Her mother is Korean and father is Polish. She grew up in New Jersey, went to Dwight-Englewood high school, and attended Oberlin College, but transferred to New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Orzolek has been noted for her sense of fashion. All of her costumes are designed by fashion designer and friend Christian Joy. She is also well known for her outrageous antics during live shows. She is known to often spit water or beer, or sometimes grapes into the crowd. Her on-stage antics have been compared to punk legends like Iggy Pop and Patti Smith. In 2003 at The Metro, Sydney, Australia (prior to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' appearance at the Livid festival), she accidentally danced off the stage at a sideshow and reluctantly had to be taken to hospital - a few days later she appeared at the festival in a wheelchair, pushed by Angus Andrew.
She currently lives in Los Angeles, California, in the Silver Lake neighbourhood.
Turn The Light
Karen O Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I go out at night and race my heart
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna live
Gonna lay me down in love
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna live
Gonna lay me down in love
I got so much more to give
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight, tonight
I go out at night into the dark
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I go out at night to where you are
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna be
Gonna turn that dial up
And that love will set me free
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna be
Gonna let my body shine
And that love will set me free
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight, tonight
Into the light
Your love takes me high
Into the light
Into the light
Your love takes me high
Into the light
The lyrics to Karen O & Danger Mouse's song Turn the Light are pretty straightforward and paint a picture of a person who goes out at night to paint the stars and race their heart. They leave their head on the bed, possibly indicating that they are trying to escape their thoughts or worries. The repetition of "starry, starry night" suggests that they find comfort in the darkness and beauty of the night. They want to live this way and be free from whatever is holding them back.
The chorus repeats "Tonight, my love, we'll turn to light," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for starting over or letting go of the past. They want to turn their life around and be filled with love and light. They mention turning up the dial, which could be a reference to music or amplifying positive energy. The final lines of the song suggest that their love takes them higher and into the light, which could represent finding happiness and inner peace.
Overall, the song seems to be about finding solace in the darkness and making a conscious decision to move toward the light.
Line by Line Meaning
I go out at night and paint the stars
I find solace in the quiet, dark night and find inspiration to create beauty by painting scenes of the endless sky above me.
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I let go of the worries and stresses of the day and allow myself to be fully present in the peaceful night.
I go out at night and race my heart
I let my heart guide me, following my passions and desires with full force and energy.
Starry, starry night, This is how I wanna live, Gonna lay me down in love, I got so much more to give
I embrace the beauty of the night and live each moment with an open heart, ready to give and receive love in all its forms.
Tonight, my love, We'll turn to light tonight
We will transform our love into something luminous and powerful, illuminating even the darkest corners of our lives.
I go out at night into the dark, I go out at night and leave my head on the bed, I go out at night to where you are
I venture out into the unknown, leaving behind the safety and familiarity of my bed, driven by my desire to be with someone special.
Starry, starry night, This is how I wanna be, Gonna turn that dial up, And that love will set me free
I want to live my life with the same beauty and magic as a starry night, and by turning up the dial of love, I know that I will be set free.
Gonna let my body shine, And that love will set me free
By embracing the light and love within me, I will allow myself to radiate that beauty outwards, and in doing so, find freedom and peace.
Into the light, Your love takes me high
The love that I share with you lifts me up and illuminates my path, leading me towards greater heights of joy and hope.
Into the light, Your love takes me high, Into the light
Together, we move towards a brighter future, our hearts filled with the light and love of each other.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brian Burton, Karen Lee Orzolek, Samuel Cohen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Screw YouTube
I go out at night and paint the stars
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I go out at night and race my heart
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna live
Gonna lay me down in love
I got so much more to give
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna live
Gonna lay me down in love
I got so much more to give
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight, tonight
I go out at night into the dark
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I go out at night to where you are
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna be
Gonna turn that dial up
And that love will set me free
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna be
Gonna let my body shine
And that love will set me free
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight, tonight
Into the light
Your love takes me high
Into the light
Into the light
Your love takes me high
Into the light
vladis_luv
Verse 1]
I go out at night and paint the stars
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I go out at night and race my heart
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
[Pre-Chorus]
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna live
Gonna lay me down in love
I got so much more to give
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna live
Gonna lay me down in love
I got so much more to give
[Chorus]
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight, tonight
[Verse 2]
I go out at night into the dark
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
I go out at night to where you are
I go out at night and leave my head on the bed
[Pre-Chorus]
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna be
Gonna turn that dial up
And that love will set me free
Starry, starry night
This is how I wanna be
Gonna let my body shine
And that love will set me free
[Chorus]
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight
Tonight, my love
We'll turn to light tonight, tonight
[Outro]
Into the light
Your love takes me high
Into the light
Into the light
Your love takes me high
Into the light
Leif Erikson
A song of pure beauty. Killer Bassline and a heartwarming Karen O singing a fantastic melody. Incredible, instant classic tune. Really love it
Karen O
Ready to replay the shit out of this for the next couple days
Katherine Martin
I've played over and ova....
Obsessed Pisces
Me rn
Still Awakening
I never heard this song until today. This voice is as mesmerizing as the rhythm.... Idk if this is you or if you're just a fan... But tbh, this may even turn into mine and my soon to be wife's first dance 😉.
Yolanda Garcia
i love this song so much
i love all the songs on Lux prima but this one is my favorite
ACME Earthling Research Center AKA Fritter Tacos
In love with this song!!! Been on repeat fer weeks!!! Amazing art!!!
John Furlong
This song sounds like someone said “describe what the 1970s must have sounded like from memory”. Amazing I’ve played it like 4000x today. Love it
Daniel Rosic
Just stumbled across this right now - I love it, not sure it sounds 1970s (to me it's particularly early 2000's) but it's groovy nevertheless!
Mark Stonebraker
There is nothing to dislike about this arrangement. It’s all so perfect.