Turin Brakes has been compared to many of the New Acoustic Movement's bands spawned in the late 90s such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot (who were a support band for Turin Brakes on their Ether Song tour) and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience.
Their debut album "The Optimist LP" (2001) was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. In 2003 "Ether Song" got to #3 in the UK album charts and spawned a Top 5 single "Pain Killer". Further commercial success was not achieved. In 2005 "JackInABox" meant some sort of return to the first album, but this time with more production and a more diverse sound. Again the critics loved it, but the buying public seemed not to. It got to no. 9 in its first week (without a hit single - "Fishing For A Dream" got to #35), but had no further commercial success. This might have been the effect of the decision by the band and the record company to take the slow path (doing just a short UK tour and not doing as much promotion as they used to), so that Olly Knights (the singer) could also focus on his new family life.
In the summer of 2005 the boys toured the USA and Canada, followed by an acoustic tour taking the band to Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 2005 ended with a longer acoustic UK tour, of which the closing night in the Palladium in London was recorded and released as a download only live album the day after. The album sold quite well on iTunes, riding the top of the download charts in several countries.
The band spent the first half of 2006 writing new songs, occasionally performing both new and old work at small gigs across the UK. The band did an intimate tour in November 2006 to try out new material. In January 2007 the band entered a small studio in London to record their 4th album with producer Ethan Johns. After three weeks the band took a break (on January 29th Gale's wife gave birth to a daughter), but the sessions were resumed several weeks later in a bigger studio (also in London). On the last day of March 2007 the band announced that they had finished the recording sessions, and recorded 17 songs.
Their 2007 album, "Dark on Fire", was preceded by a download-only single "Stalker".
The band released their 5th studio album in March 2010 titled "Outbursts".
Their sixth album, We Were Here, was released 30 September 2013, and their seventh album Lost Property (recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton) was released on 29 January 2016.
On 26 January 2018 the band released their eighth album Invisible Storm.
Dark On Fire
Turin Brakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you wake up
Daytime fades up
And your make up runs,
Just hold on
It sounds tacky,
But I'm hopeful
That the world turns round,
Through silent sound
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Now oooooohhhhh
Wooooooo ohhhhh
I got lost
Inside a memory,
When I was young
And I almost drowned,
I was found
It sounds tacky
But I'm hopeful,
There's a reason
That I found the ground
And my sirens sound.
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Now
So take all that you know and stuff it in a hole,
And in ten thousand years someone will take you home,
Rewind the words in which you roam
Ahh oooooh ooh
Oooooooh ooh
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
Set the dark on fire
The opening lines of "Dark On Fire" conjure up images of a person waking up disoriented and disheveled, with their make-up running. The lyrics speak to a feeling of confusion and instability, which is compounded by the idea of the passage of time. The second stanza sees the singer losing themselves in a memory from their youth, one in which they almost drowned. But there's a sense of hopefulness threaded throughout the song - the idea that despite the chaos and uncertainty of life, there's a reason for it all, and that the world keeps turning through silent sound.
The repeated refrain of "Set the dark on fire" is an uplifting call to action - a plea to find the light amidst the darkness. The line "So take all that you know and stuff it in a hole, and in ten thousand years someone will take you home" is a thought-provoking one, suggesting that we shouldn't take ourselves too seriously in the grand scheme of things. The song seems to be urging the listener to embrace life's struggles and obstacles, and to find a way to set a fire within themselves that will guide them through the darkness.
Overall, "Dark On Fire" is a song that captures the ups and downs of life in a poignant and emotive way. It's a reminder that even in the midst of chaos and confusion, there's always hope to be found.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning,
At the beginning of the day,
When you wake up
When you open your eyes from sleep,
Daytime fades up
The light of day gradually appears,
And your make up runs,
Your cosmetic makeup smears or fades away,
Just hold on
Stay strong and don't give up,
It sounds tacky,
It may seem cheesy or unconvincing,
But I'm hopeful
Despite the odds, I remain optimistic,
There's a reason
There's a purpose or explanation,
That the world turns round,
That the Earth continues to rotate,
Through silent sound
Through the intangible forces that govern the universe,
Set the dark on fire
Bring light to the metaphorical darkness,
Now oooooohhhhh
A vocalization of emotions or energy,
Wooooooo ohhhhh
Another vocalization of emotions or energy,
I got lost
I became disoriented or confused,
Inside a memory,
Within the boundaries of my recollection,
When I was young
During my youth and inexperience,
And I almost drowned,
And I was nearly overwhelmed or defeated,
I was found
I was rescued or discovered,
There's a reason
There's a greater purpose or explanation,
That I found the ground
That I was able to establish myself and move forward,
And my sirens sound.
And the warning signals in my mind quiet down or disappear,
So take all that you know and stuff it in a hole,
Take everything you think you understand and discard it,
And in ten thousand years someone will take you home,
Eventually, someone will discover or understand the things you left behind,
Rewind the words in which you roam
Reflect on the language and ideas that guide your journey through life.
Ahh oooooh ooh
An expression of emotion or energy,
Oooooooh ooh
Another expression of emotion or energy,
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: STEPHAN PARIDJANIAN, OLIVER KNIGHTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Θέμης Τσόκας
someone must give credits to the guy that chose all music for Gossip Girl, each choice is just perfectly suited at the scenes
jetsilverlining
Ikr🧡🧡🧡
Angie Seger
I agree
Lon Don
I'm watching the series and my Playlist is at least 50% gossip girl lol
Maggie jam
Thank you gossip girl ❤️ I absolutely love this song!
Steven Fraser The Dog Daddy
Wonderful band who I discovered when they begun many years ago. So glad their music is finally being recognized, such an amazing band ❤️❤️👌👌
Rebeka Fernandes
2019 and this song still amazing <3
truthnfreedomseeker
Ahh haven't heard this song in well over a year... I think I love it even more than I did before.
You Like This Now
Haunting and beautiful vocals.
Best of Turin Brakes:
Fishing for a dream
Dark on fire
Don’t know much
Pain killer
Next, try Engineers and The Sleepy Jackson. You Like This Now!
Charlotte Brandhorst
i love turin brakes! keep up the good work!!