Should
Hit the Lights Lyrics


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There's a darkness
Waiting in the clouds
And a silent crowd forms now
There's a darkness
In the sky above
Seems it's waited long enough

Woah, I should've known,
I should've known by now
Woah, I should've known,
I should've known by now but I don't

As the darkness
Moves to the ground
I take my one last look around
Nobody ran, nobody screamed,
Nobody cried, nobody hid,
Or headed home to say goodbye
No way at all how they had said
What the end would be like

Woah, I should've known,
I should've known by now
Woah, I should've known,
I should've known by now but I don't

Fold and collapse and rebuild again
Fold and collapse and rebuild again
Before we collapse and rebuild again
Fold and collapse until the end

Will you sing the silence
Do you hear it ringing out
Will you search around the darkness
For a light that can't be found
You've built your bed of billboards
And you've blocked away the sun
To witness the world ending
At the tip of your tongue will you know

Woah, I should've known,
I should've known by now
Woah, I should've known,
I should've known by now

The time has come to pay the debt
With no money for the rent
And I don't care where we head
Or whether we melt or freeze to death




But I don't
But I don't

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Hit the Lights's song Should address the idea of an impending, unknown disaster. The first two lines speak of a lingering darkness, which is followed by a "silent crowd," possibly indicating that the people are waiting expectantly for what is about to happen. The third and fourth lines suggest that the darkness has been lingering for a long time and that it is finally making its move.


The chorus "Woah, I should've known, I should've known by now" highlights the fact that the singer in the song should have been paying attention to the signs and preparing for the end, but didn't. The second verse reveals that the singer, who is observing the events, is surprised at how people are responding. They are not reacting, even though there is nothing they can do to stop what's coming. The line "fold and collapse" suggests that the world is constantly rebuilding itself, and this process will continue even if the people are not around to witness it.


The final verse shifts into a more philosophical tone. The line "you've built your bed of billboards" is a metaphor for the way we as modern society have distanced ourselves from nature and become comfortable with our artificial lives. The singer wonders whether people will truly understand what is happening as the world ends. The last line, "But I don't," suggests that the singer has given up on trying to understand everything and is ready to face the end.


Line by Line Meaning

There's a darkness
The singer senses a foreboding presence


Waiting in the clouds
The darkness is hovering above


And a silent crowd forms now
Others are aware of the darkness and are quietly observing


There's a darkness
The danger persists


In the sky above
The darkness is still present


Seems it's waited long enough
The darkness is ready to make its move


Woah, I should've known,
The singer feels regret for not recognizing the danger sooner


I should've known by now
The artist should have anticipated the danger


But I don't
Despite hindsight, the artist did not see the danger coming


As the darkness
The danger becomes imminent


Moves to the ground
The darkness descends


I take my one last look around
The artist assesses the situation before it's too late


Nobody ran, nobody screamed,
People are frozen with fear


Nobody cried, nobody hid,
People are resigned to their fate


Or headed home to say goodbye
People accept that there is no escape


No way at all how they had said
The reality of the danger is beyond what anyone had predicted


What the end would be like
The impending doom is uncertain


Fold and collapse and rebuild again
Life is cyclical and the process of rebuilding follows destruction


Before we collapse and rebuild again
The current world must end before a new one can begin


Will you sing the silence
The artist questions if others will acknowledge the gravity of the situation


Do you hear it ringing out
The artist wonders if others can sense the danger


Will you search around the darkness
The artist asks if others will try to find a way out of the danger


For a light that can't be found
There may be no hope for escape


You've built your bed of billboards
People have created a world of artificial distractions


And you've blocked away the sun
The distractions have made it difficult to recognize the impending danger


To witness the world ending
Despite being warned, people still fail to prepare


At the tip of your tongue will you know
The singer questions if others will realize what they're losing before it's too late


The time has come to pay the debt
The consequences of ignoring the danger have arrived


With no money for the rent
The artist has nothing left to lose


And I don't care where we head
The singer is resigned to whatever happens next


Or whether we melt or freeze to death
The outcome is uncertain and the singer has no control over it


But I don't
The artist is at peace with their fate, whatever it may be




Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: DAVID BERMOSK, KEVIN MAHONEY, NATE VAN DAME, NICHOLAS THOMPSON, OMAR ZEHERY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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