Darker Half come from Sydney Australia. The band is based around the dual guitars of Vo Simpson and Brad Dickson. The guitar harmonies of Vo and Brad intertwine searing lead breaks with Vo's screaming power vocals and brutal doom growl across the solid yet adventurous bass and drums of Simon Hamilton and Dom Simpson.
The band has existed since 2005 playing shows throughout Sydney and regularly visiting major cities on the east coast playing with many of Australias most renowned metal acts including Mortal Sin, Vanishing Point, Lord, Alarum, Black Majesty, Eyefear, Voyager and many more.
In early 2009 the band released their debut album 'Duality' followed by an Australian East Coast headline tour in March to promote the CD. Since the album's release the band have received a solid amount of radio play and multiple showings of their debut film clip 'Take The Plunge' on RAGE, ABC TV.
In 2009 Darker Half toured the east coast of Australia with Iron Maiden's original vocalist Paul Di'anno and did a full national tour supporting progressive metal legends Queensryche.
Current lineup: Vo Simpson (lead vocals, lead guitar), Brad Dickson (guitar), Simon Hamilton (bass), Dom Simpson (drums).
Stranded
Darker Half Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it never seems to come,
This night keeps dragging on,
Will I ever see the sun?
See the world now turn away,
The starry sky, I used to see, now seems so grey,
When everything's going in circles,
You never reach the end.
The walls collapse around me,
The colours they play out a dance of death,
The beauty, it astounds me,
But is this my final breath?
Question my sanity,
How to know what is real?
A fractured mind that will not heal!
Wasting the night away,
How to know left's not right,
There's nothing left for me tonight!
Acid brain,
Gone insane,
Wishing that this was still a game,
Twisted mind,
Lost inside,
No way to see through this endless night!
A mind wrapped in confusion,
Not even sure what is real,
The puzzle is falling to pieces,
I feel my fate is sealed!
The lyrics to Darker Half's song Stranded depict a feeling of isolation, confusion, and desperation. The singer waits for the dawn but it seems like it will never come. The night feels never-ending and keeps dragging on. The starry sky that they used to see now seems so grey. It appears like the entire world is turning away from them. The singer's mind is fractured, and they cannot distinguish what is real. They waste the night away, unsure if left is not right, feeling like there is nothing left for them. Their mind is twisted and lost inside with no escape from this endless night.
The first half of the song describes the singer's sense of loneliness and detachment from the world around them. They feel as though the sky, which used to be full of stars, has lost its luster and charm. The repetitive pattern of the circle is indicative of the singer's descent into a pattern of self-destruction. They cannot seem to escape the endless night and wait in vain for the dawn to come.
In the second half of the song, the singer's desperation reaches its peak. They are questioning their sanity, trying to determine what is real, and not sure if their mind will ever heal. The lyric 'Acid brain, gone insane' further illustrates the mental torment the singer is experiencing. They are wishing that this was all a game, but their twisted mind is lost and they cannot see through the haze of confusion.
Overall, the song Stranded is about being trapped in one's own thoughts and feeling like there is no escape. It depicts feelings of desperation, confusion, and the sheer frustration of being unable to find a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
I wait here for the dawn,
I am waiting for a better future or a new beginning, but it never seems to arrive.
But it never seems to come,
Despite my hope, the expected change in my life never takes place.
This night keeps dragging on,
The current situation in my life is overwhelming me, and it feels like it is taking forever to pass.
Will I ever see the sun?
I am losing hope and wondering if I will ever experience happiness or escape my current state of despair.
See the world now turn away,
While I am struggling, the rest of the world seems to be moving forward without me.
The starry sky, I used to see, now seems so grey,
Even things that used to bring me joy no longer have the same effect, and everything appears dull or sad.
When everything's going in circles,
I feel stuck in a cycle where I am not making progress or moving forward.
You never reach the end.
Despite my efforts, I am not making any real progress and unable to achieve my goals.
The walls collapse around me,
My world is falling apart and everything that once seemed stable or secure is no longer the same.
The colours they play out a dance of death,
Even the beautiful things around me feel temporary and remind me of the eventual end of everything.
The beauty, it astounds me,
I can still see and recognize the beauty around me, but it is overshadowed by my troubles and challenges.
But is this my final breath?
I am beginning to question whether my current struggles are going to be the end of me.
Question my sanity,
I am doubting my own mental health and feel like I might be losing control of myself.
How to know what is real?
I am struggling to differentiate between what is truly happening and what might be a result of my own imagination or anxiety.
A fractured mind that will not heal!
My mental state is broken or damaged beyond repair and shows no signs of improvement.
Wasting the night away,
I am spending all of my time waiting or struggling and not making any real changes in my life.
How to know left's not right,
I am confused and unable to make a decision or take action without worrying if it is the wrong choice.
There's nothing left for me tonight!
I feel like I have exhausted all of my options and there is no hope left for me.
Acid brain,
My mind is consumed by negative thoughts and emotions that are eroding my sanity or well-being.
Gone insane,
My mental state has become unstable and I am struggling to maintain control of myself or my thoughts.
Wishing that this was still a game,
I am longing for a time when my challenges and struggles felt less real or impactful.
Twisted mind,
My thoughts are distorted or warped by my struggles and challenges.
Lost inside,
I am feeling lost or directionless in my life and unsure of what actions to take next.
No way to see through this endless night!
My troubles and challenges have left me feeling trapped and stuck in a never-ending cycle of despair or sadness.
A mind wrapped in confusion,
My thoughts and emotions are jumbled or unclear, leaving me feeling lost or uncertain about what to do next.
Not even sure what is real,
I am beginning to doubt my own sense of reality and struggling to separate fact from fiction.
The puzzle is falling to pieces,
Even my sense of self or my identity is beginning to crumble, leaving me feeling lost or unsure of myself.
I feel my fate is sealed!
I am convinced that things will never improve for me and that my current struggles are a permanent sentence that I cannot escape.
Contributed by Grayson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.