The lyrics to through the dark seem to reference several film tropes and cinematic imagery, rather than a single specific movie. The references to “Sicilian men” and “brides in black shawls” could evoke scenes from classic mafia or Italian films, possibly drawing from films like The Godfather, which deals with Sicilian traditions and family honor. The imagery of a “silver-screen starlet,” “black and white blonde,” and a “smoke-filled room” could be nodding to the noir or old Hollywood genre, referencing anonymous blonde actresses who were often central to those films but remembered more for their image than their names. The idea of repeated televised lines and the feeling of having “seen the film before” might suggest commentary on familiar stories that we’ve seen repeated in cinema, especially those involving violence, loss, and tradition. The mixture of personal emotion and cinematic elements suggests a blending of personal experience with iconic film imagery.

Frontwoman Emmy Mack had this to say about the track; "I wanted to write a song that felt like Nine Inch Nails meets ‘WAP’. An empowering metal anthem that would help me smash some of the stigma and shame around sex that I felt for a long time after surviving SA. Consensual sex is one of the most awesome things in the world! And we’re beyond grateful to the legends in Alpha Wolf for backing this vision, for helping us inject more sexual liberation into the world of heavy music, and above all, for conspiring with us to create a horny metal song about oral sex that people can fuck to."

its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard

Warren wanted a Beach Boys thing for this one, and Carl Wilson and Billy Hinsche came in, with Carl arranging the vocal parts. The other harmony vocalists (credited as the "Gentlemen Boys") were Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Zevon's longtime backers Waddy Wachtel and Jorge Calderon, and Linda Rondstadt/Stone Poneys guitarist Kenny Edwards.

Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?