Actually It's Darkness
Idlewild Lyrics


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You thought the fire could protect you from it
But why have you been so, why have you been ill informed?
I felt that fire could protect me from everything
You're just too gullible

Actually it's darkness, I don't know what I'm scared of
It's darkness, I must be scared of something
You must be scared of something, quite quite special

You shed a shade of shyness
You shed a shade of shyness
You shed a shade of shyness
Why can't you be more cynical?

I knew the winter could protect me from it
One box if film won't make it all go cold
I thought that winter could hide me from everything
I'm just too gullible, for words

Actually it's darkness, I don't know what I'm scared of
It's darkness, I must be scared of something
You must be scared of something, quite quite special

You shed a shade of shyness
You shed a shade of shyness
You shed a shade of shyness
Why can't you be more cynical?

I don't look the same in the photograph
I need to look the way I did in the photograph
By mentioning places it will all become clear
If we speak the same language, you're a deeper darker reason...

You shed a shade of shyness
You shed a shade of shyness




You shed a shade of shyness
Why can't you be more cynical?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Actually It's Darkness" speak about a fear of the unknown and uncertainty. The song talks about how we can try to protect ourselves from this fear with the use of things like fire or winter, but ultimately we are too gullible to truly keep ourselves safe. The chorus repeats the line "Actually it's darkness, I don't know what I'm scared of," which shows that sometimes we are afraid simply because we don't know what to be afraid of. It can be easy to get caught up in fear and feel like we need to protect ourselves constantly, but sometimes the fear is ultimately unfounded.


The song then goes on to criticize the idea of being too shy or too innocent, and suggests that being more cynical could be a way of protecting oneself from the darkness. The line "You shed a shade of shyness" is repeated multiple times, almost as a way of calling someone out for not being tougher or more prepared for the world around them. The final lines of the song talk about the importance of speaking the same language and understanding each other, which could be interpreted as a sort of call for unity in times of fear and uncertainty.


Overall, the song speaks to the idea that fear can be all-consuming and that it's important to stay aware and grounded in reality, even when things seem scary or uncertain.


Line by Line Meaning

You thought the fire could protect you from it
You believed that fire would keep you safe from something


But why have you been so, why have you been ill informed?
But why have you been so naive and uninformed?


I felt that fire could protect me from everything
I used to think that fire would keep me safe from all dangers


You're just too gullible
But you're just too easily fooled


Actually it's darkness, I don't know what I'm scared of
In reality, it's the darkness that frightens me, and I don't know why


It's darkness, I must be scared of something
It's the darkness itself that terrifies me, but there must be a reason why


You must be scared of something, quite quite special
You must be afraid of something really unique and highly impactful


You shed a shade of shyness
You exhibit a subtle hint of timidity or inhibition


Why can't you be more cynical?
Why can't you be more skeptical and distrustful?


I knew the winter could protect me from it
I used to think that winter would shield me from some danger


One box if film won't make it all go cold
Having a camera in the snow won't make everything else feel cold


I thought that winter could hide me from everything
I believed that winter could make me invisible to all manner of threats


I'm just too gullible, for words
But really, I'm just so incredibly easy to deceive


I don't look the same in the photograph
I don't look as I did in the photograph


I need to look the way I did in the photograph
I want so badly to look like I did in the photograph


By mentioning places it will all become clear
I think that by mentioning certain places, everything will be revealed


If we speak the same language, you're a deeper darker reason...
If we understand each other perfectly, it's because there's a more profound and ominous reason behind it




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BOB FAIRFOULL, COLIN NEWTON, ROD PRYCE-JONES, RODDY WOOMBLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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