Skylar Astin Lipstein, September 23, 1987 is an American actor and singer. … Read Full Bio ↴Skylar Astin Lipstein, September 23, 1987 is an American actor and singer. He is known for playing Georg in the Tony Award–winning stage musical Spring Awakening, and for his roles in the films Hamlet 2 (2008), Taking Woodstock (2009), Pitch Perfect (2012), and 21 & Over (2013).

Astin's final performance in Spring Awakening was July 19, 2008.

Astin took on the role of Mark Cohen in a production of Rent, directed by Neil Patrick Harris, at the Hollywood Bowl on August 6–8, 2010.

Astin played Rand Posin in the movie Hamlet 2. He sang "Raped in the Face" on the soundtrack along with Phoebe Strole, who was his co-star in the film, and the film's star, Steve Coogan. Screenings of the film at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival led to Astin signing on with United Talent Agency.

Astin joined the cast of the 2009 Adam Carolla sitcom Ace in the Hole on CBS, which was not picked up. In 2010 he joined the cast of the Jere Burns sitcom Strange Brew on Fox, which was also not picked up.

Astin guest-starred as Ben in the July 2011 episode of Love Bites titled "Boys to Men" and as Matt Kornstein in the May 2012 episode of Girls entitled "Hannah's Diary". He also played the role of a patient on House during episode 21 of season 8, in May 2012.

He starred in the 2012 comedy film Pitch Perfect as the character Jesse Swanson and in the 2013 comedy film 21 and Over as Casey.

He currently stars in the TBS sitcom Ground Floor as Brody Moyer, a young ambitious money manager who falls for a girl on the ground floor.

Stage
2006 Spring Awakening, as Georg
2010 Rent, as Mark Cohen

The Dark I Know Well
Skylar Astin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is a part I can't tell
About the dark I know well

You say, "Time for bed now, child"
Mom just smiles that smile
Just like she never saw me
Just like she never saw me

So, I leave, wantin' just to hide
Knowin' deep inside
You are comin' to me
You are comin' to me

You say all you want
Is just a kiss goodnight
Then you hold me
And you whisper
"Child, the Lord won't mind
It's just you and me
Child, you're a beauty"

"God, it's good, the lovin'
Ain't it good tonight?
You ain't seen nothin' yet
Gonna treat you right
It's just you and me
Child, you're a beauty"

I don't scream
Though I know it's wrong
I just play along
I lie there and breathe
Lie there and breathe

I wanna be strong
I want the world to find out
That you're dreamin' on me
Me and my "beauty"
Me and my "beauty"

You say all you want
Is just a kiss goodnight
Then you hold me
And you whisper
"Child, the Lord won't mind
It's just you and me
Child, you're a beauty"

"God, it's good the lovin'
Ain't it good tonight?
You ain't seen nothin' yet
Gonna teach you right
It's just you and me
Child you're a beauty"

There is a part I can't tell
About the dark I know well
There is a part I can't tell
About the dark I know well
There is a part I can't tell
About the dark I know well

There is a part I can't tell
About the dark I know well

Overall Meaning

"The Dark I Know Well" is a haunting and deeply emotional song that explores the unsettling and abusive relationship between a young child and an adult figure, possibly a family member. The lyrics depict the internal struggle and fear experienced by the child, who knows that what is happening is wrong but feels powerless to stop it. The line "You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight" reveals the manipulative tactics used by the abuser to normalize and justify their actions. The child grapples with the conflicting emotions of wanting to be strong and have the world recognize the truth, yet also feeling paralyzed and trapped in the situation.

The repeated lyric "Child, you're a beauty" highlights the way the abuser attempts to distort the child's self-perception and maintain control over them. By complimenting the child's appearance and emphasizing their supposed specialness, the abuser further blurs the lines between love and abuse, making it even harder for the child to fully comprehend what is happening. The closing lines reveal that there are deeper, darker secrets that the child is unable or unwilling to disclose, emphasizing the complexity and pain of the situation.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a part I can't tell
There is a hidden secret that I cannot reveal

About the dark I know well
About the sinister truth that I am intimately familiar with

You say, "Time for bed now, child"
You command me to go to bed as if I were just a young innocent child

Mom just smiles that smile
My mother wears a smile, oblivious to the darkness within me

Just like she never saw me
Just as if she has never truly seen the real me

So, I leave, wantin' just to hide
Filled with the desire to escape and conceal myself

Knowin' deep inside
Having a profound understanding within

You are comin' to me
You are approaching me, ready to take advantage

You say all you want
You proclaim that your only desire

Is just a kiss goodnight
Is a simple kiss before sleep

Then you hold me
But then you embrace me tightly

And you whisper
And you speak softly

"Child, the Lord won't mind
"Child, God will not object

It's just you and me
It's only us

Child, you're a beauty"
Child, you are attractive"

"God, it's good, the lovin'
"God, it feels pleasurable to be intimate

Ain't it good tonight?
Isn't it satisfying tonight?

You ain't seen nothin' yet
You have not yet experienced the extent of it

Gonna treat you right
I am going to handle you in a proper manner

I don't scream
I do not let out a scream

Though I know it's wrong
Even though I am aware that it is morally incorrect

I just play along
I simply pretend and go along with it

I lie there and breathe
I lay there, taking deep breaths

I wanna be strong
I desire to be strong-willed

I want the world to find out
I long for the world to discover

That you're dreamin' on me
That you are fantasizing about me

Me and my "beauty"
Me and my supposed attractiveness