
Riding through the pines
See you in the red light
And everything is on fire
Let's take it down
To the heart
Let's take it down
To where the loving starts
Where we're just kids in the dark
SÅᛃ
Lying next to you
We could be on the moon
Tell me you’re not leaving
Cause you’re always on my mind
It’s been such a dark night
Boy, I know you’ve been grieving
Riding through the pines
See you in the red light
And everything is on fire
Let’s take it down
To the heart
Let’s take it down
To where the loving starts
Where we’re just kids in the dark
Lying next to you
And I wanna live for two
I tell you I’m never leaving
Cause you’re always on my mind
It’s been such a hard time
But I know it’s the real thing
Riding through the pines
See you in the red light
And everything is on fire
Let’s take it down
To the heart
Let’s take it down
To where the loving starts
Where we’re just kids in the dark
***
Steso accanto a te
Potremmo essere sulla luna
Dimmi che non te ne stai andando
Perché sei sempre nella mia mente
È stata una notte così buia
Ragazzo, so che ti sei addolorato
Cavalcando tra i pini
Ci vediamo sotto il semaforo rosso
E tutto è in fiamme
Lasciamolo cadere
Al cuore
Lasciamolo cadere
A dove inizia l'amorevole
Dove siamo solo bambini al buio
Steso accanto a te
E voglio vivere per due
Ti dico che non me ne andrò mai
Perché sei sempre nella mia mente
È stato un momento difficile
Ma so che è la cosa reale
Cavalcando tra i pini
Ci vediamo sotto il semaforo rosso
E tutto è in fiamme
Lasciamolo cadere
Al cuore
Lasciamolo cadere
A dove inizia l'amorevole
Dove siamo solo bambini al buio...
Bat For Lashes
Thank you all for joining in with the premiere of ‘Kids In The Dark’ ⚡ you can now pre order the full album ‘Lost Girls’. Stay tuned for more soon! 🛸🤔
Vlachesko
I've listened to this for the thousandth time. That's the best song I've ever heard. From Russia with love .
Oleg Jolly
I just can't stop listening this album.....great work!! Greetings from Ukraine!! :-)
Marcus Edwards
I love love this song and video combo. One compliments the other so well. Truly great work. 👏🏾✌🏾
comrade hermit
You're clearly a fan of 'A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night.'
Mark Guest
I have from Amazon. Welcome back!
anneke thompson
This song carried me through all of the pandemic but also inspired me to become a producer myself. For a while I felt lost trying to make music on my own, wondering how I could succeed in this industry as a woman. I already work as a designer in the field so I know first hand the sexism and setbacks you get when being a woman in entertainment. Khan is an absolute visionary and when I discovered Bat for Lashes was a solo act of her creation it refueled my passion to do this work. Lost Girls is a perfect album and this song encompasses so many feelings. I've listened to this crying, falling in love, moving across the country, breaking up, on my late night drives, at parties and in so many other scenarios. No wonder it was my most listened to song of 2020! Thank you for this art, thank you for this album and thank you for inspiring me. If you tour when the pandemic is over expect me in the front row!
michyrock1
Fur and Gold came out when I was 15 and I remember watching What's a Girl to Do video late night on MTV (thankfully I suffered from insomnia!) and it was love at first listen, something I've never felt with music. And now here I am, nothing changed, I turned 28 three days ago and after 13 years and 5 albums I'm still here loving this more than ever. ❤ I'm not kidding when I say that her art changed my life.
Hugh Jass
You were a bit older than me, I was around 12 when I discovered Natasha Khan on my brother's Zune, been in love ever since
michyrock1
@Fiutello Teletombola I love this