He released a third solo album, Hotel Shampoo on 14th February 2011, Gruff said “I thought that as I’m getting on a bit, the time had come to buy a suit and record an album of piano ballads” Gruff Rhys explains. “However, I got bored, the record diversified and evolved – things turned out a bit differently…”
American Interior is his fourth solo album, released in 2014.
Beacon in the Darkness
Gruff Rhys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Raindrops fill my eyes
Tears falling, puddles form
And with a pocket full of Aspirin
I gather up my every day
As the target for assassin disappears and blows away
For you are the beacon in the darkness
People in the way
Different times that we were playing
Kept it all inside
Growing like a big balloon
As if we lived in different planets
Of parallels that pull away
And the breathing apparatus is out of date
And in decay
Still, you are the beacon in the darkness
You shine the shining light at night
And you solve the mysteries of illusion
For you are the puzzle as complete
Gather up the board games
That we played when we were young
With father, mother, brother
Sister, daughter in the son
For you are the beacon in the darkness
You shine the shining light at night
And you solve the mysteries of illusion
For you are the puzzle as complete
"Beacon in the Darkness" by Gruff Rhys is a song about finding hope and comfort in the midst of darkness and confusion. The opening lines, "Lighten up the dark avenues with golden glow worms, raindrops fill my eyes, tears falling, puddles form," set a melancholic tone that is quickly replaced by a sense of resilience as the singer declares, "For you are the beacon in the darkness, you shine, the shining light at night." The song seems to be addressed to a specific person or entity that has had a profound impact on the singer's life, serving as a guiding light even as everything else seems to be falling apart.
The verses that follow paint a picture of isolation and disconnection, with references to "different times that we were playing" and "parallels that pull away". These lines suggest a sense of distance or separation, but they are underscored by a sense of familiarity and intimacy, with "board games that we played when we were young" acting as a symbol of shared experiences and connections that transcend time and distance. The final verse reinforces this sense of rootedness and continuity, while the final lines of the song once again emphasize the importance of the "beacon in the darkness" and the role that it plays in "solving the mysteries of illusion" and bringing a sense of completeness and meaning to the singer's life.
Line by Line Meaning
Lighten up the dark avenues with golden glow worms
Bring light into the dark and gloomy spaces using charming and beautiful things
Raindrops fill my eyes
Tears are streaming down my face
Tears falling, puddles form
My tears are dropping so much they're creating small pools on the ground
And with a pocket full of Aspirin
With some medication to dull the pain
I gather up my every day
I gather my everyday things
As the target for assassin disappears and blows away
As the thing causing me harm disappears into nothingness
For you are the beacon in the darkness
You are a guiding light in the midst of confusion and uncertainty
You shine, the shining light at night
You glow brightly in the darkness like a beacon
People in the way
Obstacles and challenges in my path
Different times that we were playing
Moments in the past when we were interacting in a joyful way
Kept it all inside
Hid our true feelings and emotions
Growing like a big balloon
Our emotions and problems were building up to a boiling point
As if we lived in different planets
We were so far apart in our emotions and experiences that we may as well have lived on separate planets
Of parallels that pull away
Parallel journeys that were moving further and further apart
And the breathing apparatus is out of date
Our method for coping with life is no longer functional or helpful
And in decay
It's falling apart and breaking down
Still, you are the beacon in the darkness
Even though everything else is breaking down, you remain a guiding light in the midst of it all
And you solve the mysteries of illusion
You are able to uncover the truth behind things that seem to be impossible to understand
For you are the puzzle as complete
You are the final piece that makes sense of everything else
Gather up the board games
Bring together the fun and games of our youth
That we played when we were young
The games we enjoyed when we were kids
With father, mother, brother, sister, daughter in the son
With all the members of our family playing together
Contributed by Ryan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.