Dark in Here (song)

Dark in Here
	;
Album	Dark in Here
Released	June 25, 2021
Length	3:23
Previous Track	"Mobile"
Next Track	"Lizard Suit"

Dark in Here is the fourth song on Dark in Here. It also appears as the seventh song on the 2021 live album The Jordan Lake Sessions: Volumes 3 and 4. John Darnielle released a YouTube video discussing his creative process around this song on May 28, 2021.

Lyrics[]

Steal away at sundown, pick a place to hide
Check for signs of ambush, hunker down inside
Tired of running, tired of never standing still
Hear them riding up the hill

Men whose ribs are showing through their skin, bringing up the rear
It’s high noon somewhere, it’s dark in here

Stack my ammunition, be ready when you come
You who thirst for action, I will give you some
When the smoke dies down, you can rest assured
We will know who kept his word

You who stood so proud once, I can taste your fear
You blazed like torches, it’s dark in here

It’s dark as a coal mine filling up with gas
I stand ready for the blast

Will you be ready when your moment comes?
Will your hands be steady when you reach down for your guns?
Did you leave your house in order when you came for me?
Is this really where you meant to be?

Just beyond your limits, find the new frontier
I live in the darkness, it’s dark in here

Comments by John Darnielle About this Song[]

"my notebook reveals this song, while still being written, was originally called "the orchard after dark," but then I razed the orchard and the song got leaner" -- Twitter
"This song is about laying in wait." -- 2021-08-20 - Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
"This is a song about how when you have contemplated long enough the drinking of the blood of your enemies, and then you say no, I want to be in a situation where to get enough blood to drink, I'd have to travel thirty miles in any given direction, because, because of the radius of the blast. And then you picture the blast circle and then the lack of evidence because of the totality of your vengeance." -- 2021-08-23 - Pabst Theater - Milwaukee, WI

Things Referenced in this Song[]

The back cover of the 1994 EP Orange Raja, Blood Royal includes the text "SURE IS DARK IN HERE."
The line "it's dark as a coal mine" recalls the song Dark as a Dungeon, which the Mountain Goats covered during a few live shows.