Like Bo Diddley or minimalist synth provocateurs Suicide, Dirty Beaches’ compositions were not so much stripped down as refined to their essence. Drum loops, Hungtai’s croon, and the yearning melodies draped overtop belie as much a sense of haunting mystery as they do romanticism and wry humour.
In November, 2014 Alex Zhang Hungtai announced the end of Dirty Beaches. He performed one of his last concerts in GNRation, in Braga, Portugal.
Since 2016 he is releasing music again, under his birth name. He most notably released a tape – Knave of Hearts – on Ascetic House and a highly-acclaimed album, Divine Weight on NON Worldwide.
Lord Knows Best
Dirty Beaches Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When it comes to you,
And you know well that I
Don't give a damn about anything but you.
Oh, yes, you do!
I've traveled through the streets,
And I've walked through the valleys,
The Lord knows best that I
Don't give a damn about anyone but you.
Oh, yes, he does!
The Lord knows best
When it comes to you.
Oh, yes, He does.
Dirty Beaches's song Lord Knows Best seems to be about a deeply-rooted obsession with someone that goes beyond the logical realm. The lyrics suggest that even though the person knows that the singer does not care about anything else but them, they continue to be in a state of denial. The "Lord" in the song could refer to both a higher power or the singer's own inner voice. The repetition of the phrase "Lord knows best" creates a haunting and almost cult-like feel to the track, adding to the obsessive nature of the thoughts being described.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of journey, with the singer stating that they have traveled through streets and valleys, possibly trying to escape from their fixation on this person. However, the repetition of the phrase "don't give a damn about anyone but you" suggests that the singer has been unsuccessful in detaching from this individual. The last line of the song is a repetition of the opening line, "the Lord knows best when it comes to you," further emphasizing the unhealthy obsession.
Line by Line Meaning
The lord knows best
I trust in a higher power to guide me in matters related to you
When it comes to you,
In matters related to you specifically
And you know well that I
You are aware and familiar with the fact that I
Don't give a damn about anything but you.
I care only about you and nothing else matters
Oh, yes, you do!
Agreeing with the statement made in the previous line
I've traveled through the streets,
I have journeyed through various places and spaces
And I've walked through the valleys,
I've experienced difficult times and struggles
The Lord knows best that I
I believe that the higher power knows more than me
Don't give a damn about anyone but you.
My sole focus is on you while disregarding all others
Oh, yes, he does!
Confirming belief in the higher power's understanding of my priorities
The Lord knows best
Repeated declaration of trust in the higher power's judgement
When it comes to you.
Reiterating the focus on you
Oh, yes, He does.
Final confirmation of unwavering faith and belief
Contributed by Elena O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ghost Trash
This song makes me feel like I'm going insane in a beautiful way it makes me feel so happy yet sad
Katrina
I am so in love with this song.
Ozymandiaz
Me pergunto como não ouvi isso antes, cara, isso é lindo.
DREAM MACHINE
this song makes me feel like I'm 50 years old and remembering my high school prom
tuila
Imagine wandering in a post-apocalyptic wasteland and finding a desolated bar. You go inside and see the ruined interior of a 50's style bar and hear this song playing on a barely working jukebox. I always get that image in my head when I hear this song. Absolutely amazing.
wadeinator2
+tuila Exactly. I get images of Fallout in my head haha
Bob Elsley
+tuila For some reason everyone I know describes a similar setting when listening to this song
Dimitris Sig
+tuila your description is amazing. thats exaclty my experience with this song. before a week
Nick
I think they should apply this song to Outlast 2, it'd be a great combination
championgomez
and you know well that I don't give a damn .