“Black Out Days” by Phantogram is a mysterious song by a famous American music duo, Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter. They’re known for blending electronic and indie pop music.
The song explores deep feelings of loneliness, inner struggle, and a longing to escape from painful memories of a heartbreak. The repeated phrase “staying away” is a strong request for an ex-partner to disappear from her mind.
The recurring theme of staying away and hiding implies a desire for self-protection.
In this analysis, we’ll break down the lyrics of “Black Out Days” to uncover its hidden messages.
“Black Out Days” Lyrics Meaning
[Verse 1]
Hide the sun
I will leave your face out of my mind
You should save your eyes
A thousand voices howling in my head
In Verse 1, the singer is grappling with the aftermath of a breakup. She expresses a desire to erase her former lover from her thoughts. The mention of hiding the sun signifies an attempt to avoid memories associated with the relationship.
The line “You should save your eyes” is about saving tears because the singer believes it’s best to move on and not dwell on the past. The mention of a thousand voices in her head hints at the emotional turmoil she’s experiencing.
[Verse 2]
Speak in tongues
I don’t even recognize your face
Mirror on the wall
Tell me all the ways to stay away
In Verse 2, it seems the singer is addressing her ex-partner. She mentions not recognizing his face anymore, which implies a change or emotional distance in the relationship post-breakup. The line about a mirror on the wall suggests the singer seeking answers or advice, possibly from her own reflection. She wants to know how to stay away from her ex-partner. In other words, she wants to erase him from her mind.
[Chorus 1]
Away-ay ya
Away-ay ya
Away-ay ya
And stay away-ay ya
Away-ay ya
Away-ay ya
In Chorus 1, the singer repeats the words “Away-ay ya” multiple times. This repetition emphasizes her strong desire to stay away from her ex-partner. The phrase “And stay away-ay ya” reinforces this sentiment.
[Verse 3]
Dig a hole
Fireworks exploding in my hands
If I could paint the sky
Well all the stars we shine are burning red
In Verse 3, the singer metaphorically describes her emotional struggle after a breakup. The act of digging a hole represents her attempt to hide from the painful memories associated with her ex-partner. This reflects her desire to move on and remove thoughts of her ex from her mind.
In the line “Fireworks exploding in my hands,” the singer appears to be comparing “fireworks” to the noises in her mind, possibly her past memories associated with her ex-partner. These memories are so painful that they feel like fireworks exploding in her hands.
The lines “If I could paint the sky/Well all the stars we shine are burning red” symbolize the singer’s profound sorrow and how it has colored her perception of the world. She implies that her sadness is so strong that it can alter the very essence of the stars, turning them red.
[Background]
And stay-
Away-ay ya (I’m hearing voices all the time and they’re not mine)
Away-ay ya
Away-ay ya (I’m hearing voices and they’re haunting my mind)
And stay-
Away-ay ya (I’m hearing voices all the time and they’re not mine)
Away-ay ya
Away-ay ya (I’m hearing voices and they’re haunting my mind)
In the “Background” section, it becomes apparent that the singer is haunted by persistent thoughts and memories of her ex-partner.
The lines “I’m hearing voices all the time and they’re not mine” and “I’m hearing voices and they’re haunting my mind” reveal the emotional turmoil she’s experiencing.
The repeated phrase “Away-ay ya,” emphasizes the singer’s determination to distance herself from the thoughts.
[Outro]
Black out days
I don’t recognize you anymore
In the Outro of the song, the singer conveys a strong sense of trying to move on and forget her ex-partner. She sings, “Black out days, I don’t recognize you anymore.” In other words, she has attempted to erase or block out the memories associated with her ex-partner.
Deeper Meaning Behind “Black Out Days”
The story behind “Black Out Days” by Phantogram remains somewhat enigmatic, as the duo has not provided explicit details about its inspiration. However, the song appears to be about a woman struggling to erase the memories associated with her ex-partner after a break-up.
Throughout the song, we can see the singer repeating the phrase “stay away,” which suggests a desire for distance and isolation from the painful memories resulting from the break-up.
Because her ex-partner’s image keeps coming to her mind, haunting her from time to time, she desperately cries out “stay away” to protect herself from further hurt.
Despite her efforts, her partner’s voice still lingers in her mind all the time.
The phrase “black out days” is her final attempt to distance herself from memories associated with her ex-partner and heal her broken heart. It signifies that all she wants is to “black out” the days she shared with her partner so that she won’t recognize him anymore.
Jacob Carter is a lyricist. He created the lyrics writing course to teach people how to analyze and write lyrics. He graduated from the University of Oxford with a degree in English Literature, so he’s skilled at playing with words.
He’s also an amateur guitarist, which means he knows music and melody very well. With this background, he’s a great lyricist you can rely on to learn writing lyrics.