Even the brightest, most upbeat Luna Shadows song carries a hint of romantic melancholy. She describes her artistic ambitions as a lifelong dare that, “sounded pretty fun” and brought order to the emotional chaos of everyday life. The end product, made in garages and bedrooms under the palm trees of Echo Park, sounds a bit like Ellie Goulding took Lana del Rey to the beach.
The Nineties
Luna Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're right behind quicksand in the nineties (Baby)
With a lot of things that never will be
It's like a minefield, stay on the line please (Baby)
Stay on the line, please
Stay on the line, please
Sometimes, always, I get nervous
Sticks and stones can break my bones
But words, they hurt
Lightning strikes, it's been a long time
It's my fault, I'm on a fault line
Take the blame, of course, it's all mine
It gets worse
On the list of things that just might kill me
You're right behind quicksand in the nineties (Baby)
With a lot of things that never will be
It's like a minefield, stay on the line please (Baby)
Stay on the line, please
Stay on the line, please (Baby)
Check behind the curtain, open up
The back seat, check for strangers
Unfamiliar persons, yet another
Lastly, plan for danger
Standing when I should be running
Crying out but no one's coming
Mouth full of blood, I feel nothing
Fight or flight, I find I'm freezing
Two steps forward, I stop breathing
Paralyzed by lies, but leaving hurts the most
On the list of things that just might kill me
You're right behind quicksand in the nineties (Baby)
With a lot of things that never will be
It's like a minefield, stay on the line please (Baby)
Check behind the curtain, open up
The back seat, check for strangers
Unfamiliar persons, yet another
Lastly, plan for danger
Matters of exposure, what you
Don't know now will hurt you later
Oxygen mask down, help yourself now
Or you can't help you later
On the list of things that just might kill me
You're right behind quicksand in the nineties
Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide
Having a breakdown, having to lay down
Waiting on read, while running a red light
Holes in the ozone, calls from the home phone
Unanswered texts and sudden deafness
Deadly diseases, everyone leaving
Everyone leaving
Everyone leaving
The lyrics to Luna Shadows’s song “The Nineties” express anxiety and fear of the unknown. The artist compares the possibility of something terrible happening to herself to the danger of quicksand in the 90s, which was emblematic of one of the most challenging challenges of life. Luna shadows employs a minefield metaphor, suggesting that there are many things in life that can derail us. The chorus is a plea for someone to remain on the line, possibly because it is the only reassuring sound, giving the sense that someone is there, and making one feel less alone. In the second verse, Luna shadows seem to be anxious about what is going on around her, searching everywhere for danger, but doubting if someone would come to aid in case of anything. The artist also suggests that what one thinks is safe, may turn out not to be. The phrase “It gets worse” reveals an incessant fear that things could go wrong.
Line by Line Meaning
On the list of things that just might kill me
I'm contemplating all the things that scare me and could potentially harm me.
You're right behind quicksand in the nineties (Baby)
You're one of the things that pose a risk to me, almost as dangerous as quicksand in the 90s.
With a lot of things that never will be
There are things I aspire to be or achieve that may never happen.
It's like a minefield, stay on the line please (Baby)
Navigating life can be dangerous and unpredictable, so I need to be careful and focused.
Stay on the line, please
I'm urging myself to stay on track and focused to avoid any potential hazards.
Sometimes, always, I get nervous
I have anxious feelings that come and go at varying degrees of intensity.
Always something out to hurt us
I'm aware that there are always threats or dangers lurking around, ready to harm us.
Sticks and stones can break my bones
Physical harm can be painful and damaging.
But words, they hurt
Words can be just as damaging and painful as physical harm.
Lightning strikes, it's been a long time
I'm referring to past trauma and how long it's been since it's occurred.
It's my fault, I'm on a fault line
I'm taking responsibility for the harm that has come to me, almost as if I'm standing on a fault line.
Take the blame, of course, it's all mine
I'm accepting the blame for the harm that I've experienced.
It gets worse
Things only seem to get worse from here on out.
Check behind the curtain, open up
We should be cautious when there are unknown or suspicious circumstances, so it's important to check everything, even if it's hidden.
The back seat, check for strangers
We should always be aware of our surroundings, even when we think we're safe, as there could be hidden dangers, like strangers in the back seat of a car.
Unfamiliar persons, yet another
Another potential threat could be someone who's unfamiliar to us.
Lastly, plan for danger
It's important to have a plan in place in case there is ever a dangerous situation or emergency.
Standing when I should be running
I'm not taking action when I know I should be.
Crying out but no one's coming
I'm seeking help or support, but it feels like no one is there for me.
Mouth full of blood, I feel nothing
I'm feeling so much emotional pain that I'm numb to physical sensations.
Fight or flight, I find I'm freezing
I'm feeling so overwhelmed that I can't decide whether to fight or flee, so I end up freezing instead.
Two steps forward, I stop breathing
I'm making progress, but then I get overwhelmed and feel like I can't breathe.
Paralyzed by lies, but leaving hurts the most
Lies or deception can make us feel frozen or stuck, but sometimes it's even harder to leave the situation.
Matters of exposure, what you
Things that are exposed or revealed can have consequences.
Don't know now will hurt you later
If we don't know something now, it could end up hurting us later on.
Oxygen mask down, help yourself now
It's important to prioritize taking care of ourselves even in a crisis, like when an airplane's oxygen masks have dropped down in an emergency.
Or you can't help you later
If we don't take care of ourselves when we need to, we won't be able to help ourselves later on when it's even more critical.
Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide
I'm mentioning different things that can be harmful to our health.
Having a breakdown, having to lay down
Our mental health can also break down and make us feel like we need to take a break or rest.
Waiting on read, while running a red light
I'm referring to situations where we're waiting for a response, but we also know we should be taking action instead of waiting.
Holes in the ozone, calls from the home phone
I'm mentioning different things that could be harmful to us or the environment.
Unanswered texts and sudden deafness
I'm highlighting situations where we're seeking communication or acknowledgement, but it doesn't come or we're faced with silence.
Deadly diseases, everyone leaving
I'm mentioning things that could be catastrophic, like infectious diseases, and the fear of being left alone.
Everyone leaving
The fear of being alone or abandoned is a common and understandable fear.
Contributed by Carter R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Luna Shadows
I’ll never forget the safety of sitting in front of the TV w/ my older brother in the 90s, playing original Nintendo when my first irrational fears arrived: quicksand & lava. Now I worry about everything all the time. I never imagined that I would view any fear with any sense of fondness, but I have managed to miss these fears. Sometimes I fantasize that one day, future me will look back at my current anxieties with the same bent nostalgia. Hope you enjoy the vid - I made it in my basement via green screen with my iPhone. Spent like a century editing it so pls share! <3
ícҽís թհօҽղíx
I have nostalgia from watching the first MTV video called VIDEO KILLED THE RADIO STAR and waiting for hours to see the band MISSING PERSONS DALE BOZZIO IS MY ALL TIME FAVORITE FEMALE SINGER I JUST LOVE HER SO MUCH
Zena Olek
You are beautiful, I love what you said, this is so nostalgic. Thank you for this.♥︎
Артем Пилипчук
Youtube showed me this ad as a commercial. Best commercial I’ve ever seen. You are so cute with your pure frank. sorry for my english
Mr Hector E Saville III
Amazing, you’re such a legend and you’re criminally underrated
Damian Legion
I heard this song in ads. Great song! 😳
See you going up! Like stars! 🥰
But you have to keep this humble style! 😍
Jordan
The video go's so well with the song, really dig how unique the song and the visuals are. =)
cal
this is such a bop, i don't understand how you're still so underrated
SilverJ
Just heard this on Amazon and was like wow what just happened. Very neat. Love your voicing and the bass is excellent.
ysabelrox11
The video is really good, but there's really something about the lyrics/message of the song that hit me hard. Especially the ending. This pandemic has got me feeling so many things, and there are some days when my anxiety would get intense. I, too, also hope that the future me would look back to these hard times and be able to say, "I'm doing so much better now." Thank you for this. ❤️ P.S. I love how the video has a 4:3 aspect ratio!