This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
I don't know when I noticed life was life at my expense
The words of my heart lined up like prisoners on a fence
The dreams came in like needy children tugging at my sleeve
I said I have no way of feeding you, so leave
But there was a time I asked my father for a dollar
And he gave it a ten dollar raise
And when I needed my mother and I called her
She stayed with me for days
Now someones on the telephone, desperate in his pain
Someones on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine
Someones got his finger on the button in some room
No one can convince me we aren't gluttons for our doom
But I tried to make this place my place
I asked for providence to smile upon me with his sweet face
Yeah but Ill tell you
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
(by grace, my sight grows stronger)
And I do not feel the romance I will not be
(and I will not be a pawn for the prince of darkness any longer)
Maybe there's no haven in this world for tender age
My heart beat like the wings of wild birds in a cage
My greatest hope my greatest cause to grieve
And my heart flew from its cage and it bled upon my sleeve
Oh the cries of passion were like wounds that needed healing
I couldn't hear them for the thunder
I was half the naked distance between hell and heavens ceiling
And he almost pulled me under
Now someones on the telephone, desperate in his pain
Someones on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine
Someones got his finger on the button in some room
No one can convince me we aren't gluttons for our doom
But I tried to make this place my place
I asked for providence to smile upon me with his sweet face
But Ill tell you
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
(by grace, my sight grows stronger)
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
(grows stronger)
By grace
(my place is of the sun)
My sight
(and this place is of the dark)
Is growing stronger
(I do not feel the romance)
I will not be a pawn
(I will not be)
For the prince of darkness any longer
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
I don't know when I noticed life was life at my expense
The words of my heart lined up like prisoners on a fence
The dreams came in like needy children tugging at my sleeve
I said I have no way of feeding you, so leave
But there was a time I asked my father for a dollar
And he gave it a ten dollar raise
And when I needed my mother and I called her
She stayed with me for days
Now someones on the telephone, desperate in his pain
Someones on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine
Someones got his finger on the button in some room
No one can convince me we aren't gluttons for our doom
But I tried to make this place my place
I asked for providence to smile upon me with his sweet face
Yeah but Ill tell you
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
(by grace, my sight grows stronger)
And I do not feel the romance I will not be
(and I will not be a pawn for the prince of darkness any longer)
Maybe there's no haven in this world for tender age
My heart beat like the wings of wild birds in a cage
My greatest hope my greatest cause to grieve
And my heart flew from its cage and it bled upon my sleeve
Oh the cries of passion were like wounds that needed healing
I couldn't hear them for the thunder
I was half the naked distance between hell and heavens ceiling
And he almost pulled me under
Now someones on the telephone, desperate in his pain
Someones on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine
Someones got his finger on the button in some room
No one can convince me we aren't gluttons for our doom
But I tried to make this place my place
I asked for providence to smile upon me with his sweet face
But Ill tell you
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
My place is of the sun and this place is of the dark
(by grace, my sight grows stronger)
And I do not feel the romance I do not catch the spark
(grows stronger)
By grace
(my place is of the sun)
My sight
(and this place is of the dark)
Is growing stronger
(I do not feel the romance)
I will not be a pawn
(I will not be)
For the prince of darkness any longer
Lyrics submitted by ThePurpleAngel
Prince Of Darkness Lyrics as written by Emily Ann Saliers Amy Elizabeth Ray
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Page
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
<i>"There is so much Christian allegory in this album it is shocking, and how not a single person has mentioned it is bewildering." --3minuterul</i>
Yes.
You don't have to like Christianity to acknowledge this. And the Indigo Girls aren't trying to convert anyone. They are, honestly and artistically, making personal statements, which in some songs, such as this, includes their faith.
"Prince of Darkness" is a straight-up Christian statement in which the writer professes her commitment not to Earth, the realm of the Prince of Darkness, but to Heaven, the realm of God.
As "romantic" as the temptations of Earth can be, the writer "does not catch the spark." She recognizes that her ultimate "place is of the sun," i.e. with God in heaven. Earth is a place of suffering, of pain, drugs, and even nuclear devastation. She will not be deceived by the Prince of Darkness any longer.
It's a passionate, well-wrought song. You don't have to agree with its Christian framework to appreciate it.
@LuckyTown I think you nailed it. <br />
"By grace, my sight grows stronger And I do not feel the romance I will not be and I will not be a pawn for the prince of darkness any longer"
Come one people, this is clearly a profession of Christian faith. She has decided to walk in the light of the Lord , which only happens through grace, and not be a pawn for Satin.
Metiforically she uses a relationship with a man, to discribe her earthly struggles, and the larger battle of virtue/faith VS sin/non belief. "Now someones on the telephone, desperate in his pain Someones on the bathroom floor doing her cocaine"
There is so much Christian allegory in this album it is shocking, and how not a single person has mentioned it is bewildering.
Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls wrote this song. In 2006, she told us: "That was written a long, long time ago. Sometimes when I think about that song, it feels pretty adolescent to me. Some of the images are overwrought. But it's sort of a testament to my parents, and to their love, which I know is kind of a rare thing in this world, because I know that a lot of people really struggle with their parents. But it was always my own constant battle with my inner darkness, and the prince of darkness, obviously, the diabolical force. So it's about light and darkness, and how darkness, you can feel sometimes like it almost is going to pull you under But there are people in your life who can save you, and not just my parents, but friends or support systems. In the end, it's an affirmative statement - I'm not going to be a pawn for the prince of darkness. I have the strength to find my light rather than to dwell in my darkness."
i love this song. its pretty self explanitory i think. "i will not be a pawn (i will not be) for the prince of darkness any longer "
kourakis, Where exactly do you get that this is about not enjoying sex? I'm not being obnoxious, I really want to know, as I just can't see it, anywhere.
no one can convince me we aren't gluttons for our doom
I though it was "no one can convince me we are gluttons for our doom"
I guess I'm a hopeless romantic
I think it's about living in a self destructive environment that glamorizes itself, particularly in regard to drug abuse. For example, a lot of addicts romanticize the addiction and the life style that it entails. There's a common misconception that it will make you edgy, or soulful, or poetic. She alludes to that and compares it to war mongering governments.
In the meantime, in all reality, it's just toxic. I think she's recognizing that, and making a statement against it.
I kind of feel like mle888 is pretty right. For me, anyway, going through the whole world of self injury (something I believe Amy did too, her songs seem indicative of it) this song was for me, the moment when I said, Ok I'm done being dark and depressed. It's the gift of choice to be happy or miserable, and Emily chose to be happy. Well, she inspired me to do the same. Love you, A&E!
I feel this whole album is about pain and hope. This song starts by sharing her inability to enjoy sex. (Likely due to past rape)and like many that have experienced rape tend to attract more abusers. I believe this song is about her realization that she will no longer enable abusers and therefore “will not be a pawn for the prince of darkness any longer”.
Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls wrote this song. In 2006, she told us: "That was written a long, long time ago. Sometimes when I think about that song, it feels pretty adolescent to me. Some of the images are overwrought. But it's sort of a testament to my parents, and to their love, which I know is kind of a rare thing in this world, because I know that a lot of people really struggle with their parents. But it was always my own constant battle with my inner darkness, and the prince of darkness, obviously, the diabolical force. So it's about light and darkness, and how darkness, you can feel sometimes like it almost is going to pull you under But there are people in your life who can save you, and not just my parents, but friends or support systems. In the end, it's an affirmative statement - I'm not going to be a pawn for the prince of darkness. I have the strength to find my light rather than to dwell in my darkness."<br />