Describing themselves as “string-rock”, the band started up in 2009 and quickly took hold of New England’s musical imagination. Playing over 100 shows during their first year of touring, the band created a seamless, exhilarating sound at the intersection of rock, classical, and folk music. Their self-produced six-song EP 1 earned high praise for its craftsmanship and originality, and their brand new subscription album Pilot Machines was released in 2012.
Bright as the Day
Darlingside Lyrics
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Whistling songs that we spun from the air
I saw the shape of a ghost in the waves
Dead as the sea foam, bright as the day
Bright as the day
Moved through the summers when we were young
Held to the fire, the weight of the sun
I turned out and they stayed on
Bright as the day
Out in the backyard, earth in our teeth
Whistling songs that we learned in our sleep
I heard the sound of a ghost in the night
Scraped up dirt and monsoon skies
Over Kolkata I'm drifting alone
Naked and empty as the day I was born
Held to the fire, a moth in the flame
Dead as the sea foam and bright as the day
The lyrics of Darlingside's song "Bright as the Day" evoke vivid images of a transient existence where the natural world plays a significant role. The opening lines describe being in the water with weeds in our hair whistling songs that were spun from the air. The singer sees the shape of a ghost in the waves, indicating a feeling of detachment from the world around them. The ghost is dead as the sea foam, but bright as the day, suggesting the fleeting nature of life. The repeated use of the phrase "bright as the day" throughout the song juxtaposes the beauty of existence with the inevitability of death. The second verse talks about moving through the summers when they were young and holding the weight of the sun. The line "I turned out and they stayed on" could signify the fleeting nature of youth, where time moves forward, but the memories remain bright as the day. The lyrics "naked and empty as the day I was born" in the final verse further emphasize the theme of transience.
In the second verse, the song mentions "lights on the fog over Bay of Bengal." According to the band, this is a reference to the annual phenomenon where small bioluminescent planktons illuminate the Bay of Bengal with their blue light. The line "Kolkata drifting alone" refers to one of the band member's experiences of drifting alone in the city of Kolkata, India. The reference to "monsoon skies" in the same verse highlights the band's interest in celebrating and exploring the natural world. Overall, the song beautifully captures the complexities of life, where we are in constant transition and have to find joy and beauty in fleeting moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the water with weeds in our hair
We were floating in the water with weeds tangled up in our hair
Whistling songs that we spun from the air
We were humming tunes that we had created out of thin air
I saw the shape of a ghost in the waves
I noticed a blurry figure in the water that appeared to be a ghost
Dead as the sea foam, bright as the day
The ghost was motionless like the sea foam, yet its appearance was radiant like a sunny day
Moved through the summers when we were young
We passed through the summers of our youth
Held to the fire, the weight of the sun
We were trapped in the heat and intensity of the blazing sun
Lights on the fog over Bay of Bengal
The illumination of the foggy atmosphere over the Bay of Bengal
I turned out and they stayed on
I left, but the lights continued to glow
Out in the backyard, earth in our teeth
We were outside in the backyard with specks of dirt in our teeth
Whistling songs that we learned in our sleep
We were singing melodies that we had memorized instinctively in our sleep
I heard the sound of a ghost in the night
There was a ghostly noise that I perceived in the darkness of the night
Scraped up dirt and monsoon skies
We were lifting up some soil while feeling the effects of the monsoon sky
Over Kolkata I'm drifting alone
I'm floating aimlessly over Kolkata all by myself
Naked and empty as the day I was born
I am defenseless and with nothing to offer, like when I came into this world
Held to the fire, a moth in the flame
I am being burned by the intense heat, as if I were a moth attracted to a flame
Dead as the sea foam and bright as the day
I'm lifeless and as pale as the sea foam, but my radiance remains constant like the brightness of the day
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Written by: AUYON MUKHARJI, DAVID CULVER SENFT, DONALD LEWIS MITCHELL, HARRIS ANDREW PASELTINER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind