“The song is about being violently assaulted and it made me crazy for a few years. I got really paranoid walking around at night and started feeling really unsafe. The song is more about empowering myself physically amongst a masculine power, and the hate of feeling powerless, making light of masculine physical power, making it jovial and non-threatening. I took a typically violent cultural situation and made it pop and happy.” - April 2012 interview (c)
Throughout, imagery depicting a ‘dark night’ evokes both the actual event of the assault and her process of coping with the trauma.
Video explanation
“I was interested in the Japanese archetype of a female protagonist who is very small and very cute and very physically powerful. You don’t see that archetype in America. But in Japanese culture, there are female characters who can embody this girl uniform and still cut someone’s head off with a sword. “Oblivion” embodies that kind of archetype, going into this masculine world that is associated with sexual assault, but presented as something really welcoming and nice. The song’s sort of about being — I was assaulted and I had a really hard time engaging in any types of relationship with men, because I was just so terrified of men for a while.” - December 2012 interview (Spin.com) (c)
Being her first since signing with 4AD, the album was recorded entirely on Apple's GarageBand in Grimes' apartment over a three-week period. It was named by Pitchfork as the second best track of the decade.
In 2018, NPR ranked this as the #18 greatest song by a female or nonbinary artist in the 21st century, saying:
"Claire Boucher’s third album as Grimes was like a Big Bang at the foundations of pop — fuel for the fire that has continued burning down the borders between the mainstream and underground, between genres in general. Visions fused traditional pop and new jack swing structures with the pointedly nontraditional forms of IDM, noise and punk. The voraciously curious spirit of post-punk was alive in Grimes as a pop language. She took the independence and oddity of bedroom pop and rendered it big screen.
That ‘Oblivion,’ her signature song, was about street harassment only foreshadowed a new era in which conversations about such topics are normalized. Grimes wrote it about being assaulted: ‘I took one of the most shattering experiences of my life,’ she said, ‘and turned it into something I can build a career on and that allows me to travel the world.’ With the resilient ambience of this powerful pop song, Grimes exploded possibilities for herself, and us."
Oblivion
Grimes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's my point of view
'Cause someone could break your neck
Coming up behind you, always coming and you'd never have a clue
I never look behind, all the time
I will wait forever, always looking straight
Thinking, counting, all the hours you wait
(Ooh, ah) (la, la, la, la, la)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah) (la, la, la, la, la)
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
And no, I'm not a jerk, I would ask
If you could help me out
It's hard to understand
'Cause when you're really by yourself
It's hard to find someone to hold your hand
And now it's good to be tough with me
But I will wait forever
I need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me
"Girl, you know you gotta watch your health"
To look into my eyes and tell me
La, la, la, la, la
To look into my eyes and tell me
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
La, la, la, la, la
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night (oh)
See you on a dark night (oh)
See you on a dark night (oh)
See you on a dark night (oh)
See you on a dark night (oh)
See you on a dark night (oh)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah) (la, la, la, la, la)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah) (oh, oh)
Grimes's song Oblivion is a haunting and introspective track that delves into themes of isolation, vulnerability, and self-preservation. Through its lyrics, the song captures the feeling of walking alone in the dark, and the constant unease and paranoia that accompanies it. The singer of the song is hyper-aware of their surroundings, acutely cognizant of the potential dangers that exist in the shadows. They refuse to look back or make eye contact with anyone, preferring to keep their gaze fixed ahead, always vigilant.
Despite this sense of alertness and readiness to protect oneself, the singer also acknowledges that it can be difficult to find someone to rely on or confide in when one is truly alone. They express a desire for someone to hold their hand and reassure them that they are okay, that they are not in danger. This vulnerability is undercut by the repeated refrain of "See you on a dark night," which suggests that the singer is resigned to the fact that they will always be alone, and that the world is ultimately unpredictable and unsafe.
Line by Line Meaning
Another walk about after dark
I am walking around at night again
It's my point of view
This is my perspective
'Cause someone could break your neck
Because there is a risk of violence
Coming up behind you, always coming and you'd never have a clue
Someone could sneak up on you without you knowing
I never look behind, all the time
I never glance backwards, always moving forward
I will wait forever, always looking straight
I am determined to keep moving forward no matter how long it takes
Thinking, counting, all the hours you wait
Reflecting and calculating how much time is passing by
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
And no, I'm not a jerk, I would ask
I am not rude, I would politely inquire
If you could help me out
If you could lend me some assistance
It's hard to understand
It's difficult to comprehend
'Cause when you're really by yourself
Because when you are truly alone
It's hard to find someone to hold your hand
It's hard to find someone to support and guide you
And now it's good to be tough with me
It's important to be firm with me now
But I will wait forever
But I am still determined to move forward no matter how long it takes
I need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me
I require another person to have direct eye contact with me and say
"Girl, you know you gotta watch your health"
"Dear, you need to prioritize your wellbeing"
To look into my eyes and tell me
To have direct eye contact with me and say
Oh, oh
A vocalization expressing emotion or feeling
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
See you on a dark night (oh)
I might encounter you at night (an exclamation of emphasis)
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
See you on a dark night
I might encounter you at night
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah)
I might encounter you at night (an exclamation of emphasis or excitement)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah)
I might encounter you at night (an exclamation of emphasis or excitement)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah) (la, la, la, la, la)
I might encounter you at night (an exclamation of emphasis or excitement) (a vocalization)
See you on a dark night (ooh, ah) (oh, oh)
I might encounter you at night (an exclamation of emphasis or excitement) (a vocalization)
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Claire Elise Boucher
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eggs3195
Here a few you might really like then!
Semi-charmed life (Third Eye Blind) about meth addiction
Excitable boy (Warren Zevon) about a maniac and his early warning signs
Werewolves of London (Warren Zevon) about being people being mutilated by werewolves
99 luftballons (nena) about nuclear holocaust
Yes she did (Steve Martin & Edie Brickell) about suicide
Rock the Casbah (The clash) about somebody who got arrested for singing and dancing
Pumped up kicks (Foster the People) about shooting children
You can call me Al (Paul Simon) about having an existential crisis
Jump (Van Halen) about suicide
Good (Better than Ezra) also about suicide
I don't like Mondays (Boomtown Rats) about shooting up a school
@vvitchofthevvood
Lyrics
I never walk about after dark
It's my point of view
'Cause someone could break your neck
Coming up behind you
Always coming and you'd never have a clue
I never looked behind all the time
I will wait forever
Always looking straight
Thinking counting all the hours you wait.
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
And no, I'm not a jerk
I would ask if you could help me out
It's hard to understand
'Cause when you're running by yourself
It's hard to find someone to hold your hand
You know it's good to be tough like me
But I will wait forever
I need someone else
To look into my eyes and tell me
"Girl, you know you've got to watch your health"
To look into my eyes and tell me
La la la la la
To look into my eyes and tell me
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
(These may not be the actual lyrics don’t @ me lol)
@moonchild1313us
Another walk about, after dark
It's my point of view
If someone could break your neck
Coming up behind you always coming and you'd never have a clue
And now I'm left behind, all the time
I will wait forever, always looking straight
Thinking, counting, all the hours you wait
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
And now another clue, I would ask
If you could help me out
It's hard to understand
Cause when you're really by yourself
It's hard to find someone to hold your hand
And now it's gonna be, tough on me
But I will wait forever
I need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me
Girl you know you gotta watch your health
To look into my eyes and tell me
La la la la la
To look into my eyes and tell me
@mushyeye
Lyrics:
Another walk about, after dark
It's my point of view
If someone could break your neck
Coming up behind you always coming and you'd never have a clue
And now I'm left behind, all the time
I will wait forever, always looking straight
Thinking, counting, all the hours you wait
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
And now another clue, I would ask
If you could help me out
It's hard to understand
'Cause when you're really by yourself
It's hard to find someone to hold your hand
And now it's gonna be, tough on me
But I will wait forever
I need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me
Girl you know you gotta watch your health
To look into my eyes and tell me
La la la la la
To look into my eyes and tell me
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
I see you on a dark night
@Maddy_Clare
(A-Intro)
(B-Verse)
I never walk about, after dark
It's my point of view
If someone could break your neck
Coming up behind you always coming and you'd never have a clue
And now I'm left behind, all the time
I will wait forever, always looking straight
Thinking, counting, all the hours you wait
(C-Chorus)
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
(B-Verse)
And now another clue, I would ask
If you could help me out
It's hard to understand
'Cause when you're running by yourself
It's hard to find someone to hold your hand
And now it's gonna be, tough on me
But I will wait forever
I need someone now to look into my eyes and tell me
Girl you know you gotta watch your health
(D-Pre Chorus)
To look into my eyes and tell me
La la la la la
To look into my eyes and tell me
(C-Chorus)
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
See you on a dark night
@grimtheghastly8878
This song gets much darker once you consider what prompted Grimes to write in the first place. According to Genius in an April interview, Grimes said: "The song is about being violently assaulted and it made me crazy for a few years. I got really paranoid walking around at night and started feeling really unsafe. The song is more about empowering myself physically amongst a masculine power, and the hate of feeling powerless, making light of masculine physical power, making it jovial and non-threatening. I took a typically violent cultural situation and made it pop and happy."
@poopybutt6974
That’s messed up
@mc-inversal7069
and that's what makes this song so enticing
@Garfunkelle
I respect that.
@mc-inversal7069
@@Garfunkelle wut
I didn't mean that in a messed up fetish sense, I meant that cause the song plays to that overtone, you know? It wouldn't sound the same if it didn't sound, well, like I saw you on a daaAaArkk night. Something like that.
@alexrojas8102
. _.
@e.groeneveld5158
i wanna be in an 80s slasher movie hiding while sobbing and bloody, with this faded in the background, behind footsteps.
@sarah-tk1of
same but I don't want to die?
@e.groeneveld5158
Sarah Smith oh yes final girl
@gabijohnston4108
specific. I like it.