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Words from the artist’s archive
BLACKOUT lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
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Verse 1
two-forty-seven, room blue from a screen ceiling fan clicking like it knows what I mean thumb on the glass, no thought, just a habit twelve unread from mama, I keep her on dim funny dating clip, I half-laugh, half-cringe forty bucks of Postmates rotting in the bin charger cord wrapped twice round my wrist like a leash the algorithm whispers, swipe at your own pace, friend
Pre-chorus
told myself last week I was through but my finger's already moving, tells the truth every match a tiny green check that I crave nothing in here glowing but the screen and the grave
Chorus
swiping through the blackout, blackout I'm only as real as the next right-swipe ping, ping, the night don't end, I owe it nothin swiping through the blackout, blackout kitchen light's still on but I am out ping, ping, the city sleeps and I keep loadin
Verse 2
her bio says hike, she summited Kilimanjaro mine says working on me like that's a real career seventeen tabs of therapy I never opened intake form pending since the second of last year she's smiling on a yacht, I'm a smile on a couch Publix bag deflating from yesterday's wine nine-five-four, Plantation, four-thirty-three on the lock comparing my Tuesday to somebody's lifetime
Pre-chorus
told my therapist's voicemail I'd come back gave that hour up so I could keep the app every left-swipe nibbles a thing I can't name I'm not lonely, I'm researching, I lie to my brain
Chorus
swiping through the blackout, blackout I'm only as real as the next right-swipe ping, ping, the night don't end, I owe it nothin swiping through the blackout, blackout kitchen light's still on but I am out ping, ping, the city sleeps and I keep loadin
Verse 3
flash to a rooftop, June, his name was Devin forced banter over twelve-dollar mezcal sodas flash to a brunch, she asked what I do for fun I said, I match with girls like you, she froze wellness coach said date with intention posted from her airport, captioning prevention been intentional bout exactly one thing tonight been a finger and a screen and a fluorescent light
Bridge
and then the phone just dies one percent becomes a black mirror at my chin I sit in my own breath for the first time all week my thumb still moves on nothin, muscle's in the skin I hear the fridge hum, I hear me grind my teeth the blackout don't have notifications, don't push the blackout don't even ask me what I am tonight the blackout hands me back my actual hush mama left a voicemail Tuesday, twenty-two seconds long I have not pressed play, I have pressed twelve hundred hearts I am worth what the app says, the app says I'm bored I am worth what my mama says, my mama says I matter
Chorus
plug it in, watch the boot screen, watch the spiral start swiping through the blackout, blackout I'm only as real as the next right-swipe ping, ping, the night don't end, I owe it nothin swiping through the blackout, blackout kitchen light's still on but I am out ping, ping, the city sleeps and I keep loadin swiping through the blackout, blackout voicemail still unplayed, still unplayed tonight ping, ping, the algorithm wins again, I'm gone
Inside the recording
two-forty-seven, room blue from a screen ceiling fan clicking like it knows what I mean
told myself last week I was through but my finger's already moving, tells the truth
plug it in, watch the boot screen, watch the spiral start swiping through the blackout, blackout
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.