Counting Down The Days
Miles Kane Lyrics

The opening line of Miles Kane's "Counting Down The Days" can be interpreted in several ways, including the idea that the singer is overwhelmed with heartbreak due to the actions of someone else. The wild signs refer to possibly erratic behaviour from the other person. The singer is watching this person work towards something that they believe will open their eyes, but yet they're still holding their hand up to the light, which only blocks it away. This suggests that the singer perceives the other person as having a self-sabotaging behaviour that is preventing them from achieving their desired outcome. The first "Im counting down the days" could be interpreted as a way of waiting for the other person to break their habits and start acting in their own best interests.

The second verse continues in a similar vein as the first. The singer likens himself to a magician, joking around with ups and downs while performing Hocus Pocus - a clear parallel to the idea of someone trying to pretend everything is okay while hiding behind illusions. However, there's nowhere to be found, suggesting that things are starting to unravel. The singer is again observing the other person holding their hand up to the light, which blocks it away. The "coughing excuses" could suggest the idea that the singer has reached a breaking point with the other person's behaviour, and is done with being lied to.

In summary, "Counting Down The Days" appears to be a song about someone who is sick of watching another person's self-destructive behaviour, and is counting down the days until something changes. In a broader sense, it seems to be a commentary on the idea that sometimes we can only sit idly by and watch people make mistakes, no matter how much we want to help them.