Black Out On White Night
Francis Sage Lyrics

The lights are out
The streetlights are off or there is a power outage. The city is dark, and poorly lit.

The phones are dead
The phones do not work; they are not allowing any calls or texts to go through.

And I'm the only thing that's running in this city
The singer is the only one who is moving around in the city. There is no one else visible on the streets.

Except for the clouds
The clouds in the sky are moving and can be seen among the darkness.

Man, they're coming down
The clouds are heavy and low, and it seems as if it will rain heavily soon.

If I knew my way around, I wouldn't feel so dizzy
The singer feels lost and disoriented and has difficulty navigating the unfamiliar city.

Where's the telly?
The singer is looking for a television to watch or something to do, but he doesn't know where to locate one.

Nobody can tell me
The artist doesn't have anyone to ask or any idea about where to find a television.

I don't speak a lick of that language and got a slippery memory
The artist does not know the language spoken in the city, and he has a hard time remembering things.

If I spelled it all out on my arm
If the artist had written down the instructions in the correct language on his arm, he would not be feeling so lost at the moment.

Only if
But he did not write anything down, so that is not the case.

But I didn't, so I think, "Get a grip, kid. Deal with it"
The artist realizes that panicking and worrying won't help, so he reminds himself to calm down and find a solution.

Baby's waiting for a ring
The singer's significant other is waiting for a proposal of marriage or a ring to signify their commitment.

And won't settle for the substitute excuse that's forming
The singer is realizing that he has missed an opportunity to propose, and merely searching for a TV is not a valid excuse.

I've got a complicated case of escapism
The singer has difficulty facing reality and is attempting to escape from his problems.

For her, I tried to rewire my nature
The artist tries to change himself to match his significant other's beliefs and values.

Too tired to wake her
The artist is too tired to wake up his significant other to face their problems together.

Up out of that artificial calm she was on
His significant other might be in a state of artificial calm, living a life of comfort, and ease, that the singer does not have, but he has woken up to the reality of their situation.

A drug-induced future that slipped out of her palms
The significant other's tranquilized existence slipped out of their grasp.

Seductive rain dancer, she thinks I'm waterproof
Significant other believes that the artist is strong enough to handle anything, no matter how severe, and a rain(dance) will not affect him.

Like Superman doesn't need a roof over his head
The artist uses an analogy, saying that his significant other believes he is Superman and does not need shelter or comfort.

When I come home to roost, I'll need truth to hold in bed
Despite his significant other's idealizations, the artist knows that he will need truth and authenticity to support him at the end of the day.

But I'm seeking salvation in a booth, and the phones are dead
The singer is trying to find redemption or a solution, but all his efforts are in vain because the phones aren't working.

And man, they're coming down
The clouds are still descending, and the artist is still lost and unable to do anything.

If I knew my way around by now, I'd be bound for home
The singer realizes that if he could navigate better, he would be on his way home by now, but unfortunately, that's not happening.

I know that I'm in love, but I know I'm out of touch
The singer is aware that they love someone, but they also understand that they are not in sync with them.

And I know that I get dumb when I can sense something's up
The singer understands that when they feel something wrong in their relationship, they don't have intelligent responses to red flags.

And then I bottom out
Their mental and emotional states take a massive hit when they can't handle a situation.

European tailspin
The singer is envisioning their own chaotic existence, which is spiraling out of control, in a way that is similar to a plane crash.

Scrawling messages out on my pale skin in hopes they get mailed in
They might be writing messages to their lover that they might have missed but then again they may never know.

Before the ink poisoning takes effect
The singer refers to writing messages on themselves and hoping it gets seen before they get sick from the ink entering their skin.

And it gets smudged 'cause I budge before letting paint set
The singer expects things to go well, but they end up messing everything up by rushing the process.

I get judged by the ones who have shelter and rain checks
The singer feels like the people around them and those in their social circle look down on them and judge them for their shortsightedness.

While I trudge through the mud because this foreign terrain's wet
The singer is not used to navigating through the place they find themselves, and it is hard to get a foothold in it.

Regain consciousness, then lose common sense
The singer feels like they are only functional some of the time and when they are alert; they display foolish behavior.

The ominous, dark skies that lie between me and Providence are signs
The singer takes the dark and gloomy surroundings as a sign that his relationship is in jeopardy,

The obvious answer isn't standing on your face with stilettos on
The singer acknowledges that things might seem obvious, but the right course of action is not always apparent or apparent to others.

If you pop the question wrong
The singer sees that getting the question or the timing of the proposal might be wrong, and it could ruin things.

Every song's a post afterthought, but I won't grab the chalk
The singer thinks of every action, thought, or gesture after the moment has passed, but they don't want to take control of the situation actively.

To outline my body of work
They see themselves as a work in progress and are not comfortable deeming things final or complete.

Toe tags get caught in my teeth 'cause my foot is in my mouth
The singer feels like whenever they try to speak, it either comes out wrong, or they wish they didn't say what they just said.

And the spurs are in my words, so my tongue can't dismount
The singer is using a cowboy metaphor to say that their words hurt others the same way spurs hurt a horse, and once they start speaking, they can’t stop.

Even after our rapport had fully run its course
Their relationship has ended, but the singer is still preoccupied with the remnants of their past interactions.

I couldn't figure out the most heroic time to jump from the horse
The singer was unable to find the best and most dignified way to leave their relationship once it had become apparent that it was ending.

And place this old hat for the last time on the coat rack
They use a west cowboy metaphor, saying that they will hang their old cowboy hat on the coat rack as they will let go of their past relationship for the last time.

But I'd donate all my earnings from the race just to know that
The singer would give all they have just to understand where they stand with their significant other.

Resisting urges to go back and get it later
The singer is fighting the temptation to go back to the past and fix things that went wrong.

Like the milk would unsour itself in the refrigerator
They use an analogy of milk gone bad, saying that no matter how hard they try, it is impossible to fix something that is beyond repair.

A wet boy in a dry, dry state
The singer feels stranded and out of place in a state of solitude.

On an old country road where tradition has a blind date
Tradition changes, and sometimes, it is shrouded in secrecy, leaving people unable to comprehend it fully.

I'll make it dance on its own grave tonight
The singer will overcome any obstacle holding them down and have a celebratory dance on its burial site.

With a change of direction by the pale moonlight
The singer will pivot towards a new path in their life with newly found inspiration.

And if it needs theme music, I'll break out the bagpipes
The singer will add flair and drama to the event and signal that the funeral is not a mourning occasion, but something to celebrate life's changes.

Play a tune you ghostwrote me in a past life that goes like ...
The singer requests a specific tune that the significant other might have gifted them in another life.

Black out on white night in Rome
The phrase is repeated to give more time for reflection on the themes of the song.

Black out on white night in Rome
The phrase is repeated to give more time for reflection on the themes of the song.

Black out on white night in Rome
The phrase is repeated to give more time for reflection on the themes of the song.

Black out on white night in Rome
The phrase is repeated to give more time for reflection on the themes of the song.