Born Grace Martine Tandon -- "daya" is the Hindi word for "grace" in a nod to her Indian grandfather -- and raised in the Pittsburgh suburb of Mount Lebanon, she began taking piano lessons at the age of three, and moved on to voice lessons at the age of ten. Songwriting came later, and in 2014 she signed with the Z-Entertainment label based on her demos. A year later, her single "Hide Away" took off thanks to early online support, becoming a hit across the globe and receiving multi-platinum certification. In 2015, Daya issued her debut self-titled EP on Artbeatz. Both "Hide Away" and the follow-up, double-platinum single "Sit Still, Look Pretty" rose to the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, with a number 14 debut on the Heatseekers chart. She later contributed vocals to the Chainsmokers' enduring 2016 smash "Don't Let Me Down" (which went on to win the Grammy for Best Dance Recording). Daya's debut, Sit Still, Look Pretty, was released later that year. The album peaked in the Top 40 in the U.S. and Canada, and was eventually certified gold in the U.S. and silver in the U.K.
In 2017, she appeared on the Gryffin and Illenium track "Feel Good," later releasing her own singles "Safe" and "New," the latter of which became a modest hit in the U.S. and Australia. This marked the start of a multi-year period of standalone single, collaboration, and EP releases. Of the dozen or so fresh tracks that she would release at the turn of the decade, 2019's electronic-dance bop "Insomnia," "Wanted" with NOTD, and "Keeping It in the Dark" from the 13 Reasons Why soundtrack made dents on international charts and streaming services. In 2021, she issued her second EP, The Difference, which included the electro-pop banger "First Time" and the Charlie Puth-assisted hit "Bad Girl." Also that year, she delivered the non-album single, "What If I Told You," and "Evil" from the Blade Runner: Black Lotus anime soundtrack. Another single, the sultry and dance-oriented "Love You When You're Gone," arrived in June 2022 as the first track off her third EP, In Between Dreams. In 2023, Daya revealed that she had become a fully independent artist, gaining control over her sound and image. That year, she began a steady rollout of singles, dropping one every few weeks, starting with June's trip-hop-leaning "Juliene." ~ Neil Z. Yeung
Keeping It In The Dark
Daya Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You run your fingers through my hair and smile
'Cause nobody believes that this is right
But we're so right, yeah
I hear rumours, let them fly
It's you and me
And they don't have to know
Oh, they speculate
But let's just make them wait
'Cause they don't need to know
Nobody needs to know
Under the street lights
Nobody knows our names
Tracing the tree lines
And shadows around your face
Falling asleep and waking up with the stars
It's our little secret
We're keeping it in the dark
We stumble like the thunder in our hearts
Laying low, we'll never lay apart
Don't wanna let them change the way we are
The way we are, no
I hear rumours, let them fly
It's you and me
And they don't have to know
Oh, they don't have to know
Oh, they speculate
But let's just make them wait
'Cause they don't need to know
Nobody needs to know
Under the street lights
Nobody knows our names
Tracing the tree lines
And shadows around your face
Falling asleep and
Waking up with the stars
It's our little secret
We're keeping it in the dark
(It's our little secret)
Keep, keep, keeping it in the dark
(It's our little secret)
Keep, keep, keeping it in the
I hear rumours, let them fly
It's you and me
And they don't have to know
Oh, they don't have to know
Oh, they speculate
But let's just make them wait
'Cause they don't need to know
Nobody needs to know
Under the street lights
Nobody knows our names
Tracing the tree lines
And shadows around your face
Falling asleep and
Waking up with the stars
It's our little secret
We're keeping it in the dark
(It's our little secret)
Keep, keep, keeping it in the dark
(It's our little secret)
Keep, keep, keeping it in the dark
Falling asleep and
Waking up with the stars
It's our little secret
Keep, keep, keeping it in the dark
The lyrics of Daya's song Keeping It In The Dark suggest a relationship that is kept hidden from others. The first verse reflects the sense of guilt and fear that the singer and her lover feel about their relationship. They both run away from people and tell lies because they know the society would not accept their relationship. However, they still think and believe that they are right, even though others don't deem it so. The second verse repeats the same concern and worry, but shifts focus to the rumors that circulate about the forbidden love affair. Nevertheless, the singer insists that they don't need to know and that their relationship is their little secret, which they keep in the dark. In the chorus, the singer describes how they hide from the public eye, avoiding the streetlights, and retaining anonymity. She adds a touch of mystery, emphasizing that "nobody knows our names" and "we're keeping it in the dark," while they trace tree lines and shadows around their faces.
The repeated lines and phrases in the song convey the urgent need to protect the relationship from the public eye, making it clear that only two of them know about It. It shows how the society, which is always ready to judge and condemn, sometimes becomes a barrier to relationships. The secrecy of it all adds a layer of intrigue and passion to their relationship, as they stumble like thunder in their hearts, and "fall asleep and wake up with the stars." The lyrics create a sense of intimacy, trust, and emotional bond between the two as they keep the relationship hidden and protected from the outside world.
Line by Line Meaning
I run from everyone and I tell lies
I avoid people and lie about my relationship with you to keep it secret
You run your fingers through my hair and smile
You express affection towards me even though we keep our relationship hidden
'Cause nobody believes that this is right
But we're so right, yeah
Even though society doesn't approve of us, we know our love is genuine and right for us
I hear rumours, let them fly
It's you and me
And they don't have to know
Oh, they don't have to know
Oh, they speculate
But let's just make them wait
'Cause they don't need to know
Nobody needs to know
People talk about us, but it's only our relationship and no one else's business, so let's not reveal it until we're ready
Under the street lights
Nobody knows our names
Tracing the tree lines
And shadows around your face
Falling asleep and waking up with the stars
It's our little secret
We're keeping it in the dark
We enjoy intimate moments and romantic settings together, but all under the veil of secrecy and darkness
We stumble like the thunder in our hearts
Laying low, we'll never lay apart
Don't wanna let them change the way we are
The way we are, no
Our love is powerful and intense, and even though we keep it hidden, we will never part because we don't want to change our love or who we are
Keep, keep, keeping it in the dark
We will continue to keep our relationship secret
Falling asleep and waking up with the stars
It's our little secret
Keep, keep, keeping it in the dark
Our love is a private matter, and we will continue to enjoy the peaceful moments together without anyone else knowing
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ben Abraham, Cameron James Brier, Grace Martine Tandon, Michael James Ryan Busbee, Ryan Patrick Daly
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@caroldeluxe
Daya has the best discography, she really has no bad songs.
@SixEyesDismantle
Jojo lu
So does Lauv
@urflat5659
except hide away,hide away was just plain off slut shaming
@nomnom1828
@@urflat5659 hide away is so good wtf
@daryaspeedy139
Really I love Hide away
@frndo_rdgs
i am living for this soundtrack 😫
@aeronescottlerx8316
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
@arpitamathur9692
I know right!!!!
@kiranmaharjan8485
She deserves much more recognition😩
@khadijabenjdy3094
I remember like 4 years ago when she was mainstream she deserves more now she's so talented