"Revelry" is the third single from Kings of Leon's fourth studio album Only… Read Full Bio ↴"Revelry" is the third single from Kings of Leon's fourth studio album Only by the Night, released on March 2, 2009, with a music video, allegedly about a "motorcycle gang", and the band playing in the background. The single debuted in the UK Singles Chart at #55 via download sales alone on March 1, 2009, and peaked at #29 the following week. It dropped only two places to #31 during its second physical week. It has marked the band's ninth UK Top 40 single.

Revelry
Kings of Leon Lyrics

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What a night for a dance, you know I'm a dancing machine
With the fire in my bones, and the sweet taste of kerosene
I get lost in the light, so high don't wanna come down
To face the loss of the good thing, that I have found

In the dark of the night I can hear you calling my name
With the hardest of hearts I still feel full of pain
So I drink and I smoke and I ask you if your ever around

Even though it was me who drove us right in the ground

See the time we shared it was precious to me
But all the while I was dreaming of revelry

Gonna run baby run like a stream down a mountainside
With the wind at my back I won't ever even bat an eye
Just know it was you all along who had a hold of my heart
But the demon in me was the best of friends from the start

So the time we shared it was precious to me
All the while I was dreaming of revelry
Dreaming of revelry

And I told myself for the way you go, it rained so hard it felt like snow
Everything came tumbling down on me
In the back of the woods in the dark of the night
Palest of the old moonlight
Everything just felt so incomplete

Dreaming of revelry
Dreaming of revelry

Dreaming of revelry
Dreaming of revelry

Overall Meaning

The Kings of Leon’s song Revelry is about the hard times in a relationship and the need for escape through alcohol and drugs, as well as the realization that despite everything, the love shared was precious. The opening lines are very suggestive of the need to dance in order to cope with the pain and escape the moment, hence the lyrics “what a night for a dance, you know I’m a dancing machine.” The fire in the bones and the sweet taste of kerosene suggest the use of alcohol or drugs to achieve the desired effect of forgetting the pain.

The chorus emphasizes the need to escape the pain and find refuge in revelry, which suggests a good time, dancing, and losing oneself in the moment. The lyrics “in the dark of the night I can hear you calling my name” indicate that the relationship still has a hold on the singer and that he still feels the pain of the breakup. However, despite all the troubles, there is still a yearning for the good times, and the realization that the time shared was precious. At the same time, the lyrics suggest that the singer knows very well that he was responsible for driving the relationship to the ground and still feels the guilt of the breakup.

Line by Line Meaning

What a night for a dance, you know I'm a dancing machine
The singer is in the mood for dancing and is ready to party.

With the fire in my bones, and the sweet taste of kerosene
His passion and energy is high, fueled with excitement like the combustible liquid kerosene.

I get lost in the light, so high don't wanna come down
He's having so much fun and doesn't want it to end. He's simply living in the moment.

To face the loss of the good thing, that I have found
He fears that if the moment ends, he will lose something special that he found.

In the dark of the night I can hear you calling my name
In his mind, he can hear someone calling out to him in the still of the night.

With the hardest of hearts I still feel full of pain
He's rough on the surface but still hurts inside.

So I drink and I smoke and I ask you if your ever around
He copes with his pain by consuming drugs and alcohol and wonders if the person he is remembering is ever around to soothe him.

Even though it was me who drove us right in the ground
He realizes that it was him who caused the downfall of the relationship.

See the time we shared it was precious to me
He still has fond memories of their time together.

But all the while I was dreaming of revelry
Despite his nostalgia, he's still caught up in the thrill of the moment.

Gonna run baby run like a stream down a mountainside
He's going to take off and flee, with unwavering determination and a sense of freedom.

With the wind at my back I won't ever even bat an eye
He's so confident in his decision that nothing can shake him.

Just know it was you all along who had a hold of my heart
He admits that the other person never truly lost their grasp on his feelings.

But the demon in me was the best of friends from the start
Deep down, he knows that his own flaws and demons are the cause of the problems he's facing.

And I told myself for the way you go, it rained so hard it felt like snow
He's telling himself that because the other person left him during dark times, it felt like a crushing and oppressive burden.

Everything came tumbling down on me
He feels like his life was turned upside down and everything around him fell apart.

In the back of the woods in the dark of the night
The situation he finds himself in is bleak and ominous.

Palest of the old moonlight
The atmosphere is dark and eerie, with only a hint of light.

Everything just felt so incomplete
Despite everything, he still feels like he's missing something important.

Dreaming of revelry
He's still dreaming of wild, unbridled fun and excitement.

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill, Nathan Followill

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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