Mothlite's second album ‘Dark Age’ is the 2012 follow-up to 2008’s ‘The Flax Of Reverie’ (Southern Records). Having spent a lot of time recently working as a collaborator in his many other projects, O’Sullivan felt it was time to return to Mothlite to work on something unequivocally personal:
“All the other things are collaborations and there’s a communal interest, but with Mothlite the content is quite personal and to do with me. It’s quite easy to neglect, particularly when you’re in a bit of a shit storm as I was the past couple of years.”
"This is prevalent in the lyrical content, which denotes a catharsis throughout a period of hysteria and emotional turmoil". He describes ‘Dark Age’ as “Dark megalomania, contradictions and paradoxes, and general bleakness”, yet rarely does such subject matter get delivered with the soaring pop aplomb as on the album’s twelve tracks, flitting from sparkle and rumble of ‘The Blood’ to the epic washes of ‘The Underneath’ and beyond.
Dark Age has allowed O’Sullivan to break free from the confines of genre, taking influence from the likes of Tears For Fears and Kate Bush from his parents’ record collection through the industrial and gothic textures of D.A.F., The Cure, Coil and Dead Can Dance to the hardcore punk of his own personal roots. Indeed, O’Sullivan’s use of contradiction within the style of the record is a very deliberate choice: “If it was too bleak, with melancholy overriding the whole thing, then I’d counteract it with a huge chorus or huge hook” O'Sullivan's chief collaborator in Mothlite is Norwegian producer Knut Jonas Sellevold (Elektrofant, King Knut). Arranger, composer and beat-maker of the highest order.
Now Dark Age is done, O’Sullivan is ready to move onto new things. “To be honest, I’m really glad that it’s over,” he says. “I felt like I couldn’t move until I got that out there.” As well as plans for a new Mothlite record, this forward surge includes exploring “ideas and schemes” as to how ‘Dark Age’ will transfer to the road. “Now that the drama has played out and everyone can see what it is, I can almost do a theatrical version of the scenes within. I don’t want to look as though I’m crying down the microphone night after night if we go on tour. I’d rather have a show.”
Dark Age
Mothlite Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Impossible dreams
To be more than one
There’s more than one of you and me
Of you and me
We could be falling into dark age of love
We could be falling into dark age of love
Bad chemistry is necessary alchemy
So why do we shiver needlessly?
The poison is the cure
It’s lethal to ignore
Are you happy or indestructibly empty?
We could be falling into dark age of love
We could be falling into dark age of love
Falling
Faster
Further
From the sun
The opening lines of the song "Dark Age" by Mothlite are a commentary on the human need for meaning and purpose. In the modern world, people often feel trapped by their own choices and the lives they have created for themselves. The lyrics suggest that we are capable of so much more than our individual experiences, but we limit ourselves with what is familiar and comfortable. The line "Impossible dreams, to be more than one" speaks to the idea that there is a greater potential for humanity as a whole, but we are too focused on our individual selves to see it.
As the song progresses, the lyrics delve into the idea of love and relationships. The line "Bad chemistry is necessary alchemy" suggests that even though love can be painful and tumultuous, it is still worth pursuing. The next line, "So why do we shiver needlessly?" asks why we shy away from love when it has the potential to transform us. The chorus repeats the idea that we could be falling into a "dark age of love," perhaps because we are too scared to take risks and open ourselves up to vulnerability.
The final lines of the song, "Falling / Faster / Further / From the sun" suggest that if we continue to live our lives with fear and hesitation, we will only move further from the light of human potential. Overall, "Dark Age" is a song that urges listeners to break out of their individual bubbles, take risks, and pursue connection with others.
Line by Line Meaning
How can we be bigger than the life we chose to lead
Questioning our ability to surpass the limits of the path we have picked for ourselves.
Impossible dreams
Our aspirations may seem unattainable or unrealistic.
To be more than one
The desire to expand beyond our individual existence.
There’s more than one of you and me
Acknowledging the endless possibilities and dimensions of love and identity.
We could be falling into dark age of love
The potential of slipping into perilous times where love becomes a struggle.
Bad chemistry is necessary alchemy
Sometimes things that seem toxic might lead to something beautifully transformative.
So why do we shiver needlessly?
Why do we make ourselves uneasy and distressed over things that can bring positive change?
The poison is the cure
The very thing that seems harmful can also have the power to heal.
It’s lethal to ignore
If not attended to, issues can become dangerous and detrimental to our well-being.
Are you happy or indestructibly empty?
Questioning whether true fulfillment comes from feeling fulfilled or feeling invincible.
Falling
Descending from a higher state or losing grip on one's dreams.
Faster
Speeding towards a point of no return or a downward spiral.
Further
Distance and separation - from the sun represents a loss of warmth or guidance.
Contributed by Anna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.