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Whitey is an ongoing solo project by N.J. Whitey. He is a hard character to pin down- his genre-twisting songs swing wildly between styles, and his dismissive attitude towards the music industry means there are few shows, and even fewer interviews. He has to date had no major record deal, but has still released over 30 records under a variety of names. Yet without any significant industry investment his distinctive sounds have broken through to mainstream daytime radio in the U.S and elsewhere, and for four straight years his music has been a fixture from rock clubs to fashion runways, from movie soundtracks to television, computer games to skate films. From Japan to Iceland, Moscow to Hollywood. From Breaking Bad to the Sopranos to Grand Theft Auto. Gradually this cult U.K. artist has built a strange home in the shadowy ground between high fashion and mainstream entertainment, between pop radio and what little is left of the underground. An outsider who relishes this status, and celebrates this outsider ethos in his work.
He's lived in a variety of places, but you could say he finished growing up in Coventry, UK. He now lives in Los Angeles. He sings, programs, plays guitar, keys, bass and drums but has no formal qualifications and is totally self taught. His live shows are haphazard- some are an uplifting rhythmic experience, whilst some occur in deliberately darkened rooms and are hedonistic affairs drenched with chaotic walls of feedback and electronic noise. Others may swing from ferocious rock moments to gentle simple melodies played on tiny bells, acoustic guitars and toy instruments. There have been gigs with everyone from New Order to Iggy Pop, Soulwax to Peaches to the Undertones. He's as comfortable playing a sweaty NYC rock club as an Ibizan dance megaclub, and is one of the few artists regularly invited to play both.
When the Lights Go Out
Whitey Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like water crushes stone
Take each day
Suffer this alone
Try to remember
When it all fell down
And where are we standing
You never should′ve played me out like that
You never should've played me out like that
I′ve never would've done a thing like that to you
See, I've been growing to expect these things from everybody else
I always get these kind of things from everybody else
Yeah, I could have taken all of this from anybody else, but you
Try to remember
When it all fell down
And where are we standing
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
When the lights went out
(When the lights went out)
(When the lights went out)
(Listen)
Well I guess I owe you this, my friend
′Cause what I gave, came round again
And I met myself tonight
And I′m still me
I'd like to say it wasn′t true
I may have wished the same on you
But please, I'm only human
So, on that universal day (when the lights went out)
When we all get to feel the same
I′ll be a million miles away (when the lights went out)
And I'll be free
The lights are on, the story′s done (when the lights went out)
It ends the same for everyone
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye
The song "When the Lights Go Out" by Whitey is a melancholic reflection on the inevitability of change and loss. The opening lines highlight the fragility of human existence: "Strange, how we change? Like water crushes stone." The everyday struggles of life are depicted in the lines "Take each day, suffer this alone." Through the lyrics, the artist tries to remember the past, particularly when everything fell apart, and questions where they are standing now when the lights go out. The repetition of this phrase is a metaphor for death, the final moment when our metaphorical lights go out.
The heartbreak of betrayal is also a theme in this song. The singer sings about how someone they trusted played them out. They express their shock and disappointment, stating that they would never have done the same thing to their partner. The artist concedes that they have come to more or less expect this kind of behavior from everyone else, but not from this person. The lyrics suggest that this betrayal led to the artist feeling particularly isolated and alone in their suffering.
The song ends with the artist taking a more philosophical standpoint. They begin to make peace with their struggles, acknowledging that while they may have wished bad things on the person who hurt them, they are only human. They suggest that on some universal day, we all get to feel the same pain and that the only way to escape it is by leaving this world. The final lines reiterate how everything ends the same way, with everyone saying goodbye.
Line by Line Meaning
Strange, how we change?
Isn't it strange how we change?
Like water crushes stone
Our personalities and attitudes slowly change, much like how water slowly but powerfully erodes and crushes stone over time.
Take each day
We have to take each day as it comes.
Suffer this alone
We have to suffer through our problems and challenges alone, as others might not understand or be able to help us.
Try to remember
Try to recall a specific moment in time.
When it all fell down
When everything came crashing down or seemed to fall apart.
And where are we standing
Where were we standing at that point in time?
When the lights went out
Referring to a specific incident or moment when everything went dark or seemed hopeless.
You never should've played me out like that
You should not have betrayed me or treated me poorly in that way.
I′ve never would've done a thing like that to you
I wouldn't have done anything like that to you.
See, I've been growing to expect these things from everybody else
I've started to expect this kind of behavior from everyone else.
I always get these kind of things from everybody else
I always seem to experience these types of situations from others.
Yeah, I could have taken all of this from anybody else, but you
I could have probably tolerated this from anyone else, but not from you.
When the lights went out
Reiterating the moment everything went dark or seemed hopeless.
(Listen)
Introducing the next part of the song.
Well I guess I owe you this, my friend
I suppose I owe you this sentiment, my friend.
′Cause what I gave, came round again
I received what I gave to you in return.
And I met myself tonight
I had a realization or a moment of self-reflection tonight.
And I′m still me
Despite everything that's happened, I am still the same person.
I'd like to say it wasn′t true
I wish I could say that it wasn't true, but it is.
I may have wished the same on you
I might have wished the same thing on you.
But please, I'm only human
I am not perfect, and I make mistakes.
So, on that universal day (when the lights went out)
On that moment or day when everything seemed dark or hopeless for everyone.
When we all get to feel the same
When we all experience the same emotions or situations.
I′ll be a million miles away (when the lights went out)
I will be far removed from that experience or emotion.
And I'll be free
I will have no more burdens or problems.
The lights are on, the story′s done (when the lights went out)
The positive outcome after that moment or event.
It ends the same for everyone
No matter what, the end will come for everyone, and everyone will eventually experience the same fate.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Goodbye, goodbye
An expression of farewell or ending.
Writer(s): Benny Mardones, James Ervin, Corey Cox
Contributed by Kayla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.