Down in the Dark
Mark Lanegan Lyrics
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Show my lonely night is fallin'
I don't have very long
I think my blood might boil
Then my veins might burn
And you're gonna make it better for a little while
Baby, you're gonna die someday
Then you'll start to fade
That won't be so I'm sinkin' faster
I wouldn't wait so long
It won't get any easier in the dark
Oh yeah
You will
You will
You will
You will
You will
Baby, you're goin' down in the dark
Think my lonely night is fallin'
I don't have very long
Think my blood might boil
And then my veins might burn
And you're gonna make it better for a little while
Oh yeah
You will [Repeat x11]
The lyrics to Mark Lanegan's song "Down in the Dark" are open to interpretation, but they seem to express a sense of foreboding and despair. The singer addresses someone as "baby" and tells them they're going to "go down in the dark." This could refer to death or some other kind of downfall. The singer then expresses their own feelings of loneliness and perhaps even anger, saying that their blood might boil and their veins might burn. But the person they're addressing is going to make things better for a little while, suggesting that there may be some sort of temporary comfort in their presence.
The second verse takes a darker turn, with the singer telling the person that they're going to die someday and they'll see them "when [they're] crawlin', wasted." There's a sense of inevitability here, as if the person's downfall is already written in the stars. The singer also seems to be sinking faster, perhaps indicating that they themselves are struggling or feeling overwhelmed. They warn the person not to wait too long because things won't get any easier in the dark. The repeated "you will" at the end of the song could be taken as a further warning or a statement of fact.
Overall, the lyrics to "Down in the Dark" are cryptic and metaphorical, leaving much up to the listener's interpretation. They seem to be about the inevitability of death or suffering, and the search for comfort or connection in the face of it.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, you're goin' down in the dark
The singer is addressing someone specifically, telling them they are headed towards a dark place.
Show my lonely night is fallin'
The singer is expressing that their night is becoming increasingly lonely, possibly symbolizing depression or anxiety.
I don't have very long
The singer feels as if time is running out for them.
I think my blood might boil
The artist is experiencing heightened emotions, possibly anger or frustration.
Then my veins might burn
The artist is describing the physical sensation that accompanies their heightened emotional state.
And you're gonna make it better for a little while
The singer is looking to the person they are addressing to be a temporary source of comfort or relief.
Baby, you're gonna die someday
The singer acknowledges that everyone has a limited time, including the person they are addressing.
See you when you're crawlin', wasted
The artist imagines encountering the person they are addressing in a pitiful, weakened state.
Then you'll start to fade
The artist believes the person they are addressing will slowly deteriorate or lose their vitality.
That won't be so I'm sinkin' faster
The artist seems to be reflecting on how the inevitability of death affects them personally and is contributing to negative emotions or behaviors.
I wouldn't wait so long
The singer implies that they would choose not to wait for their own death if given the opportunity.
It won't get any easier in the dark
The artist asserts that no matter what difficulties they may experience, giving into despair won't make things better.
You will
The singer repeats this phrase over and over as if to emphasize their point or to deliver a final statement.
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