Melancholic and alarmist feelings for the future are often not discussed in daily life. It is comparatively more appropriate to discuss the past or present in a negative light than the future trajectory of one’s personal life or of the world. For people like me, however, it is often what we think about the most. The rising income inequality, climate change, and political unrest that the modern world is headed towards can give way to despair and anxiety for the future. It is for this reason that the viral Internet meme Little Dark Age by MGMT has resonated with many who feel these sentiments for the future. The song’s lyrical message evokes hope for a better future by recalling memories of a better past. Little Dark Age is an inspirational piece amidst a worrisome future that is capable of evoking strong and powerful feelings, and its Internet virality is a testament to that. The timing of its popularity couldn’t have been more appropriate.
It had been amid a rising tide of instability and chaos that ravaged the world when I first heard of Little Dark Age. The beginning of the decade had me on the front lines of many world-changing events that drained my mental and spiritual energy. I was discontent with the chaotic changes that defined the modern world, and due to my line of work I was unable to simply turn off the TV or log off from social media to get away from it all. I began to feel alienated and isolated from the world, and I longed for a future where the tribulations of the world would make way for peace and stability again. Little Dark Age speaks to those who felt like me, who saw themselves in conflict with their personal values with the progressing descent towards the abyss the outside world was headed towards. The journey felt while listening to Little Dark Age was a mental and spiritual journey for me and many others, as you may soon experience.
Little Dark Age starts off with a distinctly creepy synth-wave beat that sets you at the edge of the world. The world of Little Dark Age is solemn and dark, and the music is set to a retro-futuristic melody that slowly rises to describe the depressingly never-ending despair that surrounds you. While listening, one may start to feel the melancholic emotions are insular and experienced in solitude. The lyrics are pained and troubled as it describes the world as a once mighty but now rotting and decaying body. You are shrouded in darkness all alone. This was the only world you knew since you were born, and yet the artificial synth beat comforts you with faded memories you never knew you had.
However, as the song hits its first chorus, the voice echoes and reverbs to cast out the darkness. You find yourself in a dark, large, and empty cathedral, and are awoken to the vast reach of your emotions. The world’s nihilistic landscape is revealed, as it becomes clear that the world has fallen into disarray. The near-angelic voice cries out “Forgiving who you are, for what you stand to gain”. You are momentarily reassured, to have your turbulent emotions be validated by the rotting environment around you. But as the lyrics state: “Just know that if you hide, it doesn’t go away”, you are reminded that you must not suppress your distressed emotions. The song will repeatedly evoke the setting of a stage, as you are called to publicly express your dissatisfaction with the world you find yourself in, and the little dark age looming ahead.
As the darkness creeps in around you once more, you are left to somberly roam aimlessly in this world with the song as your only companion. However, as you may have noticed by now, the psychedelic synth-pop reminiscent of alternative rock music from the 1970’s and 1980’s brings back images of the past. As this world’s muffled memories from the past come to mind, strong feelings of nostalgia hit you and overwhelm your aimless and depressed spirit. The song’s chorus is repeated, but this time you catch a glimpse of memories of the past's beauty and legacy left behind from the crumbling ruins of your world. The conflicting visions of a bygone peaceful and joyous era of your life contrasts with the depressive lyrics that describe the soulless modernity of the world.
The song’s bridge is as if flipping through the pages of a book or watching a montage of the world’s past. The beauty, adventure, and wonders from the past slowly decay and rot. You helplessly watch as the past is slowly corrupted by a creepy synth beat from the future, as the ghostly words “Little Dark Age” reverberate, as if to remind you of what this world’s future is headed towards. Otherwise, the relative silence of this part of the song exacerbates the feelings of despair, as the past withers away while the progressing march of the modern world only leaves you with dread.
As if to repeat aloud your thoughts, the voice chants “I grieve in stereo, the stereo sounds strange”. The emotions and grief expressed aloud in this world are twisted and changed to be perceived as creepy and frightening. The lyrics once again reassures you, that you must not hide your emotions. The darkness as your audience, you stand alone amid the dark, with a horrified expression longing to reverse the tide of darkness over your nostalgic memories. The song distorts your surroundings, as the darkness embraces you, and the song shifts to its break before the great reveal.
At the climax of the song, the darkness is triumphantly blasted away as the shining bright light of achievements, victories, and joy from the past fill the void. Blasting synth-like trumpets proclaim victory over nihilism and despair. The triumphant voice cry out “Policemen swear to God, love seeping from their guns”, as a call to action against the oppressive powers of darkness had been announced. The once bleak despair turns into a righteous rage against nihilism and depression. The voice commands, “come find us heading for the bridge, bring a stone, all the rage”. As the chorus rises, so too does your spirit and the hope for a better future.
The triumphant memories slowly fade as the song reaches its end. The ghostly echoes of “Little Dark Age” bring you back into reality. As the world reverts to the dark and decaying present, you look back fondly at the past’s memories and achievements. You no longer feel despair or worries for the future. “Little Dark Age” lifts the spirits and offers encouragement and motivation to keep moving forward as the world enters a little dark age. The memories of the past serve as a model for all to build a new future to the best of our abilities. There is emphasis on the word “Little”, giving hope that the dark age of our times will end soon. The song’s last words, “all alone, open-eyed, burn the page, my little dark age” fully encapsulate the emotional journey that is possible. The story of “Little Dark Age” is a story of personal growth and fortitude amidst an empty and soulless world.
It is likely that many people won’t resonate with these heavy and often polarizing themes. But to the countless people who do, this song serves as hope for a better future by recalling memories of a better past. As for me, the song has served me well in describing my spiritual journey in looking towards the past as motivation and inspiration to affect change in the present and future. For many others, their concerns might be different. The world of Little Dark Age inspired music videos expanding to topics of history, culture, music, politics, sports, and films from the past. Regardless, the predominant theme is the melancholic weariness of the modern world, and the nostalgic idealism for a brighter past to emulate. As the TikTok trends have shown, Little Dark Age can resonate to many people in a variety of different scenarios, and it is a great way to visualize these emotions you may not have thought you had. It is for this reason, on top of its powerfully emotional lyrics, that I believe Little Dark Age is such a great and motivating song.