Once hailed as “Britain’s Best Unknown Songwriter”, Tom Rosenthal is an independent singer-songwriter with a knack for sweet, folksy tunes. Rosenthal has produced a host of LPs and EPs, notably two albums dedicated to his daughters: Bess and Fenn. Notable EPs are the The Pleasant Trees series (Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and Vol.3), and one of his 2018 releases, Don’t Die Curious.
Rosenthal has released 6 albums to date, all of them self-released on his own label Tinpot Records. Keep a Private Room Behind the Shop was released in 2011, and the latest is Denis Was A Bird in 2021, written about his father's death. His songs have had over 350 million streams on Spotify.
Rosenthal's makes videos for his songs that he posts on YouTube and Vimeo. Tom Rosenthal’s presence in the YouTube community–such as through collaborative songs with dodie, Savannah Brown, or Will Darbyshire feeds into his success in the music industry. Rosenthal’s personal channel features series of vlogs, the first of which spanned March and April 2017, with a second series running through the latter half of 2017; and a large collection of songs (music videos, lyrics videos, acoustic performances, etc.). With a growing online following, Rosenthal sees social media as a fruitful alternative to dependence on traditional record labels.
Rosenthal's music has been used on television soundtracks. "Forgets Slowly", "Lights on But Nobody's Home", and "Take Care" featured in the Skins episode "Alo". "Go Solo" was featured on the soundtrack of the German film Head Full of Honey (2014), the documentary Kid Poker (2015), the NFL documentary Hard Knocks, the film trailer for Felix and Meira, and the Netflix documentary The Least Expected Day: Inside the Movistar Team 2019. "It's OK" features on the film trailers for Comet (2014),[ Anesthesia (2014). and L'odyssée (2016). From 2016 through to 2018 his songs It's OK and Woes have been used on Neighbours.
Rosenthal's song "Go Solo" featured in a TV commercial for the Renault Zoe E-TRON in 2021 and in a 2022 episode of the NBC drama series New Amsterdam.
Rosenthal played his first concert at St Pancras Old Church on Wednesday 13 March 2019, followed by a tour around Europe and a gig at Union Chapel, with over 40 concerts in 2019.
Rosenthal is also known as Edith Whiskers. This started when his cover version on the single "Home", recorded in 2015, went viral on the social media platform TikTok in 2020. Edith Whiskers is depicted as an older lady, that "Edith enjoys long hot baths, a spot of beekeeping and the occasional bike ride." Rosenthal released the song as a single on October 16, 2020 and on a covers album titled Stop Stealing the Covers. "Home" was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2023.
Lights are On
Tom Rosenthal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don′t know why
Lights are on
But nobody's home
There ain′t no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
Like our love, love, love, love, love
Let the last worms go
And roll in tonight
Don't wake us up
We got nothing for you
There ain′t no love like our love
There ain′t no love like our love
Like our love, love, love, love, love
Build us a door
And rest here with me
Lights are on
But nobody's home
There ain′t no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
The first two lines of the song "God stood me up, and I don't know why" suggests a feeling of abandonment or disappointment with God. It is followed by the lines "Lights are on, but nobody's home", which could mean that there is a lack of emotional presence despite having a physical presence. This could be interpreted as feeling alone even when surrounded by people.
The chorus repeats "There ain't no love like our love" multiple times. It could mean that the singer is holding onto the idea that their love is special and unique, even if they feel let down by a higher power or by others around them. The line "let the last worms go and roll in tonight" is a poetic way of saying "let the world carry on without us tonight" or "let us escape from the world". The following line "Don't wake us up, we got nothing for you" suggests the singer's desire for solitude and escape.
The song continues with the line "Build us a door, and rest here with me", which could mean that the singer wants an escape from the world and the people in it, but also wants someone to share that escape with. The repeated line "lights are on, but nobody's home" could mean that even when together or in a relationship, there might be a feeling of distance or lack of connection.
Overall, the song seems to be exploring themes of disappointment, loneliness, and the search for a safe haven or escape from the world. The repeated chorus of "there ain't no love like our love" could be interpreted as holding onto hope or the idea that love can conquer all.
Line by Line Meaning
God stood me up
I feel abandoned by God and have no explanation for why.
And I don't know why
I don't have any understanding or clarity regarding God's actions.
Lights are on
The lights are functioning properly and illuminating the space.
But nobody's home
Despite the lights being on, no one is truly present or engaged.
There ain't no love like our love
Our love is incomparable to any other kind of love out there.
There ain't no love like our love
Our love is unique and unparalleled.
Like our love, love, love, love, love
Our love is characterized by a deep, repeated affection that cannot be replicated.
Let the last worms go
The last remnants of something unpleasant are being let go or removed.
And roll in tonight
A new event or situation is happening tonight.
Don't wake us up
We would prefer not to be disturbed or interrupted during our rest.
We got nothing for you
We cannot provide assistance or help you in any way.
Build us a door
We desire a new means of entering or exiting our current situation.
And rest here with me
We want a person we care about to stay and relax with us.
Lights are on
The lights continue to shine and make their presence known.
But nobody's home
Despite the lights being on, no one is truly present or engaged.
There ain't no love like our love
Our love is incomparable to any other kind of love out there.
There ain't no love like our love
Our love is unique and unparalleled.
Writer(s): Thomas Paul Pym Rosenthal
Contributed by Adalyn P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@virginialopez665
God stood me up
And I don't know why
Lights are on
But nobody's home
There ain't no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
Like our love, love, love, love, love
*Let the last worms go. (Let the lost ones go. )
And roll in tonight
Don't wake us up
We got nothing for you
There ain't no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
Like our love, love, love, love, love
Build us a door
And rest here with me
Lights are on
But nobody's home
There ain't no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
@meotmoon
I'm so nervous because of school. I'm about to cry. Thank you for this song. It makes me feel safe.
edit, 21.11.2021: This song is still with me when I need to calm myself. Its like a hug from a friend who doesnt ask any questions or expect you to explain whats wrong. If youre having a hard time right now, please remember to take care of yourself first. I went trough so many things in life when I should just be happy. My hardships started as a young kid, who didnt know any better. I learned to accept life as it is. Im sure Im gonna experience many hardships in life, but I genuinely think that its gonna be okay. And youre gonna be okay too.
edit, 13.07.2022: I've got depression and other big health problems. The truth is, I'm going trough a lot and I don't know if I'm gonna be ok this time.
edit, 17.10.2022: I wanted to thank all of you, who ask until this day how I'm doing. I've been doing really bad. The last days of September and the whole October are I think the worst days of my entire life. I'm not only depressed but I also suffer from extreme anxiety and panic attacks that terrify me. I'm getting help from my therapist and I`ll also be on anti-depressant soon. I don't feel okay. Mentally and physically. I'm scared of life. I get this extreme anxiety about my physical health. When something hurts in my body I really believe that I have cancer or something. I get this anxiety about my breath and that I will pass out because I can't breathe. I know it all comes from my panic attacks. I really want this to be gone. I miss the old me. Sure, I had so many childhood traumas and I was depressed very often, but these panic attacks are killing me. I don't want to live like this anymore. I'm gonna update you guys when I start my medication. Since I don't know what tomorrow brings, I hope you're all taking care of yourselves. Please, don't underestimate your own brain. If you feel bad, if you feel hopeless, please seek help from a professional. No, it won't go away on its own. I also thought so some years ago and now look at me. Struggling to live, struggling to sleep. It's agony. Don't be like me. And also try to be kind to yourselves. It's the hardest thing to me, but it helps sometimes to just be kind. To others and most importantly, to yourselves. Let's just try.
Edit, 19.03.2023: Hello to all of you. First of all I wanted to thank all of you who are still asking how am I. I’m also so sorry for not giving you any updates since last year. It was just a lot to me. So I started taking medication and I think it helped me at the beginning, but right now I’m not so sure.
I had to give up school and my work, because I had some horrible panic attacks and basically thought I’d die if I don’t stop going to work and school. The anxiety was so bad I couldn’t even go grocery shopping on my own. I’m still very anxious and the worst part is my depression. I’m struggling so much and it’s so painful. Every single day hurts. I think about giving up every single day, but I had to decide on something for my own safety. Whatever happens, suicide is not the option. I can lay on the floor for hours without any strength to live or even breathe, but I won’t hurt myself. I don’t deserve that. It’s my depression that says all those horrible things about me and others around me.
I’m still learning to not to listen.
I was really hoping it would get better, but it’s not. I’m still struggling, I’m very lonely, I feel stuck, I don’t have any plans for this life. I’m just taking it day after day.
For some people I might look like some lazy person who just doesn’t want to do anything, but it couldn’t be much further from the truth. On some days I feel good, I can actually exercise, go for a walk, make some healthy food for myself, paint and on other days my head’s completely off.
I just lay in bed and don’t want to do anything / don’t even want to think about anything. I really like the thought of death. The silence, peace, no more expectations, no more crying, feeling guilty for existing.
But death will come. Maybe not today, but eventually it will. No need to rush it.
I’m just gonna try to live and leave a tiny, little mark on this earth. I’m gonna paint, I’m gonna write and smile and cry and I’m gonna be okay soon. It’s probably foolish to still have hope, but people overall are just really foolish so I’m gonna carry this tiny amount of hope with me and I’m gonna try.
I hope all of you are doing okay. And if not, just know every single person is going trough stuff and it’s okay to struggle. It’s not shameful nor stupid. And please don’t underestimate your own head. If you start to feel depressed quite often, go and see a therapist. Don’t wait ‘till it’s gonna get even worse. Respect your health. Physical and the mental one.
God, I hope my English isn’t that bad. I’m writing this at almost 2 am and let’s just say I’m not good at putting my thoughts into words lately. Depression makes you forget things and have this cloud in your head. Why no one ever talks about it? Anyway, I hope you’re all healthy and happy and if not, it’s also okay. I’m with you.
edit, 13.08.2023: Hello to all of you. I've just read all of your recent messages and I'm so deeply moved.
I'd like to share my last few months with you. I finally decided to continue on my studies and I'm going to start school in September.
I'm quite nervous but also really excited. When it comes to my depression. There are good days and there are also really bad ones, but just as I wrote to you in on of my latest edits, suicide is not an option. Self-harm is not an option. I keep on fighting with depression and I'm winning this fight. Do I often get sad? Almost every day. I cry a lot, but that made me actually really happy. I'm sure many people with depression and anxiety can relate, but when you're depressed or stressed for a REALLY long time, you can't cry. You feel numb to crying, because we've done it so much. At one point you lay in bed just breathing and blinking. So when I started crying out of sadness I knew I'm going the right direction. Depression is awful. It always comes back creeping on you when you really just want it to disappear for good. My anxiety is still there, but I won with panic attacks!! I don't have them anymore and they won't come back. I know I'm in control of my body. God that was so hard to believe while having these panic attacks. You almost feel like your own body doesn't belong to you anymore. Now I'm mostly very lonely. Depression separated me from many people, but that also showed me there was nobody there for me. All of these people disappeared from my life. I had to let go of an old friendship. I was so hurt, but I know I deserve better. If you're reading this, you deserve better, love. No need to hold on to people who don't care about you and your feelings. Be kind and good to yourself. What helped me recently with sympathy towards myself (I find it really hard to be nice to myself, which is odd, but I guess when your father never showed you love, you really think it's your fault and you don't deserve love and kindness) was finding a photo of myself as a little child and hanging it somewhere in my room to be always seen. When I'm harsh on myself I look at this photo and I think to myself how much my child self doesn't deserve such treating. You would't tell a child they're worthless or dumb. So why are you telling it yourself almost everyday? You don't deserve that. There's still a little child in you. Give it a hug and don't yell at it!
That's a really long edit. I'm sure I'm going to be back one more time this year. If you'd like to stay in touch (or just know if I'm still alive) find me on instagram @meontmoon . Also, if you're struggling right now and think of doing something bad to your body, please reach out. To your mother, to your brother, aunt, even a friend. Or you can write me a message :) Remember, that seeking help is the strongest thing people can do. Let's keep on fighting, loves.
Edit (19.02.2024)
Hi friends, I’m doing really bad lately. I’ve never been hurting so much before. Every single day is a struggle. I don’t have the energy nor the motivation to do anything.
It has never been this hard before.
I’m so tired. God, it’s so scary how tired I am. I’m so scared. I’m terrified.
All I ever wanted was to just be healthy and to overcome my depression, but I guess it’s too much to ask.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to be fine this time.
What’s the point of the highs if the lows are so deeply terrifying?
Being alive hurts too much lately.
@louismartinezjr9617
LYRICS :
God stood me up and I don't know why
Lights are on but nobody's home
There ain't no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
Like our love love love love love
Let the lost ones go and roll into night
Don't wake us up
We got nothing for you
There ain't no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
Like our love love love love love
Build us a dome and rest here with me
Lights are on but nobody's home
There ain't no love like our love
There ain't no love like our love
@farahaslan5223
بعد سنتين
رح نكون نطبق بالمستشفى
ما بعرف اذا رح نظلنا مع بعض
بس ان شاء الله بوقتها منكون وصلنا للأماكن يلي تمنيناها
وأهم شي يارب انك تكون معي بنفس القروب
ولعله نروح مع بعض ونسمع هاي الأغنية بالسيارة
2:25 i love you
أحبك أيها البطريق
وسأحبك حتى آخر عمري ❤
@ShotaAizawa09
This song makes me feel better as well as sad because I wish I could remember more about my dad, all I can remember was how his face looked, his tattoos all over his arms and his back, one side had flames and the other had an angel wing, a little of how his voice sounded. I remember when he would carry me inside when I was asleep, and when I would get scared I would leave my room where me and my brothers shared and I would lay down in the hallway with my blanket outside of my parents door, he would carry me back to bed. He never liked spanking us nor yelling at us when he did my mom told us years later that he never did and he’d always feel bad.
I would often think to myself what would have happened if we had found out he had Colon cancer earlier, would he be alive with us and be an actual happy family would mom have been happier. The one thing I remember was how weak he was and looked of course I didn’t know because I was 6. I didn’t know that he was going to die or that he had cancer.
And now that I look back on that I can’t help but feel sad that I won’t get to enjoy the last moments with him. I wish that he really was alive. Maybe I’ll meet him again, maybe I’ll get to enjoy life with you once again. I love you dad, it sucks having to live without you since July 5 of 2016. Maybe I’ll see you again soon.
I’ve been suffering with some thoughts that I may give in to, I’m not scared of death. Maybe ill be happier and I’ll see him again.
If you are reading this, thank you for taking time reading my story. I wrote this as a sort of vent as well as to see if I find people relate to me. My dad was one of the nicest person that you could ever meet. It’s very sad that fate does take people that are very important to family and friends. I wish you all the best in life and I hope you have many happy memories with the people you love because you don’t know when that will be your last. I’ll probably send this to other similar songs so if you see this story you don’t get confused and I’m sorry if this is written badly I don’t write that much. So thank you all. :)
-Riley
7/3/23 :)
@ADamDovah
When I listen to this song.
I feel like I’m being hugged.
And nothing else is happening.
Just me and the music.
That’s it.
@hjwbsjwkwkskwlw5503
I thought I were the only one thinking that , it’s a big comforting hug
@lizzies9307
Sending you a hug as well ❤️ I hope you're well
@abiplayz203
Agreed.
@faitharmy3875
I can relate to you, my friend.
@loannguyen-pn6sm
This reminds me of technoblade 😢
@janekskiba1201
It's incredible how comforting this song is. I'm truely lucky to be listening to you Tom!
@nerium9762
I agree, this song is everything.
@Nomanches333
I agree with you I love this song alot it's helped me through alot of stuff ❤❤❤❤
@luciaperez8304
I don't tend to write comments. I'm a very shy person, even when I know that no one will see me, I hush. But right now I just have to say: thank you Tom. Today was one of those days when you just wanna lay down and sleep your problems away. Today was one of those days when you just wanna make the world stop, if only for one second, to let yourself breath.
And even though it sounds unlikely, you did it. You made the world stop turning, you made time stop pasing, and you let myself breath, again and again.
I'm sorry for my english, this is not my first language, but I needed to express what I feel.
Thank you