If indie rock ever makes it in Romania, it’ll be because of The Amsterdams and their relentless pursuit. And because bands like The Dandy Warhols dig them and regard them as the best band in the land. As they make it pretty clear on the MySpace page, they’re here to do more than just rock out; they’re here to “take the cars out of every garage band”. Whatever that means, it sounds good enough to get behind.
Their second studio album, "Electromagnetica", was released on 31 March 2011 and on 1 April as a digital download. The album was partly recorded in Next Dog Studio, and was mastered by Harris Newman, who is also known for his work with Wolf Parade and Arcade Fire. Electromagnetica is produced and mixed by Electric Brother and features Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs), who plays guitar on "This Burial Ground's For Two".
“Sneakers and striped T-Shirts: there¹s some hard strumming going on in the garages of Bucharest. These kids from Romania are highly strung. Thick guitar riffs, each song bringing a darker atmosphere. The Amsterdams are worthy symbols of a spirited, tortured rock scene.”
EuropaVox 2008
DISCOGRAPHY
"Automatic" (EP; 2008)
"Adolessons" (2009)
"Electromagnetica" (2011)
"Winds Apart" (2014)
"Eternity for Dummies" (2016)
Lights Out
The Amsterdams Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You sing in your sleep, it echoes in the hills
You can't hear a word
You can't hear my broken will
The world through a windshield
Is callous and cheap
I toss and I turn I can't get to sleep
The days that turn into weeks
I've been wrong, but it's alright
They've been long and lonely nights
I was lost till I found you
I'm turnin' out the light
I'll stay if you want me to
Somehow my time got outta my hands
I just wanna stop, master commands
Telling the truth won't be this way again
A long ways away, but you're never alone
I look at the sky, over our home
I'll be around; a few more miles to go
I've been wrong, but it's alright
They've been long and lonely nights
I was lost till I found you
I'm turnin' out the light
I'll stay if you want me to
You don't have to say it
You don't have to speak
I've been away, worried and weak
Don't say a word
I've been wrong, but it's alright
They've been long and lonely nights
I was lost till I found you
I'm turnin' out the light
I'll stay if you want me to
The first verse of "Lights Out" speaks about a burning pain, describing it as poison in a pill. The second line of the verse mentions the singer's lover singing in their sleep in a way that echoes through the hills. The third line implies that the lover cannot hear the singer's words, indicating a possible communication breakdown between the two. The final line talks about the singer's will being broken, which may allude to a sense of helplessness or powerlessness in the relationship.
The second verse begins with the phrase "The world through a windshield," which sets up the image of moving through life in a car or vehicle. The singer describes feeling restless and unable to sleep, seemingly preoccupied with counting the hours and days that turn into weeks. The line "I've been wrong, but it's alright" indicates a sense of acceptance and forgiveness for past mistakes. The chorus repeats the same lines, ending with the vocalist saying they will stay if their love interest wants them to.
The bridge talks about how time has slipped away from the singer's hands, and they want to stop and take control of their life. The line "Telling the truth won't be this way again" suggests that honesty may be challenging in the relationship. However, the singer promises their love will never be alone, and they continually look at the sky over their home. The final verse indicates an acknowledgment of the singer's absence and the pain it has caused the lover, ending with the chorus again.
Overall, "Lights Out" seems to describe a relationship that may have undergone some difficulties but has ultimately come to a place of acceptance and mutual understanding. The lyrics often feature poetic and metaphorical language, and the repeated chorus emphasizes the importance of commitment.
Line by Line Meaning
I know that it burns like poison in the pill
I understand that it hurts and feels like a toxic substance inside a medication
You sing in your sleep, it echoes in the hills
Your sleep talking is so loud that it reverberates throughout the surroundings
You can't hear a word
You're so zonked out that you're completely deaf to anything around you
You can't hear my broken will
You're unaware of my shattered determination to make things right
The world through a windshield
The view of the world from inside a car
Is callous and cheap
Seems undervalued and insensitive
I toss and I turn I can't get to sleep
I keep moving restlessly and can't find any rest
Counting the hours
Calculating the amount of time that's passed
The days that turn into weeks
The passage of time that seems to drag on and on
I've been wrong, but it's alright
I've made mistakes, but it's okay
They've been long and lonely nights
The nights have seemed never-ending and lonely
I was lost till I found you
I didn't know where I was going until I met you
I'm turnin' out the light
I'm switching off the light
I'll stay if you want me to
I'll remain here if you desire me to
Somehow my time got outta my hands
I've lost control of my time
I just wanna stop, master commands
I want everything to halt even though circumstances dictate otherwise
Telling the truth won't be this way again
Expressing the honest facts won't happen again like this
A long ways away, but you're never alone
Although far apart, you're never by yourself
I look at the sky, over our home
I gaze at the sky above where we live
I'll be around; a few more miles to go
I'll be close by; just a couple more miles to travel
You don't have to say it
There's no need for you to articulate anything
You don't have to speak
You don't have to say anything
I've been away, worried and weak
I've been absent, anxious and frail
Don't say a word
Please don't express anything verbally
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ADAM NUTTER, PHILIP JORDAN, ROBERT HARVEY, STUART COLEMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@yrantiquebrand
i know that it burns
like poison in the pill
sing me to sleep
echoes in the hills
can’t hear a word
can’t hear my broken will
the world through a windshield
is callous and cheap
i toss and i turn
but i can’t get to sleep
counting the hours
the days that turn into weeks
i’ve been wrong, but it’s alright
and there’ve been long and lonely nights
i’ve been lost, but i found you
turn out the light
i’ll stay if you want me to
somehow my time got out of my hands
i just want to stop
the master commands
i’m telling you the truth
it won’t be this way again
a long ways away but you’re never alone
you look at the sky over our home
i’ll be around
a few more miles to go
i’ve been wrong, but it’s alright
there’ve been long and lonely nights
i was lost ’til i found you
turn off the light
i’ll stay if you want me to
you don’t have to say it
you don’t have to speak
i’ve been away, worried and weak
don’t say a word
i’ve been wrong, but it’s alright
there’ve been long and lonely nights
i was lost ’til i found you
turn out the light
i’ll stay if you want me to
@laurendoughty4572
still here in 2021. missing the new ams! <3
@charlieyeager9551
You and me both!
@chrisgill3525
One of a precious few perfect songs ever created
@Anasims45
This song is one of my favorite songs of College Rock from Pets. Love it!
@danielh8569
This song makes me cry every time I hear it.
@aricbelzer1063
Glad to see my good Ole uncle Bill Belzer was enjoying his time. Wish you guys would make more music
@ClimbingFences
I love this song <3 I first listened to it while playing Sims yesterday :D
@katymarino2
u guys r my favorite band. i have never felt so connected to someones music as i am with urs. thank u sooo much!
@rasmusirlind8829
this upload is older than half the kids using youtube today
@Aboutabee
i love this song its so great i wish the radio played it