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

Dwight Twilley

Dwight TwilleySongwriter Interviews

Since his debut single "I'm On Fire" in 1975, Dwight has been providing Spinal-Tap moments and misadventure.

Lita Ford

Lita FordSongwriter Interviews

Lita talks about how they wrote songs in The Runaways, and how she feels about her biggest hit being written by somebody else.

Best Band Logos

Best Band LogosSong Writing

Queen, Phish and The Stones are among our picks for the best band logos. Here are their histories and a design analysis from an expert.

Jimmy Jam

Jimmy JamSongwriter Interviews

The powerhouse producer behind Janet Jackson's hits talks about his Boyz II Men ballads and regrouping The Time.

Charlie Benante of Anthrax

Charlie Benante of AnthraxSongwriter Interviews

The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.

Adam Young of Owl City

Adam Young of Owl CitySongwriter Interviews

Is Owl City on a quest for another hit like "Fireflies?" Adam answers that question and explains the influences behind many others.