Track 03
When the Light Goes Out
Song summary
When the Light Goes Out is a rock song by Phoenix and the Angel from the album Places that I Remember. The song is about reflection and what remains when a moment, relationship or experience comes to an end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this song about?
It is about reflection and what remains when a moment, relationship or experience comes to an end.
Which album is this song from?
This song appears on Places that I Remember, the debut album by Phoenix and the Angel.
Who wrote this song?
This song was written as part of the Phoenix and the Angel project led by Guy Phoenix.
An atmospheric ballad about finding hope in darkness. Here's what Guy Phoenix says about the song:
This song is about my dog, Trixie, who passed away in January 2025, nearly 16 years old. She had been my constant companion from puppy, and many of the places I've written about on this album are places we visited together. She therefore has a rightful place on this album, even though she was a dog, not a place(!).
I was inspired to write the song by my guitar teacher Shane Lamb. At the first lesson we had following her death, he suggested it may be useful, as part of the healing process from grief, to write a song about her. When he suggested it I honestly thought it was the last thing I wanted to do, or was even capable of doing.
Yet at the end of the lesson, I had the strangest experience. My head started to fill with words and phrases, all associated with Trixie. It was actually overwhelming. So I immediately sat down and wrote them down, and within 30 minutes, I had the lyrics for 'When the Light Goes Out'. I decided on the basic chords that night.
After about a week of refinement, with some guidance from Shane, 'When the Light Goes Out' was completed.