Barthel and Carter were friends since junior high school. Barthel pursued a visual arts degree while Carter formed the experimental band Grand Habit. In the summer of 2007 they reunited and worked on finishing some beat ideas Carter made earlier. The duo was originally called Charlie Everywhere when performing around the Saratoga Springs area on the local label Sub-Bombin Records. When they signed to BBE Records they changed the name to Phantogram, to avoid legal issues.
In March 2009, they self-released a five song EP, Phantogram EP, which featured four songs that ended up being on the full length. In the same year they released another EP, Running From the Cops on BBE Records.
The band's debut album Eyelid Movies was released in September 2009, on BBE Records in Europe, and in February 2010, on Barsuk Records in the US. The album received generally favorable reviews. The singles "Mouthful of Diamonds", "When I'm Small" and "As Fas As I Can See" supported the album.
Phantogram have supported acts such as Metric, The xx, J-Live, Brazilian Girls and have toured with The Slip, Zero 7 and Minus the Bear.
Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter were inspired by artists like J Dilla, Serge Gainsbourg, My Bloody Valentine, Madlib, Sonic Youth, The Beatles and David Bowie.
In 1 November 2011, the band issued the EP Nightlife. This EP includes the single "Don't Move".
The duo collaborated with Big Boi from OutKast on three songs from his second studio album, Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors: "Objectum Sexuality (feat. Phantogram)", "CPU (feat. Phantogram)" and "Lines (feat. A$AP Rocky & Phantogram)". Phantogram are also credited as producers for the song "Objectum Sexuality".
Official site: http://www.phantogram.net
A Dark Tunnel
Phantogram Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll shoot down every person that I wanna love
If you wanna see the the sun it's rising up, up
I'll shoot down every person that I wanna love
Control a different body since you came to life
Projections on the screen a walking suicide
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
You're gonna see the man in the sky
You've got your lover wondering why
Why
Your love is waiting up in the sky
A wave of faces in your eyes
Eyes
I'll bite the head off every little mourning dove
Crucify my love and drink my baby's blood
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't.
You're gonna see the man in the sky
You've got your lover wondering why
Why
Your love is waiting up in the sky
A wave of faces in your eyes
Eyes
Hello one more time
Uh... I know I just sent you a bunch of these.
I just wanted to... thank you... again
for being a friend... yesterday
and helping me... out and talking with me
about... my life.
Bye.
You're gonna see the man in the sky
You've got your lover wondering why
Why
Your love is waiting up in the sky
A wave of faces in your eyes
Eyes
The lyrics of Phantogram's song, "A Dark Tunnel" contain themes of violence, self-harm, and emotional instability. The first verse depicts the singer's desire to act out their violent tendencies on society. They feel the need to shoot down every person they want to love and take their anger out on modern times. The second verse talks about the singer's lack of control over their own body and mind since being brought to life. They see themselves as a walking suicide, projecting their inner turmoil onto the outside world. The chorus speaks to a sense of emptiness and disillusionment with love. The singer describes their lover as wondering why and conveys a feeling of detachment from this person.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll take it out on modern times and a shoot a gun
I will blame contemporary society and resort to violence
I'll shoot down every person that I wanna love
I will not allow myself to love anyone and will push them away
If you wanna see the the sun it's rising up, up
If you want positivity, look for it in the future
Control a different body since you came to life
I have lost control of myself since becoming alive
Projections on the screen a walking suicide
The images on the screen represent my destructive actions and thoughts
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
I do not believe in anyone's love for me
You're gonna see the man in the sky
You will confront your maker
You've got your lover wondering why
Your lover is confused by your behavior
Your love is waiting up in the sky
Love is unattainable
A wave of faces in your eyes
An overwhelming sense of people present in one's life
I'll bite the head off every little mourning dove
I will continuously commit violent acts
Crucify my love and drink my baby's blood
I will sacrifice my love and my offspring for my beliefs
Hello one more time
A repeated greeting
Uh... I know I just sent you a bunch of these.
Acknowledging prior communication
I just wanted to... thank you... again
Expressing gratitude
for being a friend... yesterday
Appreciating a friend's support
and helping me... out and talking with me
Grateful for someone accompanying and listening
about... my life.
Discussing personal topics
Bye.
A farewell greeting
Contributed by Gabriella B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Cheese on Toast
I'll take it out on modern times and a shoot a gun
I'll shoot down every person that I wanna love
If you wanna see the the sun it's rising up
I'll shoot down every person that I wanna love
Control a different body since you came to life
Projections on the screen a walking suicide
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
Your'e gonna see the man in the sky
You've got your lover wondering why
Your love is waiting on in the sky
A wave of faces in your eyes
I'll bite the head off every little mourning dove
Crucify my love and drink my baby's blood
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
Don't try to tell me that you love me 'cause you don't
Your'e gonna see the man in the sky
You've got your lover wondering why
Your love is waiting on in the sky
A wave of faces in your eyes
The ForgottenOne
I find it funny how everyone hates the rougher part of the song. I don't, I think it gives the song a duality, one is chaos, the other calm. They work as well as they do because of the other, but honestly without the other, I don't know if the song would have the same impact.
Rich Jones
heard it on "The Sinner" - pretty cool
Adrian Loewen
@manifesto 😆😂🤣
manifesto
@Adrian Loewen go puke idiot
Adrian Loewen
Makes me wanna puke when I hear these third hand referrals
.....
My picture is ISORROWPRODUCTIONS
Rich Jones same
firstname
“Hello one more time Uh… I know I just sent you a bunch of these. I just wanted to… thank you… again for being a friend… yesterday and helping me… out and talking with me about… my life. Bye.”
neo stiv
Thanks. This masterpiece tranquilize me :)
orangejellojack
The first 10 seconds are so annoying that I always hit 'next' when this song came on. Just yesterday I accidentally listened to the whole thing and OMG isn't it just so beautiful? I feel like I'm swimmin' in a vat of buttercreme frosting
Dan Tran
The undecipherable voicemail underlapping the instrumental interlude is so frustrating to try to understand, yet beautifully apposite for the song's meaning. We can't make out the entire message, and that's the point. Just certain words that resonate with the listener. "Bye."