Cults formed in 2010, when native San Franciscans Follin and Oblivion were attending school in New York City (Oblivion was a documentary film student at NYU; Follin was studying at the New School). A couple at the time, they wrote and recorded songs in Oblivion's apartment using a computer and a cheap midi keyboard, and before the year was over, they released their self-titled debut EP on Forest Family Records. One of the EP's songs, "Go Outside," which Cults recorded with Paul Kostabi at Thunderdome Studios, became a viral hit, earning acclaim from publications including Pitchfork and NME.
Cults built on the success of "Go Outside" by touring with Richie Follin's Band (the project of Madeline's older brother) for six months. They then signed to In the Name Of, an imprint of Columbia Records founded by Lily Allen. Produced by Shane Stoneback, Cults' June 2011 self-titled album delivered more of their atmospheric, retro-futuristic indie pop and charted in the U.K., Canada, and the U.S., reaching number 52 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums Chart. That year, the duo also appeared on the AIDS/HIV research benefit album Red Hot+Rio 2, collaborating with Superhuman Happiness on a cover of "Um Canto de Afoxé para o Bloco Do Ilê." Along with touring in support of the album, Cults also appeared at the Portishead-curated ATP I'll Be Your Mirror festival that September and at ATP's Nightmare Before Christmas festival, which was curated by Battles, that December.
In October 2013, Cults returned with their second album, Static. Recorded with Stoneback in the wake of Follin and Oblivion's breakup, it won strong reviews for its emotive songwriting and peaked at number 114 on the Billboard Top 200. That month, the duo also appeared with Amber Coffman on J. Cole's "She Knows" from his album Born Sinner; the song hit number 90 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. Following the 2014 single "Being It," Cults took some time off. In 2016, Follin formed the group Follin with her brother Richie, and released the single "Roxy" that February.
For their next album, Cults took a more collaborative approach, with Follin playing drums and keyboards as well as singing. After working with Stoneback in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco studios, Cults emerged in October 2017 with Offering, which borrowed from influences as wide-ranging as Pink Floyd, Gary Numan, and the Motels, whose music they'd fallen in love with while touring with Total Control in Australia. They explored their passion for the Motels further in 2018 with a track-by-track cover of the band's 1979 self-titled debut that was part of Turntable Kitchen's Sounds Delicious series. The following year saw the release of Offering B Sides & Remixes, which featured reworkings of the album's tracks by Mike Simonetti, Etienne de Crecy, and John Fryer.
Cults began work on their next album in early 2019, teaming with Stoneback on songs that, for the first time, featured live instrumentation and included lyrics by Follin. Mixed by John Congleton and mastered by Heba Kadry, Host appeared in September 2020 and tackled themes of identity and independence.
Biography by Heather Phares
You Know What I Mean
Cults Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come then go away, that's what they all do
Help me 'cause I'm feeling shaky
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
'Cause I seem to have lost it
'Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
Yeah, you know what I mean
Lonely, that's not quite my problem
I have all that I need, haven't quite lost it
I try so hard to be happy
'Cause something goes on once again
Please, please come and save me
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
'Cause I seem to have lost it
'Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
And I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
'Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
'Cause I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
The lyrics to Cults's song You Know What I Mean are a poignant and emotional exploration of the singer's psychological struggles. The chorus in particular is a powerful expression of fear and vulnerability: "Cause I am afraid of the light, yeah, you know what I mean, and I can't sleep alone at night, yeah, you know what I mean."
The first verse sets the stage for the singer's feelings of instability and fear. She feels like she can't take things slowly and that people always come and go from her life. She is asking for help and wondering what's wrong with her brain. In the second verse, she acknowledges that she has everything she needs but is still not happy. She's struggling to cope with "something" that keeps going on, and once again asks for someone to save her and tell her what's wrong with her brain.
The chorus repeats twice, emphasizing the singer's fear of the light and sleeping alone at night. The bridge then repeats the chorus before building to a final crescendo. The song ends with the singer pleading for someone to tell her what's wrong with her brain, underscoring the depth of her desperation.
Overall, the lyrics of You Know What I Mean are a powerful and affecting testimony to the difficulties of mental health. The tone is both melancholic and hopeful, striking a chord with anyone who has struggled with anxiety or depression.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I can't take things slowly
I am impatient and can't wait for things to happen at their own pace.
Come then go away, that's what they all do
People tend to leave me after a while, and I'm tired of it happening over and over again.
Help me 'cause I'm feeling shaky
I am feeling unstable and need someone to support and help me.
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
I am struggling with my mental health and need to know what the issue is to get help.
'Cause I seem to have lost it
I feel like I have lost control of my thoughts and emotions, and things are spiraling out of control.
'Cause I am afraid of the light
I am afraid of being exposed and having my vulnerabilities and weaknesses revealed to others.
Yeah, you know what I mean
I know you understand what I'm saying and feeling.
And I can't sleep alone at night
I am so scared and anxious that I cannot fall asleep by myself.
Lonely, that's not quite my problem
I am not necessarily lonely, but I am still struggling with my mental health.
I have all that I need, haven't quite lost it
I have everything I need materially, but I am still struggling emotionally and mentally.
I try so hard to be happy
I am constantly striving to be happy and content, but it feels impossible.
'Cause something goes on once again
There always seems to be something brewing, and I can't shake this feeling of unease.
Please, please come and save me
I am desperate for someone to rescue me from this state I'm in.
'Cause I am afraid of the light
The thought of being exposed and vulnerable is terrifying to me.
'Cause I can't sleep alone at night
I am so filled with anxiety and fear that I cannot sleep by myself.
Yeah, you know what I mean
I know you understand what I'm going through, and it's comforting to know I'm not alone.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MADELINE FOLINE MCKENNA, RYAN MICHAEL MATTOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lol Canul
I, I can't take things slowly
Come let away, that's what they all do
Help me cause I'm feeling shaky
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
Cause I seem to have lost it
Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
And I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
Lonely, that's not quite my problem
I have all I need, haven't quite lost it
I try so hard to be happy
Cause something goes wrong once again
Please, please come and save me
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
Cause I seem to have lost it
Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
And I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
Cause I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
Freaky Connos
I, I can't take things slowly
Come let away, that's what they all do
Help me 'cause I'm feeling shaky
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
'Cause I seem to have lost it
[Chorus]
'Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
And I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
[Verse 2]
Lonely, that's not quite my problem
I have all that I need, haven't quite lost it
I try so hard to be happy
'Cause something goes on once again
[Bridge]
Please, please come and save me
Tell me what's wrong with my brain
'Cause I seem to have lost it
[Chorus]
'Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
And I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
'Cause I am afraid of the light
Yeah, you know what I mean
'Cause I can't sleep alone at night
Yeah, you know what I mean
exclamation point
Heard this song playing in the shop as i was getting my first tattoo, fell in love immediately
Wolfgang 644
I've yet to get my first tattoo as well hope i get mines somewhere next year
Trance Fusion
so you tattooed in a shop?
Persephone
I love you Cults. You're music is freaking awesome and unique. The only band I feel that captures that feeling I get.
soyauby
feel the same!
Mikey DiCiero 🇺🇸
I love this band more than I can put into words! If you couldn't tell from my shirt lol
nochu oki
This song makes you feel as if you're trapped in a room with your crush. But as the two of you grew closer, everything came to an end when someone came to your rescue.
Mayyyy
el video, el sonido, la producción, los detalles, la canción y todo es tan bueno!! son tan infravalorados :(
Joseph Boche
this song has such a retro feel to it
can't stop listening due to the fact that AMAZING skateboarding is replaying over and over again in my head
Elbereth Gilthoniel
it's so good