Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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Nolan Randall playing the guitar solo of "Under Cover Of Darkness” by The Strokes from their 2011 album Angles for RCA and Rough Trade Records.
Words and music by Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Albert Hammond Jr., Fabrizio Moretti, & Nick Valensi
Slip back out of whack at your best
It's a nightmare
So I'm joining the army
No house phones, but can I still call?
Will you wait for me now?
We've got the right to live, fight to use it
Got everything but you can just choose it
I won't just be a puppet on a string
Don't go that way
I'll wait for you
And I'm tired of all your friends
Listening at your door
I want what's better for you
So long, my friend and adversary
But I'll wait for you
Get dressed, jump out of bed into a vest
Are you okay?
I've been all around this town
Everybody's been singing the same song for ten years
I'll wait for you
Will you wait for me too?
And they sacrifice their lives
And they lied about those odds
They'll say it a million times, and they'll say it again
So long, my adversary and friend
Don't go that way
I'll wait for you
I'm tired of all your friends
Banging down your door
Get up in the morning yelling, "No more!"
So long, my friend and adversary
But I'll be waiting for you
*Song Facts*
"Under Cover of Darkness" is a song by American rock band The Strokes. The tune served as the lead single from their fourth studio album Angles. The song was released online on February 9, 2011 as a free download for 48 hours exclusively. It was the first single released from the band in five years, following the release of "You Only Live Once" in 2006.
"Under Cover Of Darkness" received positive reviews, managing to reach BBC Radio 1's A Playlist; before going on to debut at number 47 on the respective chart. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 133 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
The music video for "Under Cover Of Darkness" was released on March 2, 2011. It was directed and produced by Warren Fu at Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 17, 2011. The video begins with a clip of the music video for "You Only Live Once", and contains a reference to the tune "Last Nite". The reference occurs when Julian Casablancas throws his microphone stand (which he also did in the video for "Last Nite") while stating that "everybody's singing the same song for 10 years." This led some to believe he was talking about the longevity of arguably the band's most popular single. However, in a 2014 interview, Casablancas stated that this line was an opinion of the music business essentially churning out the same old pop music without ever innovating, and not a reference to The Strokes or any particular band.
"Under Cover Of Darkness" is the third most successful single in the band's discography. It peaked at number 12 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and charted for a total of 17 weeks.
Angles was the first Strokes album to be written by all five band members. Guitarist Nick Valensi told NME he was glad that the record company chose "Under Cover Of Darkness" as the first single: "Because that was a song where literally all of us contributed to the writing. It made me think, 'Wow, maybe we'll do our best work when we put all our ideas together.'"
Frontman Julian Casablancas explained the tune's meaning to NME: "I guess it's about someone who works in the military and has a girlfriend. It's cheesy, I guess, but it's about having to leave a loved one behind."
Casablancas admitted that Clarence Clemons' 1985 duet with Jackson Browne, "You're A Friend Of Mine," was an inspiration for "Under Cover Of Darkness". The singer said: "I weirdly like the bridge and the chorus of that Clarence Clemons song. So that was the vibe we were going for." He then sheepishly added, "I shouldn't confess to these things!"
The Strokes performed "Under Cover Of Darkness" on Saturday Night Live on March 5, 2011.
The tune was made available for download on July 24, 2012 to play in Rock Band 3 Basic and PRO mode utilizing real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards. It appears on the setlist for Rocksmith which was released in October 2011 in North America. The song is also featured on the soundtrack for basketball simulation game NBA 2K15 which was released in October 2014 in North America. The title of the tune was also referenced in an episode of Pokémon anime called '"Under Color of Darkness!", which was a part of season twenty-four.
#TheStrokes #UnderCoverOfDarkness #GuitarSolo
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Nolan Randall playing the guitar solo of "Under Cover Of Darkness” by The Strokes from their 2011 album Angles for RCA and Rough Trade Records.
Words and music by Julian Casablancas, Nikolai Fraiture, Albert Hammond Jr., Fabrizio Moretti, & Nick Valensi
Slip back out of whack at your best
It's a nightmare
So I'm joining the army
No house phones, but can I still call?
Will you wait for me now?
We've got the right to live, fight to use it
Got everything but you can just choose it
I won't just be a puppet on a string
Don't go that way
I'll wait for you
And I'm tired of all your friends
Listening at your door
I want what's better for you
So long, my friend and adversary
But I'll wait for you
Get dressed, jump out of bed into a vest
Are you okay?
I've been all around this town
Everybody's been singing the same song for ten years
I'll wait for you
Will you wait for me too?
And they sacrifice their lives
And they lied about those odds
They'll say it a million times, and they'll say it again
So long, my adversary and friend
Don't go that way
I'll wait for you
I'm tired of all your friends
Banging down your door
Get up in the morning yelling, "No more!"
So long, my friend and adversary
But I'll be waiting for you
*Song Facts*
"Under Cover of Darkness" is a song by American rock band The Strokes. The tune served as the lead single from their fourth studio album Angles. The song was released online on February 9, 2011 as a free download for 48 hours exclusively. It was the first single released from the band in five years, following the release of "You Only Live Once" in 2006.
"Under Cover Of Darkness" received positive reviews, managing to reach BBC Radio 1's A Playlist; before going on to debut at number 47 on the respective chart. In October 2011, NME placed it at number 133 on its list "150 Best Tracks of the Past 15 Years".
The music video for "Under Cover Of Darkness" was released on March 2, 2011. It was directed and produced by Warren Fu at Loew's Jersey Theatre in Jersey City, New Jersey on February 17, 2011. The video begins with a clip of the music video for "You Only Live Once", and contains a reference to the tune "Last Nite". The reference occurs when Julian Casablancas throws his microphone stand (which he also did in the video for "Last Nite") while stating that "everybody's singing the same song for 10 years." This led some to believe he was talking about the longevity of arguably the band's most popular single. However, in a 2014 interview, Casablancas stated that this line was an opinion of the music business essentially churning out the same old pop music without ever innovating, and not a reference to The Strokes or any particular band.
"Under Cover Of Darkness" is the third most successful single in the band's discography. It peaked at number 12 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart and charted for a total of 17 weeks.
Angles was the first Strokes album to be written by all five band members. Guitarist Nick Valensi told NME he was glad that the record company chose "Under Cover Of Darkness" as the first single: "Because that was a song where literally all of us contributed to the writing. It made me think, 'Wow, maybe we'll do our best work when we put all our ideas together.'"
Frontman Julian Casablancas explained the tune's meaning to NME: "I guess it's about someone who works in the military and has a girlfriend. It's cheesy, I guess, but it's about having to leave a loved one behind."
Casablancas admitted that Clarence Clemons' 1985 duet with Jackson Browne, "You're A Friend Of Mine," was an inspiration for "Under Cover Of Darkness". The singer said: "I weirdly like the bridge and the chorus of that Clarence Clemons song. So that was the vibe we were going for." He then sheepishly added, "I shouldn't confess to these things!"
The Strokes performed "Under Cover Of Darkness" on Saturday Night Live on March 5, 2011.
The tune was made available for download on July 24, 2012 to play in Rock Band 3 Basic and PRO mode utilizing real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards. It appears on the setlist for Rocksmith which was released in October 2011 in North America. The song is also featured on the soundtrack for basketball simulation game NBA 2K15 which was released in October 2014 in North America. The title of the tune was also referenced in an episode of Pokémon anime called '"Under Color of Darkness!", which was a part of season twenty-four.
#TheStrokes #UnderCoverOfDarkness #GuitarSolo
