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
Nobody Loves You
Small Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I listen to the night in our house
Try to forget
I sit and dream in a world without you there
Empty drive in movie
Don't it feel weird?
Don't it feel weird to you?
Nobody loves you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Just the way
Nobody loves you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Just the way
Seasons of death and rain
Yeah, this was a shaky deal
But it's one that we made
The sky hung low and heavy on my morning run
Maybe it was just too much to ask of anyone?
Of anyone
Yeah
Nobody loves you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Just the way
Nobody loves you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Just the way that you want 'em to
Nobody loves you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Just the way (no one)
Nobody loves you (no one)
Just the way that you want 'em to (no one)
Just the way that you want 'em to (nobody loves you)
The lyrics to "Nobody Loves You" by Small Black convey a sense of isolation, longing, and dissatisfaction in a relationship. The opening lines suggest the singer's attempt to escape their thoughts and the reality of their situation by immersing themselves in the night and trying to forget. They yearn for a world without the presence of the person they desire. The reference to an empty drive-in movie evokes a feeling of loneliness and disconnect.
The chorus, "Nobody loves you just the way that you want 'em to," highlights the central theme of the song. It speaks to the longing for love and acceptance, specifically in the way the singer desires it. There is a sense of unmet expectations and a feeling of being misunderstood. The repetition of this line emphasizes the frustration and disappointment that comes from not feeling truly loved or valued.
The second verse introduces the idea of the relationship as a shaky deal, possibly implying that it is inherently unstable or unsteady. The mention of seasons of death and rain suggests a metaphorical gloomy and challenging period. The sky hanging low and heavy on the singer's morning run serves as a metaphorical representation of the burdensome weight they feel. They question whether their expectations were too high, potentially realizing it was unfair to ask anyone to meet them.
In summary, "Nobody Loves You" delves into the complexities of love, longing, and the desire for acceptance. It portrays a sense of disillusionment and solitude within a relationship, highlighting the universal human experience of yearning for love that meets our specific wants and needs.
Line by Line Meaning
Sometimes I think about it less
Occasionally, I try to avoid dwelling on this matter
I listen to the night in our house
I pay attention to the silence and solitude within our home
Try to forget
Attempt to erase it from my mind
I sit and dream in a world without you there
I imagine a reality where you are absent
Empty drive in movie
An outdoor cinema experience devoid of emotions
Don't it feel weird?
Doesn't it seem strange?
Don't it feel weird to you?
Don't you find it odd as well?
Nobody loves you
No one has affection for you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Exactly as you desire them to
Just the way
Precisely in that manner
Seasons of death and rain
Periods marked by both sorrow and precipitation
Yeah, this was a shaky deal
Indeed, this agreement was uncertain and unstable
But it's one that we made
Yet, it is a commitment we entered into
The sky hung low and heavy on my morning run
The atmosphere appeared gloomy and burdened during my morning jog
Maybe it was just too much to ask of anyone?
Perhaps it was an unreasonable expectation to place on anyone
Of anyone
Out of all individuals
Nobody loves you
No one holds love for you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Exactly as you desire them to
Just the way
Precisely in that manner
Nobody loves you
No one has affection for you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Exactly as you desire them to
Just the way that you want 'em to
Exactly as you desire them to
Nobody loves you
No one has affection for you
Just the way that you want 'em to
Exactly as you desire them to
Just the way (no one)
Precisely as specified, with no one fulfilling those expectations
Nobody loves you (no one)
No one has love for you, as previously indicated
Just the way that you want 'em to (no one)
Exactly as you desire them to, but with no one achieving that
Just the way that you want 'em to (nobody loves you)
Exactly as you desire them to, emphasizing the absence of love for you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jeffrey Curtin, Joshua Kolenik, Juan Pieczanski, Ryan Heyner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kidd
You guys are still going strong, never missed. You guys don’t understand how much you helped me through life, I’ve been listening to you guys since middle school, I’m 21 now. You guys are the best thing I’ve discovered since then. I really hope you guys get bigger someday, so much potential.
descendingplague
This song, and also most Small Black songs, make me feel something. Blessed forever to have the gift of your music. Godspeed.
Lisa
Small Black is back! I love this song, and I'm looking forward to hearing more!
Justin Mendoza
Incredible song, emotionally moving video. Thanks y’all. 💖💖💖
Paul White
Love the video, love the song - always great to have something gorgeous and new to watch from you guys :)
Jude Mcdonough
i love your music so much, thank you
Puremix
Never stop making music!
lechitacum
Hermosa cancion nwn
Pengward
This is great! We want more! ❤️
NFN josh
🗽🌏Our music will Definitely have a Place in the Music Industry fam🔥‼️‼️