[Intro] [Eerie ticking clock rhythm] [Soft, pulsing 80s analog synth pad, cold and sterile] [Vocals sung in a breathy, anxious whisper, like Dave Gahan] [Verse 1] Staring at the ceiling in the pitch of the black Listening to the floorboards slowly begin to crack The imagination running in the midnight chill Painting awful faces on the edge of the windowsill I pull the heavy blankets right up to my chin Waiting for the horrors of the shadows to begin My hand is trembling as I reach out for the wire To spark the yellow tungsten and ignite the saving fire. [Chorus] [Slick, upbeat synth-rock groove kicks in, driving bass] [Vocals become confident and melodic] When the lights are on, the phantoms fade away! When the lights are on, we keep the wolves at bay! A brilliant golden halo, a sanctuary space Washing all the terror from this isolated place! Yeah, I only sleep when the lights are on! [Verse 2] [Bass and drum groove, syncopated and tight, slightly faster] The filament is humming with a comforting sound I look at all the furniture safely on the ground But the bulb is casting shadows on the opposite wall And the shadow of my armchair is looking far too tall I stare into the corner where the brightness hits the paint The air is getting heavy, the oxygen is faint There's a figure in the bedroom standing by the heavy door And it's staring at the lightbulb, begging me for more. [Chorus] [Guitars enter, thicker and more aggressive, distorted tone] When the lights are on, the phantoms fade away! When the lights are on, we keep the wolves at bay! A brilliant golden halo, a sanctuary space Washing all the terror from this isolated place! Yeah, I only sleep when the lights are on! [Bridge] [Music completely cuts out] [Just the ticking clock returns] [Vocals drop to a terrified, solitary whisper] It doesn't fade in the brightness. It doesn't burn in the glow. It smiles with a hundred teeth, perfectly in a row. It points a long, gray finger at the switch upon the wall. And I finally understand the greatest trick of them all. [Verse 3 - The Twist] [Massive, terrifying alternative metal drop, drop-tuned guitars] [Blast beat drums, chaotic energy] [Vocals shift to a frantic, desperate scream, like Chino Moreno] The dark wasn't hiding the monsters! The dark was hiding ME! They wander completely blinded! They need the light to see! The shadows were my armor! The pitch black was my shield! And I just turned on a beacon in the middle of the field! [Outro] [Heaviest breakdown, rhythmic and crushing] I illuminated the dinner bell! They're crawling through the glass! I try to hit the light switch but they will not let me pass! Don't turn on the lamp! Stay in the dark! When the lights are on, you are the mark! When the lights are on! [Sudden sound of a lightbulb shattering into glass] [Absolute dead silence] [End]
