Lyrics for I See A Darkness as interpreted by cardamom

I See A Darkness Lyrics
well you're my friend
(it's what you told me)
and can you see
(what's inside of me)
many times
we've been out drinking
and many times
we've shared our thoughts
but did you ever, ever notice
the kind of thoughts I got
well you know I have a love
a love for everyone I know
and you know I have a drive
to live I won't let go
but can you see its opposition
comes a-rising up sometimes
that it's dreadful and position
comes blacking in my mind

and that I see a darkness
and that I see a darkness
and that I see a darkness
and that I see a darkness
and did you know how much I love you
is a hope that somehow you you
can save me from this darkness

well I hope that someday, buddy
we have peace in our lives
together or apart
alone or with our wives
that we can stop our whoring
and pull the smiles inside
and light it up forever
and never go to sleep
my best unbeaten brother
this isn't all I see

chorus

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  • 19 Comments
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mrtrout
04-08-2003

Rated 0 
This song is haunting and very pretty. Not even Johnny Cash can do it justice.

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youeatpoop
04-11-2004

Rated 0 
i definitely see this song as everyone trying to do the right thing, but constantly being tempted by "darkness" it's very beautiful bonnie "prince" billy is a fuckin country God

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ivegotatimebomb
06-25-2004

Rated 0 
this song made me weep... for many reasons...but yeah, it's powerful.

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a town like paris
11-24-2004

Rated 0 
Beautiful.

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Led Zeppelin Rule
01-25-2005

Rated 0 
amazing song nut wot a wierd lookin guy

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LeslieAnnLevine
02-06-2006

Rated 0 
I really saw this song as a man whose constantly plagued with the thoughts of suicide. He loves life 'you know I have a love, a love for everyone I know, and you know I have a drive, to live I won't let go', but then he goes on to talk about the 'opposition'. The darkness that comes with these thoughts he feels can only erased by this friend. This song completely sets the tone of the whole cd (hence the name of the cd), Another Day Full of Dread, Black, Minor Place, these are all songs dealing with the difficulties in living. Love this song, love the cd.

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interpretive
02-26-2006

Rated +1 
To me, I See A Darkness - the song and the entire album - is about a person's struggle with depression. The character loves others, loves his life, but is overcome but doubts, darkness and thoughts of ending his life - all symptoms of depression. He hopes for help from the outside (the friend) because he is unable to shed this darkness by himself.

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mrkpwnz
05-04-2006

Rated 0 
Building on what both LeslieAnnLevine and interpretive have said I'd also like to throw in the idea that Bonnie Billy is also questioning his friend. These lyrics are slightly incorrect, I'm pretty sure the second line is "It's what you told me *anyway*". He's perhaps questioning if his friend has ever really thought about the way Will thinks and if he truly thinks Will is his friend. Will values their friendship more. His friend does not suffer from depression; he is his best *unbeaten* brother.

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bcontrat
06-21-2006

Rated 0 
Wow...I can imagine this song as an incredibly powerful statement, the word emotion doesn't do this song justice. Neither does Johnny Cash.
The way that Will says "Did you know how much I love you" is soooooo powerful, even though they look common in print.
This is really one of the best albums of my generation.

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skagedal
07-24-2006

Rated 0 
mrkpwnz - As far as I can hear (can you say that?), there is no "anyway", it's just "it's what you told me-ee-ee-ee...". Your point is still good, though!

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jimboa18
06-19-2007

Rated 0 
I wrote this on the Cash version, same applies here -
I can relate to this song - it's about having some good friends, but at the same time, having a dark side to yourself. You see it eating away at you, maybe it's a deep depression, maybe it's a dark rage or anger problem. But you find yourself hoping your friends and family can save you, because you know you cannot save yourself.

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icouldseethedude
12-20-2007

Rated 0 
great song or greatest song...? hard to decide.

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duke_mike
02-27-2008

Rated 0 
I agree with jimboa18's interpretation. This song is about friendship and dark thoughts and how friends are often there to talk to over a beer. A good friend can always save you from dark places your mind might wander to.

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Anus_Presley
04-12-2008

Rated 0 
This is one of Will Oldham's greatest songs.

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ka_rosko
07-05-2008

Rated 0 
Ahhh, I've just heard this song for the first time. A song has not hit me this hard on first listen since Bowie's "Heroes" or VU's "Heroine". And I personally relate to this one so much more than those two, by a long shot (I can't *really* relate to the lyrics in 'Heroes' or 'Heroine', only on some metaphorical level).

Anyway, I know exactly what Oldham/BPB means with every word on this song, and each deep piano note that accompanies every phrase in this song echoes deep within my soul.

He's talking about depression and suicide, yes, but he's also talking about the power of friendship. When you're truly thinking about where you're life's headed or if it's headed anywhere, the only thing that can save you are your friends. If they abandon you, the darkness looms.

Envisioning the rest of your life, you either see a happy old man (either by himself, or with a wife, with his old friends or some new ones) who's found his inner smiles to light up forever, or you see a darkness, nothing.

When this fork in the road shows itself, the only thing that can lead you to life is companionship and love, both from your friends and from above.

This song is about the highs that always come before and after the lows. It starts with having a love for everyone you know, then into the darkness, then it often results in effusive affection for the ones you care most about. Did you know how much I love you, my best unbeaten brother?

This song is about how sometimes, we don't notice our friends spiraling into a place they don't want to be. We can go out and share a drink with them a bunch, but sometimes we still don't notice the kind of thoughts they got, and what they all might mean.

This song is about how once they've found that place, only your friendships can decide your fate. Again, on the one hand, you have peace of mind. On the other, darkness.

This song is about so much, I can't even put it into words properly, no matter how many I use. The most profound song I've ever heard. No report on the human brain could explain depression or suicidal thoughts like this.

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ka_rosko
07-05-2008

Rated 0 
One more really important note-The ones that have a love for everyone they know are usually the suicidal ones. This world is too cruel to give all your love to.

P.S. I don't think he says 'anyway' after "That's what you told me". I sure hope not. That would nearly ruin the song for me.

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smallpox
12-12-2008

Rated 0 
it's totally 'me-eee-eee' because he repeats the 'me-eee-eee' on the following line, 'what's inside of me-eee-eee'.

anyway. incredible song. incredible album. pitchforkmedia finally got a review accurate.

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agnese
03-16-2009

Rated 0 
somehow i tend to think that this song is about the loneliness of a human being, that even if you have someone who loves you (at least they say that) and you love them (or at least you think that you love them), it's still not enough to feel alright, to be asure, to not feel like an alien or something like that. seems like he's trying to excuse himself for feeling like this. and on the other hand, it's like he blames his friends for not noticing his problems, his depression. so there's really no one except himself, because his friends can't really understand him and this makes his darkness more unbearable.

actually i feel like this very oftenly. i see so many dark things inside of me but there's still something one could call love. everlasting duality: this inner darkness and love

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toader
07-30-2009

Rated 0 
Is it just me or does he change what he says in the chorus the second time around? Instead of "and that I see a darkness" it sounds more like "i'll know I see a darkness" ... and following on from the end of the last verse "this isn't all I see" might suggest that whatever happens in the future he knows that there's no escaping the darkness

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