In The Darkest Place
Elvis Costello with Burt Bacharach Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the darkest place
I know
That is where you'll find me
Even though you didn't have to remind me
I shut out the lights
Your eyes adjust
They'll never be the same
You know I love you so
Let's start again

Since you put me down
It seems
I've been very gloomy
You may laugh, but pretty girls look right through me
They don't sense the faintest glimmering
That is the torch I bear
There's light enough for me to find my way

But I only have to tell myself that by now
You could be with someone else
Is there light beneath your door and
Laughter from within?

Do your friends come around
Saying, "Try to find another lover"?
He won't love you like I do

In the darkest place
I'm lost
I have abandoned every hope
Maybe you'll understand I must
Shut out the light

Your eyes adjust
They'll never be the same
You know I love you so
Let's start again

Do your friends come around
Saying, "Try to find another lover"?
He won't love you like I do

In the darkest place
That is where you'll find me
In the darkest place
That is where you'll find me

Overall Meaning

Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach’s song “In the Darkest Place” is about an individual who has shut out the light and lost all hope because their significant other has left them. The song’s lyrics describe how they feel lost and abandoned in the darkness, searching for their loved one to come back to them. Even though they acknowledge that their significant other may have moved on, they cannot help but feel consumed by their love for them.


The lyrics highlight the singer’s inability to move on and the pain they feel from being left behind. They question if their significant other has already moved on and if their friends are encouraging them to find someone else. The singer’s love for their significant other remains strong, and they wish to start over again, even though they know that their eyes will never look the same way again. The song signifies the pain and sorrow of lost love while highlighting the difficulty of moving on, making it a poignant ballad for anyone who has experienced a similar situation.


Line by Line Meaning

In the darkest place
I am feeling depressed and alone


I know
This feeling is familiar to me


That is where you'll find me
This is where my mind goes when I'm feeling down


Even though you didn't have to remind me
I remember feeling this way even without any external influences


I shut out the lights
I am isolating myself from the world


Your eyes adjust
You become accustomed to the darkness


They'll never be the same
You will never see things the same way again


You know I love you so
I still have feelings for you


Let's start again
Can we try to work things out?


Since you put me down
Since you rejected me


It seems
It appears to me


I've been very gloomy
I have been feeling sad and unhappy


You may laugh, but pretty girls look right through me
Other attractive women don't even notice me


They don't sense the faintest glimmering
There is no spark of interest


That is the torch I bear
This is my burden to carry alone


There's light enough for me to find my way
I can still see my way forward


But I only have to tell myself that by now You could be with someone else
I worry that you have moved on


Is there light beneath your door and Laughter from within?
Are you happy without me?


Do your friends come around Saying, 'Try to find another lover'?
Are people telling you to move on?


He won't love you like I do
No one will ever care for you the way I do


I have abandoned every hope
I have given up on any positive outcome


Maybe you'll understand I must Shut out the light
Perhaps you will realize why I need to be alone


That is where you'll find me
I will still be lost in the darkness


In the darkest place
My emotions are at their lowest




Contributed by Amelia G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

@summertime_blooz

Classic album! Burt will be missed so much, but praise be for the many gifts he bestowed on all of us.

@CaptainHaddock-x8u

A comment only one with a great ear can make! He will be very missed indeed! I listened to this album on the day he died (02/08/23), and it was worth every tear.

@elijahminiaturas5169

Maestro Burt Bacharach, rest in peace.

@mattiasgraff8162

Love this whole album

@carondance

Amazing voice and playing!! So powerful together!!

@dorisschaefferARTVIDEO

Amazing 🙏🏻⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thanku

@joseplluisvazquezcarrera4508

Perfecte......................................perfecte................................etern...........

@CaptainHaddock-x8u

Yes indeed!

@Confite

love it

@michaelstange100

This album .....

More Comments