Album: Orthodox (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In our interview with Beware of Darkness lead singer Kyle Nicolaides, he explained that this song was inspired by a poem called The Flea by John Donne. The poem examines the relationship between a flea and the person it bites - how they become intermingled by blood. There's a lot of dark imagery The Flea that translates to Nicolaides lyric, especially the line: "Draw some blood, I'm not going hungry tonight."

    Nicolaides studied the poem in English class before he wrote the song.
  • Howl is the title of a famous poem by Allen Ginsberg, but it has nothing to do with this song. "I really liked the title 'Howl,' Nicolaides told us. "It's just a powerful word, it's strong."
  • Originally released on an EP called Howl in 2012, this was Beware of Darkness' first single. The following year, the song was included on their first album, Orthodox.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie Combination

Stand By Me: The Perfect Song-Movie CombinationSong Writing

In 1986, a Stephen King novella was made into a movie, with a classic song serving as title, soundtrack and tone.