The Whigs' 3rd album, In The Dark, was released on March 16th 2010.

… Read Full Bio ↴The Whigs' 3rd album, In The Dark, was released on March 16th 2010.

The Whigs are a trio based out of Athens, GA. In 2005, The Whigs released the independently recorded Give 'Em All A Big Fat Lip. The band signed to indie label ATO Records, home to Radiohead, My Morning Jacket and Ben Kweller, in 2006.

The band's second album, Mission Control, was released on January 22, 2008. It was produced by Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith, Guided By Voices) at Sunset Sound and Sound Factory in Los Angeles, CA.

In early 2009 The Whigs embarked on a winter tour with Kings Of Leon, and the run closed out with a show at Madison Square Garden. This followed fall 2008 tours with Kings Of Leon, The Kooks, and Tokyo Police Club, capped off with a new years celebration with Band Of Horses.

In August 2009 the band went out with Kings Of Leon again, this time covering Western Canada and the west coast in the United States. That run ended at the old stomping grounds of the Los Angeles Lakers, The Forum. Late 2009 saw The Whigs on a North American headlining tour with support from Nashville's, The Features.

On March 16th, 2010, their third album, In The Dark, was released on ATO Records. The band hit the road with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club in late February 2010, leading up to the release of In The Dark. The band will appear at SXSW 2010 in Austin, TX. On March 31st, 2010, The Whigs will be featured as the musical guest on The Late Show with David Letterman where they will play the first single from IN THE DARK, "Kill Me Carolyne."

Black Lotus
The Whigs Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

free my brain
burn away these chains
theres a light from the sun
beggin me to come on up
and try to unleash the person you see
breathe just breathe
primitive release
its yourself that you need

your unaffected being is gone
a natural machine
do you know what I mean

taking back the instinct
taken out of me
and I get and I get
why you got to be free
I want it more than I can ignore
any population puts it in a cage
and you get and you get
why we got all this rage
I wondering more who we were before

birds and bees
dancin in the breeze
theres a love in the air
felt by all who carry on
the simplest things have they gotten away

taking back the instinct
taken out of me
I forget I forget
what its like to be me
I cant ignore who I was before
any population puts it in a cage
you forget you forget why we got all this rage
were losin more than we can afford

take my mind and erase it please
condition all the hot air I breathe
don’t wanna try me
just want me im happy
here riding the world that is spinning around

taking back the instinct
taken out of me
and I get and I get
why you got to break free
I want it more and I cant ignore
any popluation lock it in a cage
and you get and you get

why we got all this rage
im wondering more who we were before

Overall Meaning

The Whigs’ “Black Lotus” is a song about breaking free from societal norms and returning to one’s natural instincts. The song begins by urging the listener to “free [their] brain” and “burn away these chains,” invoking the idea of repressed and controlled thought. The lyrics speak of a “light from the sun” that calls the listener to “come on up” and “unleash the person you see” within themselves. The chorus emphasizes the need to “take back the instinct,” which has been “taken out of me” due to conditioning and societal pressure. The song describes how humanity has become “a natural machine,” devoid of the raw emotion and instinct that once allowed us to live in harmony with nature.

The second verse expands on this idea, observing that “any population puts [instinct] in a cage.” The song questions why society has lost touch with our primal instincts, leading to unrest and “rage.” The bridge of the song emphasizes the idea that society conditions us to conform, erasing our individuality and natural impulses. The final chorus repeats the theme of taking back our instincts and laments the loss of our true selves.

Line by Line Meaning

free my brain
I want to liberate my thoughts and ideas from any preconceived notions or beliefs society has imposed on me.

burn away these chains
I want to break free from the constraints that hold me back and prevent me from being my true self.

theres a light from the sun
The sun's power and energy seem to be calling out to me and urging me to unlock my full potential.

beggin me to come on up
The sun's influence is encouraging me to rise up and achieve my aspirations and desires.

and try to unleash the person you see
The sun is inspiring me to reveal my true self and not hide behind any masks or facades.

breathe just breathe
I need to take a moment to relax and focus on my breathing to calm my mind and allow my thoughts to flow freely.

primitive release
I want to tap into my primal instincts and let them guide me instead of relying on societal norms and expectations.

its yourself that you need
To truly be happy and fulfilled, you need to focus on yourself and what makes you happy instead of constantly trying to please others.

your unaffected being is gone
Over time, societal pressure and external influences have eroded my natural state of being and made me conform to societal expectations.

a natural machine
Despite my desire to be free, I feel like I am just a cog in the machine of society, expected to perform my role without question.

do you know what I mean
I hope you can understand and relate to the struggles I am describing and that we are all facing.

taking back the instinct
I am reclaiming my natural instincts and desires that have been suppressed for so long.

taken out of me
My natural instincts and desires have been forcefully repressed by societal pressure and expectations.

and I get and I get
Despite my best efforts, it feels like society keeps taking from me and suppressing my true self.

why you got to be free
Society often views anyone who tries to be free and break the mold as a threat or an outsider.

I want it more than I can ignore
My desire to be free and true to myself is so strong that I can no longer ignore it or suppress it.

any population puts it in a cage
Society tries to control and suppress anything that does not fit its predetermined mold or expectations.

I wondering more who we were before
I am curious about what life and society were like before we became so focused on conformity and suppression of individuality.

birds and bees
The natural world and its simple beauty are a stark contrast to the pressures and expectations of modern society.

dancin in the breeze
The freedom and beauty of nature is something that we should all strive to emulate in our own lives.

theres a love in the air
The beauty and harmony of the natural world is a reflection of the love and interconnectedness that exists between all living things.

felt by all who carry on
This love and interconnectedness is something that we all feel on some level, even if we are not always aware of it.

the simplest things have they gotten away
Despite the beauty and simplicity of the natural world, modern society often overlooks or dismisses these things as unimportant or irrelevant.

I forget I forget
The pressures and expectations of society have caused me to forget who I truly am and what I truly desire.

what its like to be me
The constant pressure to conform and suppress my true self has caused me to forget what it feels like to be my true self.

I cant ignore who I was before
My desire to be free and true to myself is so strong that I can no longer ignore the person I truly am and who I was before societal pressure took hold.

were losin more than we can afford
Society's obsession with conformity and suppression of individuality is causing us to lose sight of the beauty and harmony that exist between all living things, and we cannot afford to lose this connection.

take my mind and erase it please
I want to be able to start over with a blank slate and let go of all the societal pressures and expectations that have built up over time.

condition all the hot air I breathe
I want to recondition my thoughts and beliefs to better align with my true self and desires, instead of constantly conforming to societal norms and expectations.

don’t wanna try me
I am tired of constantly feeling like I need to prove myself to others or meet their expectations.

just want me im happy
I just want to be my true self and be happy, without the constant pressure to conform to societal standards.

here riding the world that is spinning around
Despite the challenges and pressures of modern society, I am embracing the ride and trying to enjoy the beautiful and simple things in life.

why you got to break free
Society often views anyone who tries to break free from its constraints as a threat or an outsider, instead of embracing their individuality and uniqueness.

im wondering more who we were before
I am curious about what life and society were like before we became so focused on conformity and suppression of individuality.

Writer(s): Parker Gispert, Timothy Deaux, Julian Dorio Copyright: Lil Dil, Hot Waltz, Chelsea'S Table Jellies Music

Contributed by Mason J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS