1. A popular hard rock ba… Read Full Bio ↴There are at least six artists with this name:
1. A popular hard rock band from the United Kingdom
2. A death metal band from Germany
3. An alternative rock band from Poland
4. A Eurodance group
5. A thrash metal band from the Czech Republic
1. The Darkness are a hard rock band which formed in Lowestoft, England in 2000. The band consists of Justin Hawkins (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Dan Hawkins (guitar, vocals), Frankie Poullain (bass) and Ed Graham (drums). According to the Nothin's Gonna Stop Us Songfacts, Ed Graham inspired the band’s name as his youthful bleak moods were known as The Darkness.
They are widely regarded as a glam rock band, but the members disputed this and saw themselves as a classic hard-rock band. Their highly retro style of music was influenced by rock bands like Queen, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Sparks, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, T. Rex, Def Leppard, Whitesnake and Thin Lizzy. They are best known for the soaring falsetto of their lead singer Justin Hawkins, whose departure in 2006 resulted in the dissolution of the band. In 2011, the band announced their return, with a third album, "Hot Cakes," to be released on Wind-up Records.
Dan had initially seen his brother's potential of being a frontman after Justin did an impressive recreation of Queen's 'Bohemian Rhapsody' at a New Year's Eve party in 1999, thrown by Justin and Dan's aunt in her pub The Swan at Gillingham just over the River Waveney in Norfolk, despite the fact that Justin was only miming to the original song. Playing at first only in pubs and bars, their pyrotechnic guitar solos and over the top performances soon brought them to public knowledge.
Achieving major success in the UK in 2003, The Darkness received considerable radio airplay of their singles, including I Believe in a Thing Called Love and the Christmas hit Christmas Time (Don't Let the Bells End). Their debut album, Permission to Land, reached number one in the UK charts and went on to sell one and a half million copies in the UK alone. The success of this album led to heavy touring for the band, which included headlining the Carling Festivals in 2004. The band won three Brit Awards in the same year, including Best Group, Best Rock Group and Best Album. They also won two Kerrang! awards for Best Live Act and Best British Band.
By late 2004 the band's huge success had led to a public backlash, and people claiming that the band were more a joke than a 'real' band became more common. The band responded to this criticism by touring the UK's top arenas on the "Winter-National Tour" tour with the Irish group Ash supporting them. One part of the show included Justin climbing upon a life-sized white tiger during "Love on the Rocks with No Ice" and being elevated around the audience whilst still playing guitar. The majority of the shows on the tour sold out.
On May 23, 2005 original bass player Frankie Poullain left the band during the recording of their second album, apparently due to "musical differences" with Justin Hawkins. Frankie has disputed this version of events, claiming he was "frozen out" and forced to leave the band by Justin and his longterm girlfriend (and the band's manager) Sue Whitehouse. On June 13 2005, The Darkness announced that Richie Edwards, formerly Dan's guitar technician, had replaced Frankie as bass player.
One Way Ticket, the first single from their second album, was released on 14 November 2005, debuting and peaking at number 8 on the UK Singles chart. The Darkness followed this with their second album One Way Ticket to Hell...And Back on November 28, 2005 to mixed reviews despite it having been produced by the well known Roy Thomas Baker whom has worked with bands such as Queen. Although it has been made platinum its sales do not come close to their debut's five-times-platinum rating and its chart peak at number eleven is a weak showing compared to Permission To Land's number one. The second single release from this album was Is It Just Me?, released on 20th February 2006 and charted at number eight. Soon afterwards Justin announced while performing live that the third single to be released from the album would be Girlfriend; and gained a mixed response. Released on 22nd May 2006, it charted at a disappointing number thirty-nine.
After having disappeared for quite some time the band announced that singer Justin Hawkins had left the band on 11th October 2006, after a battle against drugs.
On December 24, 2006, it was reported by Yahoo! News that bass player Richie Edwards would become the group's new frontman, with Toby MacFarlaine to join The Darkness and take over on bass. In blog entries on MySpace, Richie Edwards, Dan Hawkins and Ed Graham said that they had started recording a new album with Toby McFarlaine, and that they had formed a new band together.
On March 2, 2007, The Darkness' official website was changed, showing a photograph of the new, and as yet unnamed band. Links to the members individual Myspace pages were included, confirming the line-up of Richie Edwards, Dan Hawkins, Toby MacFarlaine and Ed Graham. Richie later added a message to the site, categorically confirming that the band would not continue under the name "The Darkness", saying "we are literally days away from announcing our new name".
It was announced on August 25, 2007 that the band had finished recording an album but no release dates or names, of either the band or album, had been decided. Record label and support has yet to be decided.
On November 9, 2007, it was announced on The University of East Anglia's student union website that the new band would be called Stone Gods. This name was confirmed on the official website on November 21, 2007. The line-up has been confirmed as Dan Hawkins (lead guitar), Toby MacFarlaine (bass), Ed Graham (drums) and Richie Edwards (vocals/guitar).
In March 2011, The Darkness announced on their newly updated website that they would be reforming the original line-up to play the Download Festival in Donington, Derbyshire. Songfacts reports that Nothin's Gonna Stop Us, the first new material from the band since they reconvened, was made available several months later as a free download from The Darkness’s official website.
The Darkness will be releasing "Hotcakes," their first album since reuniting, in 2012 on Wind-up Records. This album includes the singles "Every Inch of You" and Everybody Have a Good Time."
Black Shuck
The Darkness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The parishioners were visited upon
By a curious beast
And his eyes numbered but one and shone like the sun
And a glance beckoned the immediate loss
Of a cherished one
It was the coming of the
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Flames licked round the sacred spire
And the congregation's last line of defence
Was engulfed in fire
As the flaming priest stepped into the firing line
On the business end of despair
God, he took his own life
During the coming of the
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
A nimbus of blue light surrounds a crimson paw
As he takes another fatal swipe
At the Blytheburgh Church Door
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Woof!
The song "Black Shuck" by The Darkness is a haunting tale of a beast that terrorizes a town in the east. The lyrics describe the parishioners being visited by a curious beast with one eye that shone like the sun. The beast had the power to cause the immediate loss of a cherished one just through a glance. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes "Black Shuck, that dog don't give a f***," setting the tone for a menacing and unfeeling creature.
As the story progresses, flames engulf the church and the congregation's last line of defense is lost. The priest steps forward, but ultimately takes his own life, unable to bear the despair. Throughout the chaos, the nimbus of blue light that surrounds Black Shuck sets the tone for a supernatural and chilling aspect of the song. The lyrics end with a final swipe at the church door before a resounding "woof."
The song takes its inspiration from the legend of the Black Shuck, a spectral dog which is believed to haunt the coastline and countryside of East Anglia. The Black Shuck legend is one of the most famous myths of the UK, and many people continue to report sightings of the dog even today. The Darkness have taken the legend and turned it into a hard rock anthem of sorts, creating a modern tribute to the dark folklore of the region.
Line by Line Meaning
In a town in the east
The story takes place in a town located in the eastern region.
The parishioners were visited upon
The people of the church were visited by an unknown entity.
By a curious beast
This entity was a strange and unknown creature.
And his eyes numbered but one and shone like the sun
The creature had only one eye, and it was very bright and glowing.
And a glance beckoned the immediate loss
If someone looked into the creature's eye, something bad would happen.
Of a cherished one
This bad thing was the loss of someone special or valued.
It was the coming of the
This creature was known as something called the Black Shuck.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
Reinforces that this mysterious creature is indeed the Black Shuck.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
Repeats and emphasizes its presence.
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
This creature, despite its dog-like appearance, doesn't care about the consequences of its actions.
Flames licked round the sacred spire
The church was set ablaze with flames surrounding it.
And the congregation's last line of defence
The people in the church did everything they could to protect themselves.
Was engulfed in fire
Unfortunately, they couldn't escape the fire.
As the flaming priest stepped into the firing line
The priest stood and faced the oncoming danger.
On the business end of despair
The priest was forced to confront his own feelings of hopelessness and despair.
God, he took his own life
The priest was unable to bear the weight of what was happening and committed suicide.
During the coming of the
All of this happened during the same time as the appearance of the Black Shuck.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
The Black Shuck is still present, lingering in the background.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
Its presence is still felt, and people are still in danger.
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
No matter what happens or who is hurt, the Black Shuck doesn't care.
A nimbus of blue light surrounds a crimson paw
A bright blue aura surrounds the creature's paw, which is red for some reason.
As he takes another fatal swipe
The Black Shuck continues to attack and hurt people.
At the Blytheburgh Church Door
Specifically, the church door in the town of Blytheburgh is its target.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
The Black Shuck is still attacking and causing chaos.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
Its influence and power are still strong.
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
No matter what people do or how they try to stop it, the Black Shuck will continue to cause destruction and harm.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
The Black Shuck is still a present danger.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
It's still the mysterious creature that caused all this damage.
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Again, the Black Shuck doesn't care about anything except causing chaos and destruction.
Black Shuck
Reiterating the presence of this dangerous creature.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
Emphasizes its identity as the Black Shuck.
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
The Black Shuck is still out there, causing destruction and wreaking havoc.
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
It doesn't matter what people do or say; the Black Shuck will continue to do whatever it wants.
Woof!
An ironic and sarcastic way to end the song, contrasting the violence and horror described in the lyrics.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DANIEL FRANCIS HAWKINS, EDWIN JAMES GRAHAM, FRANCIS GILLES POULLAIN-PATTERSON, JUSTIN DAVID HAWKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Alessandro Faoro
In a town in the east
The parishioners were visited upon
By a curious beast
And his eyes numbered but one and shone like the sun
And a glance beckoned the immediate loss
Of a cherished one
It was the coming of the
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Flames licked round the sacred spire
And the congregation's last line of defence
Was engulfed in fire
As the flaming priest stepped into the firing line
On the business end there would be more to spare
God, he took his own life
During the coming of the
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
A nimbus of blue light surrounds a crimson paw
As he takes another fatal swipe
At the Blytheburgh Church Door
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) Black Shuck
(Black Shuck) That dog don't give a fuck
Woof!
iNabber
incredibly underrated band
Ninzabeth
Didn't expect to see you here
Dominic Conway
Criminally underrated
it's all jokes
great live band
Chris Hudson
4 real
Tim Sears
@Dominic Conway oh gid I hate tat term "criinally overrated" this term is WAY overrated and annoying
comvoice
How can anyone not love this first album?! Pure, delicious, unadulterated rock bombast in all of its glory. :)
Mike The Grunty
Severely underrated album
Kris Charlton
it's the British appetite for destruction. it's that good.
FIGHTFANNERD
it's not underrated? they were huge at that time