Band members:
Andrew VanWyngarden (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, drums)
Ben Goldwasser (keyboards, vocals, guitar)
Matthew Asti (bass, keyboards)
James Richardson (guitar, vocals)
Hank Sullivant (guitar, keyboards)
Will Berman (drums)
You can learn more about MGMT, browse photos, and see the tour schedule at the Official Website.
Little Dark Age
MGMT Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lying on its side
The ruins of the day
Painted with a scar
And the more I straighten out
The less it wants to try
The feelings start to rot
One wink at a time
Oh
Forgiving who you are
For what you stand to gain
Just know that if you hide
It doesn't go away
When you get out of bed
Don't end up stranded
Horrified with each stone
On the stage, my little dark age
Picking through the cards
Knowing what's nearby
The carvings on the face
Say they find it hard
And the engine's failed again
All limits of disguise
The humor's not the same
Coming from denial
Oh
I grieve in stereo
The stereo sounds strange
I know that if you hide
It doesn't go away
If you get out of bed
And find me standing all alone, open-eyed
Burn the page, my little dark age
I grieve in stereo
The stereo sounds strange
You know that if it hides
It doesn't go away
If I get out of bed
You'll see me standing all alone, horrified
On the stage, my little dark age
Giddy with delight
Seeing what's to come
The image of the dead
Dead ends in my mind
Policemen swear to god
Love's seeping from the guns
I know my friends and I
Would probably turn and run
If you get out of bed
Come find us heading for the bridge, bring a stone
All the rage, my little dark age
I grieve in stereo
The stereo sounds strange
I know that if you hide
It doesn't go away
If you get out of bed
And find me standing all alone, open-eyed
Burn the page, my little dark age
All alone, open-eyed
Burn the page, my little dark age
The lyrics to MGMT's song Little Dark Age are evocative and complex, and can be interpreted in many different ways. At its core, the song is about the complexities of human emotion and the struggle to cope with difficult feelings. The opening lines describe a sense of isolation and despair, with the singer lying in the dark, surrounded by the ruins of their day. As they try to straighten out their feelings, they find themselves becoming more and more overwhelmed.
The chorus offers a glimmer of hope, encouraging the listener to accept themselves for who they are, even if it means facing some uncomfortable truths. The verses continue with a series of surreal images, including pickers who are unable to discern what is real, and a car engine that keeps failing. The bridge of the song brings in a political angle, with the line "policemen swear to god/Love's seeping from the guns," suggesting a world in which violence is viewed as a necessary evil.
Overall, the song is a powerful exploration of human emotion and the challenges we face in trying to make sense of the world around us. Its lyrics are open to interpretation, but they hint at a deeper truth about the human experience that is both dark and beautiful.
Line by Line Meaning
Breathing in the dark
I'm suffocating in the darkness of my own thoughts and fears.
Lying on its side
My life is a broken-down mess.
The ruins of the day
The aftermath of a day filled with disappointment and anxiety.
Painted with a scar
All the emotional wounds and scars from past experiences are visible and vivid.
And the more I straighten out
The less it wants to try
The harder I try to fix my life, the more it slips away from me.
The feelings start to rot
One wink at a time
My emotions are decaying and disintegrating slowly, one moment at a time.
Forgiving who you are
For what you stand to gain
Accept your identity without sacrificing your dreams and aspirations.
Just know that if you hide
It doesn't go away
You have to confront and deal with your past because ignoring it doesn't make it disappear.
When you get out of bed
Don't end up stranded
Be ready to face the world, don't get stuck in a rut or a cycle of self-destruction.
Horrified with each stone
On the stage, my little dark age
The stage represents life, each obstacle and challenge induces fear and terror in me, making me feel like I'm living in the darkness.
Picking through the cards
Knowing what's nearby
Trying to navigate life and make the right choices, aware of the risks and consequences.
The carvings on the face
Say they find it hard
The lines on the face represent the struggles and difficulties that everyone is facing.
And the engine's failed again
All limits of disguise
The mechanisms that we use to hide our struggles and present a facade of happiness and satisfaction have failed.
The humor's not the same
Coming from denial
The jokes and laughter don't come from a happy place, but rather from a place of denial and masking the pain.
I grieve in stereo
The stereo sounds strange
My pain is amplified and echoed in my mind, making me feel isolated and disconnected from others.
If you get out of bed
And find me standing all alone, open-eyed
Burn the page, my little dark age
If you see me awake and alone, it means I haven't been able to sleep due to my anxiety and fears. It's time to start a new chapter and let go of the past.
Giddy with delight
Seeing what's to come
Despite the past difficulties, there's still hope and excitement for the future.
The image of the dead
Dead ends in my mind
The traumatic memories of death and loss haunt my consciousness.
Policemen swear to god
Love's seeping from the guns
In a world filled with violence, even law enforcement seems to be contributing to the problem instead of solving it.
I know my friends and I
Would probably turn and run
When faced with danger and violence, we would likely choose to flee instead of confronting it.
If you get out of bed
Come find us heading for the bridge, bring a stone
All the rage, my little dark age
If you wake up to find us leaving in anger and frustration, we're heading to a place that symbolizes a fresh start but with the weight of our past still haunting us.
All alone, open-eyed
Burn the page, my little dark age
The only way to move on is to face your fears and the darkness within yourself head-on. It's time to start anew and turn the page on the past.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Andrew VanWyngarden, Benjamin Goldwasser
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind