The Dark End of the Street
"The Dark End of the Street" is a song by James Carr originally released in 1967. It was covered by Dave Gahan and Soulsavers and released as a single and is also the first track on Imposter.
Lyrics
(from original recording)
That's where we always meet
Hiding in shadows where we don't belong
Living in darkness to hide our wrong
You and me
At the dark end
Of the street
You and me
I know time is gonna take it's toll
We have to pay for the love that we stole
It's a sin and we know it's wrong
Oh, but our love keeps coming on strong
Steal away
To the dark end
Of the street
They're gonna to find us
They're gonna to find us
They're gonna to find us, Lord, someday
You and me
At the dark end
Of the street
You and me
And when the daylight hours roll around
And by chance we're both downtown
If we should meet, just walk on by
Oh, darling, please don't cry
Tonight, we'll meet
At the dark end
Of the street
Dave's Take
"I didn't know it was one of Martin's favorite songs, too. That was totally coincidental. He told me that after I sent him a copy of Imposter...he said to me, 'Did you know that 'The Dark End of the Street' was one of my favorite songs?' And I said, 'No, I had no clue.' [This song] had that particular Muscle Shoals kind of feel. That's what we were trying to achieve with Songs of Faith and Devotion. We were trying to make a record that felt like performances and had blues and gospel influences to it. And so for me, [this song] had to be the opener for this particular record. Because it feels to me like it's the opener in a show, as well."1
My Take
Such a beautiful-sounding song, which is ironic given that the song is about cheating! So...now, we must wonder what about this song appeals so much to Dave, then, huh? Well, I don't know the answer, but given that the album title is "Imposter," we seem to be centered around a theme, of sorts, with the songs on this album. Anyway, such sinister lyrics almost seem like something Martin Gore, not Dave, would write, don't they? Anyway, James Carr packs some powerful pipes, but you know what? So does Dave, and I am eager to hear him show off his range on this one!
And Dave does sure deliver in his version! He sings this with the utmost power and soul, just like James Carr does, and boy, does it sound beautiful. Dave and Soulsavers did not veer far from the original sound and feel of this one, as the whole arrangement sounds almost exactly like the original recording, even down to the female backup singers. But it's a nice and easy way to open up the album, isn't it?
Music Video
Dave stands in front of a large window inside of a tall city building that overlooks a metropolis. In the dark and cloudy sky above it, a hole is forming showing a bright light within shining down towards the ground. On the ground, people are out on the streets also observing this phenomenon. As the light grows bigger and brighter, spreading across the city, they all start running away from it. Back in the building where Dave is, he turns from the window and heads outside. Out on the street now, he watches as everyone is running away from the light. Instead of joining them, he calmly walks in the opposite direction towards the growing light, even bumping into someone momentarily as they're trying to run away. As he heads towards the light all by himself, we can see cars and buses on the street all start to be lifted from the ground. Now standing directly in front of the light, Dave also begins to be lifted from the ground and is carried toward it. He disappears into the light, which also disappears into the clouds.
My Take
First off, I just want to mention that I had no idea that this video was completely computer-generated when I first saw a couple of the preview stills from it. The city scenes definitely looked computer-generated, but I thought it was the real Dave being inserted into these scenes, like in the style of Depeche Mode's "Precious" video. It only became apparent that Dave was also computer-generated when I started watching the full video, so...awesome job, art department! I don't know about all of the human models used in the video, but the model of Dave was created by NYCAP3D through a technique called photogrammetry, which uses 2-D photographic images and other data to produce a full, 3-D model. This technique is also used to create the 3-D imagery seen in Google Earth and render 3-D characters in some video games, among other things. But I have to say that the 3-D model of Dave was quite good and quite realistic!
Regarding the theme and meaning of the video...wow, there are so many questions. First, why was an urban setting chosen? Was it just the easiest to model? Was it perhaps a nod to Dave's own home city of New York? Or was it perhaps a nod to the lyrics of the song, where words like "street" and "downtown" do indeed conjure up images of a busy metropolis of sorts? Anyway, this certainly didn't appear to be a typical day in the city. The dark clouds in the sky casting a reddish hue over everything made it look surreal and hellish. Then, with the addition of the mysterious bright light breaking through the clouds and spreading throughout the city made the whole thing feel nothing short of apocalyptic. I also noted that there were no children or animals in the city (though that's probably more of a technical constraint; modeling children and animals in a 3-D environment add so much more complexity). And why was everybody running away from the light? It was clearly seen as a threat by many. And towards the end of the video, we see why. As the light grows, it seems to lift everything in its path toward it until they disappear right into it, as Dave finds out, firsthand. So...then, we must ask, why was Dave attracted to it and why did he let himself get carried into it? He does not seem to struggle once he is in its clutches and is lifted off the ground. One might think that he wouldn't want to leave behind his family, for instance, but perhaps in this alternate universe, his family has already been carried away into the light and he is now just eager to join them? Okay, I believe we are now getting in too deep here...Taking a few steps back, I rather like to think that this video simply has a metaphorical meaning in relation to the song's lyrics. For instance, while everyone else prefers to "hide in shadows where [they] don't belong," Dave feels that he would rather come into the light and let it embrace him, because at least there, there is no "hiding of wrongs," no "stolen love," and no "sins." And that's where he would rather be.
Of course, there is another interpretation that seems quite fitting here, too, especially if you're a sci-fi fan. The light could simply be an alien spaceship coming to the city to kidnap its inhabitants. And Dave is just offering himself as a curious and willing victim like Richard Dreyfuss' character does in the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, for example. Maybe he is just done with this worldly bullshit and wants to leave. If not far-fetched, I have to admit, it's pretty relatable.