After some EPs and an NME featured track (Alas Agnes), the band toured and released their debut album 'Making Dens' in 2006 to positive reviews. The band released their sophomore album, 'Twenty One' on March 24th, 2008.
Before the release of fourth album "Radlands", bassist Kai Fish left the band and was replaced by Peter Cochrane
Diamonds in the Dark
Mystery Jets Lyrics
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You're a promise that I never kept
Waiting in my room in vain
Time winds back and back again
Outside the school gates
We first met in a basement near the park
(Diamonds in the dark)
Your smile like diamonds in the dark
It's a long way to fall
When the words stray, no one calls
We would have little children
We would be together forever
(Diamonds in the dark)
We would live on Delancy Street
But then you cut your hair and it ended there
It's a long way to fall
When the words stray, no one calls
Looking back now I regret
You're a promise that I never kept
Waiting in my room in vain
Time winds back and back again
Now I've nothing left to lose
I'm clinging to a cliff-face staring at your shoes
And tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me do you feel the same?
Or are we just waiting to a day we can't
A day that we can't change, we can't change?
And now there's this no man's land
Between you and me
(Diamonds in the dark)
But I still wander in between
The sheets and streets and other places we've been
It's a long way to fall
When the words stray, no one calls
Looking back now I regret
You're a promise that I never kept
Waiting in my room in vain
Time winds back and back again
Back and back again, back and back again
Back and back again, back and back again
Back and back again, back and back again
Back again
The lyrics of Mystery Jets's "Diamonds in the Dark" convey a sense of regret and loss for a relationship that never fully materialized. The singer is looking back at the missed opportunities and broken promises that led to the end of the relationship. The song opens with the line "Looking back now I regret, You're a promise that I never kept," which sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer laments the fact that they didn't follow through on the commitment they made to the person they loved.
The song is filled with references to memories of their time together, such as when they first met outside the school gates and danced all night in a basement near the park. The singer recalls how they would talk about having children and living together on Delancy Street, but those plans were dashed when the person cut their hair and the relationship ended. The use of the metaphor "diamonds in the dark" suggests the fleeting and precious nature of their relationship, which was always in jeopardy of being lost.
The chorus of the song repeats the line "It's a long way to fall, When the words stray, no one calls," which further emphasizes the sense of distance and separation between the two people. The singer feels as though they are clinging to a cliff-face, looking up at the person they lost and wondering if the feeling is mutual. The song ends with a repetition of the phrase "Back and back again," which suggests that the singer is stuck in a cycle of regret and longing, unable to move forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking back now I regret
The singer is reflecting on past decisions and wishes they have done things differently.
You're a promise that I never kept
The singer made a promise that they were not able to fulfill, likely resulting in regret.
Waiting in my room in vain
The singer was waiting for someone or something to happen, but it never did.
Time winds back and back again
The artist is reflecting on past events and feels like they keep repeating.
Outside the school gates
The artist is describing the setting of a past event.
We first met in a basement near the park
The singer is describing where they first met someone.
(Diamonds in the dark)
This phrase is a metaphor for the thrill and excitement of a new relationship or experience.
We danced all night and then we kissed
The artist is recalling a fun and exciting past event with someone.
Your smile like diamonds in the dark
The artist is using a metaphor to describe the beauty and excitement of the other person's smile.
It's a long way to fall
The artist is describing the emotional pain that comes from making mistakes or losing something important.
When the words stray, no one calls
When things go wrong, people tend to distance themselves from the situation or relationship.
We would have little children
The artist is describing a future that they had planned with someone.
We would be together forever
The singer has a desire to be in a long-lasting and committed relationship with someone.
We would live on Delancy Street
The singer had specific plans and dreams for the future with someone.
But then you cut your hair and it ended there
The other person changed something about themselves, resulting in the relationship or plans for the future coming to an end.
Now I've nothing left to lose
The artist has lost everything that they once had or valued.
I'm clinging to a cliff-face staring at your shoes
The artist is holding on to the remnants of the past and the other person, despite feeling vulnerable and unstable.
And tell me, tell me, tell me, tell me do you feel the same?
The singer is seeking confirmation that the other person still has feelings for them or shares their desires.
Or are we just waiting to a day we can't
A day that we can't change, we can't change?
The singer wonders if the relationship or situation is doomed, and if they are both just waiting for the inevitable end.
And now there's this no man's land
The artist has entered a period of uncertainty or estrangement with the other person.
Between you and me
The artist and the other person have grown distant from each other.
(Diamonds in the dark)
This phrase is repeated to reinforce the metaphor and elicit the same emotions as earlier in the song.
But I still wander in between
The singer is struggling to move on from the past and is still searching for something more with the other person.
The sheets and streets and other places we've been
The artist references the different settings and experiences they have shared with the other person.
Back and back again, back and back again
Back and back again, back and back again
Back and back again, back and back again
Back again
The repetition of this phrase emphasizes the cyclical and repetitive nature of the singer's thoughts and emotions, and their struggle to move on from the past.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HENRY WILLIAM HARRISON, KAI FISH, KAPIL TRIVEDI, STEVEN BLAINE HARRISON, WILLIAM REES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind