Daylight by David Kushner — Song Analysis
I’ve been listening to it on my headphones on repeat for days now. And I can’t stop.
David Kushner has rocked the world with his haunting, deep vocals in Daylight in 2023. And I’m a fan. But what is the song about? What hides behind these dark and dramatic harmonies of a beautiful mind?
Religion
In his interview with Paper Magazine, David doesn’t shy away from saying that his religion, Christianity, plays an important role in his life. He grew up in a religious household and continues on his journey of faith throughout his musical career.
This is commendable, considering that most celebrities either hide their personal beliefs or begin to dissociate with them due to the demands of fame. Only time will tell whether David continues down this path, but I personally believe that this religious inspiration is what gave such exalted depth to Daylight.
Biblical Symbolism
Lust, sin, vine, prayer — the song is riddled with biblical symbolism. And I love it.
Sex
But above all… yes, you guessed it. Sex.
It’s no secret that premarital sex is, historically speaking, one of the most accented parts of the Christian faith because of its prohibition and what it means for long-lasting marriages. But with the liberties that come naturally with living in our day and age, many, if not most young people partake in premarital sex, or fornication, as the religion refers to it.
Being a handsome young celebrity, I believe that David is no exception to this. And this ‘guilt’ that he sings about in his song most likely refers to the sin of fornication. Let me elaborate.
“This lust is a burden that we both share.”
Lust is bodily desire.
“Two sinners can’t atone from a lone prayer.”
Coming from a somewhat religious background, and having explored and familiarized myself with almost all major religions, a sense of guilt comes naturally to people after they commit what they believe to be sinful. This conscientiousness pours out into these words.
“Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt.”
Sex is glorified. Has been ever since the sexual revolution. People, especially males, who have it often are allotted more respect in society. Those who either aren’t very successful on that front or who choose deliberately to abstain are somewhat devalued by society. So, in order to keep up a certain social status quo, the singer must flaunt their sexual behaviour, while secretly being eaten away by guilt at opposing his faith.
“Hidin’ all of our sins from the daylight,
From the daylight, runnin’ from the daylight.”
What is most often done at night? That’s right….
So, in the end, Daylight is a song about sexual guilt. Pretty interesting that it became so popular in a time where sexual liberty is everything but forced onto people. This echoes the rising faithfulness in the younger generation that I, unscientifically, observe on a daily basis among my friends.
Language
What struck me as especially outstanding on the modern musical scene is the rich language David uses. Unlike most pop singers, where simplicity is valued above profoundness, he does not shy away from using complex vocabulary that better conveys the depth of his mind and soul. We need more performers like him to educate our writhing masses.
Conclusion
Go listen to Daylight if you haven’t already! It’s an instant modern classic from an incredibly talented performer.
