Small Black started with a name and worked backwards: a housemate of singer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kolenik came up with the moniker on a cold Portland, Oregon night. The name stuck when he returned to Long Island, New York and began collaborating with Ryan Heyner, an area musician and former member of the hardcore band Silent Majority who shared friends with Kolenik. The pair holed up in the attic of the beach house and surfboard shop Kolenik's uncle owned to record songs with vintage keyboards and samplers, spending late 2008 and early 2009 recording as Uncle Matt made surfboards underneath them.
Though Kolenik had played in several bands before Small Black, the mix of shoegaze and synth pop he and Heyner hit upon felt special, and the group's lineup was complete once bassist/guitarist Juan Pieczanski and Jeff Curtin from Kolenik's previous band, Slowlands, joined to bolster production and fill out their live act. Small Black released their self-titled five-song EP on their own CassClub label in October 2009, and released the U.K. single "Despicable Dogs" as well as a video for that song featuring Uncle Matt soon after. Following their performances at that year’s CMJ Music Marathon, Small Black signed to Jagjaguwar Records, which reissued the band’s debut EP with two bonus tracks in 2010. That year, they also released a split single with the like-minded Washed Out, with whom they also toured. New Chain, the band's first full-length, boasted a slightly more polished sound that reflected their consistent touring as well as their interest in hip-hop and arrived in October 2010. In late 2011, the band offered the Moon Killer mixtape as a free download from their website. The collection of new material was built on samples ranging from Pere Ubu to Nicki Minaj and featured multiple drop-ins from Das Racist MC Heems as well as remixes from Star Slinger and Phonetag.
After spending much of 2012 on the road, Small Black returned with May 2013's Limits of Desire, a more sophisticated-sounding set influenced by Talk Talk and the Blue Nile. They covered the latter band's classic "Downtown Lights" on the following year's Real People EP, which had a more dancefloor-oriented style and featured vocals from Frankie Rose. Small Black's passion for sophisti-pop grew on October 2015's Best Blues. Recorded by the band in their Brooklyn home studio and mixed by Nicholas Vernhes at the Rare Book Room Studio, the album included contributions from trumpeter Darby Cicci of the Antlers and vocalist Kaede Ford. Soon after Best Blues' release, Kolenik's Uncle Matt passed away, and the memory of him inspired many of the songs on Small Black's fourth album. Arriving on 100% Electronica in April 2021, the reflective Cheap Dreams found the band returning from their hiatus with an extra dose of goth to their synth pop reveries. In 2023, Small Black looked back with a pair of archival releases. They commemorated the tenth anniversary of Limits of Desire with a deluxe edition of the album, and also issued a deluxe version of their debut EP that included previously unreleased songs from their early beach house sessions.
Biography by Heather Phares for ALLMUSIC
No One Wants It to Happen to You
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
to happen to you
No one wants it
to happen
No one wants it
to happen to you
Enter the room
the fog crept in your eyes
Whether or not
it came as a surprise
you were sure
they were mistaken
No one wants it
to happen to you
No one wants it
to happen
news from the wall
take the ruins of
spring again
the gaps may be closed
the visible escape
just a blur
the cold tap of the facts
you realize
we live in the dark
we do what we can
the rest is up to chance
No one wants it to happen to you
No one wants it to happen
No one wants it
No one
The lyrics to Small Black's song "No One Wants It to Happen to You" have a melancholic tone, with the singer offering comfort and empathy to the listener. The opening lines repeat the title phrase, emphasizing that nobody wants the unfortunate events mentioned in the song to happen to the listener. The fog imagery in the second verse suggests confusion and disorientation, which could represent a difficult time in someone's life. The listener may feel alone and unsupported, but the message in the song is that they are not alone, and others care.
The next few lines mention news from the wall, hinting at bad news or some sort of disaster. But the line "take the ruins of spring again" suggests hope and rebirth, though it may be difficult to see through the fog. The line "the visible escape just a blur" portrays a sense of helplessness or inability to escape one's problems. The bridge then suggests that we live in the dark and do what we can, but sometimes events are out of our control.
Overall, the song is a message to the listener that they are not alone, and others empathize with them. It acknowledges the struggles of life, but still offers hope and encouragement to those who need it.
Line by Line Meaning
No one wants it
Nobody desires for this unfortunate event to occur
to happen to you
Not to occur in your life ever
No one wants it
Nobody wishes to experience it
to happen
The uninviting situation/hostage is not appreciated
No one wants it
People in general avoid this...
to happen to you
... & empathize the pain if it co-exists with you
Enter the room
You are entering an area
the fog crept in your eyes
Unclear thoughts & emotions overpowering you
made you float
You are unable to stay grounded temporarily
Whether or not
It could've been expected or out of the blue
it came as a surprise
Something unexpected startled you
you were sure
You believed with confidence
they were mistaken
The circumstances were wrongly believed by others
news from the wall
Information & ideas from media
take the ruins of spring again
After a horrid event, it may seem impossible to revive and pick up the pieces
the gaps may be closed
Amendments can mend up the things required
the visible escape
An apparent way out may lead to more problems
just a blur
When everything seems out of focus, rushed & hazy
the cold tap of the facts
Reality check to accept the truth
you realize
When the penny drops
we live in the dark
There are some truths that are kept in the shadows
we do what we can
We can make the best of what we have.
the rest is up to chance
Sometimes despite putting in the best efforts, the outcome is uncertain.
No one wants it to happen to you
People in society value each other and don't wish for anyone to suffer
No one wants it to happen
Humanity aims to mitigate potential misfortunes
No one wants it
Society at large prefers to escape from the unfortunate incidents if possible
Writer(s): Juan Pieczanski, Ryan Heyner, Joshua Kolenik, Jeffrey Curtin
Contributed by Aiden V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@isaacrubio979
I dont know if you mean songs of small black, but i recomend you.
-Real people
-breathless
-no stranger
All this songs are from small black
And maybe you can try to listen to:
Stolen dance.(milky chance)
Deja vu(glass animals)
Dont let it pass(i dont remember the band)
Dirty paws(monster and men)
I hope you like this songs
@victaylor1
One of the most under rated bands. Found by accident but their albums are great.
@mikez1701e
I saw them a couple of years ago in San Antonio randomly with Bastille, The Naked and Famous 😎. They are excellent. I'm sure I was the only one singing along. I hope a great future is in store for them.
@nathaniellancaster2
Thanks to watch dogs 2 I found my number 1 favorite band. There are a few songs that will be sitting in my heart for the rest of my life from small black.
@victaylor1
Love Small Black.. I'm in the UK but there is no band I want to see play live, more than these guys.
@discogypsyking8082
that drop at 3:14
goosebumps all over
@dfluke1693
this song makes me want to take a road trip through the desert and party with locals. I just want some friends and music on a road trip and im good.
@orbea2
What a fucking great tune! My head was spinning on this cheeky number for ages. Pump up that bass!
@carlosrai6084
Amo esta canción ❤️🇵🇪
@l.c.7352
select songs from small black's new albums make me feel like... i'm walking through an airport , or i'm in a really fancy hotel with lots of floors and a pool
@reversedrumr
I've been looking for this song my whole life