Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have released their ‘expectations’ remix•
Tom A Smith is heading up Paint By Numbers this December•
Bleachers have shared new song ‘Blood Brothers’•
Marika Hackman has announced new album ‘False Dogs’ and shared ‘33’•
Nieve Ella, Jamie T, Rachel Chinouriri and Remi Wolf cover Dork's new issue - order now!•
Tate McRae has announced new single ‘Housewife’•
Slayyyter has announced companion album ‘Wor$t Man in America’ for December•
Welly are going to headline a very special Dork’s Night Out at The 100 Club•
Down With Boring returns tonight with The North, plus bags of new music•
Keo have announced their 2027 UK, European and North American headline tour•
Primavera Sound Barcelona has announced its 2027 anniversary line-up•
Madra Salach have released new single ‘Ribbon Factory’•
Bleech 9:3 have dropped new track 'Tourniquet' and announced their biggest headline tour yet•
Mollie Elizabeth has announced her new EP ‘People Pleaser’ and shared ‘Kiss The Ring’•
Baby Dave and The Works have kicked off a new collaboration with ‘Wings’•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have released their ‘expectations’ remix•
Tom A Smith is heading up Paint By Numbers this December•
Bleachers have shared new song ‘Blood Brothers’•
Marika Hackman has announced new album ‘False Dogs’ and shared ‘33’•
Nieve Ella, Jamie T, Rachel Chinouriri and Remi Wolf cover Dork's new issue - order now!•
Tate McRae has announced new single ‘Housewife’•
Slayyyter has announced companion album ‘Wor$t Man in America’ for December•
Welly are going to headline a very special Dork’s Night Out at The 100 Club•
Down With Boring returns tonight with The North, plus bags of new music•
Keo have announced their 2027 UK, European and North American headline tour•
Primavera Sound Barcelona has announced its 2027 anniversary line-up•
Madra Salach have released new single ‘Ribbon Factory’•
Bleech 9:3 have dropped new track 'Tourniquet' and announced their biggest headline tour yet•
Mollie Elizabeth has announced her new EP ‘People Pleaser’ and shared ‘Kiss The Ring’•
Baby Dave and The Works have kicked off a new collaboration with ‘Wings’•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Dork
News
Features
Reviews
Magazine
  • Dork
  • Popzines
Shop
Listings
Directory
Festivals
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
The 19755SOSAlessi RoseArctic MonkeysArlo ParksBastillebeabadoobeeBillie EilishBleachersblink-182BlossomsBlur
Bring Me The HorizonCarly Rae JepsenCavetownChappell RoanCharli xcxCHVRCHESCMATConan GrayDeclan McKennaDjoFall Out BoyFoals
Fontaines D.C.Ghostgirl in redGlass AnimalsGorillazGracie AbramsHAIMHarry StylesHolly HumberstoneInhalerJames MarriottThe Japanese House
The Last Dinner PartyLewis CapaldiLinkin ParkLouis TomlinsonMaggie RogersMaisie PetersMUNAMy Chemical RomanceNiall HoranOasis Live '27Olivia DeanOlivia Rodrigo
Pale WavesParamorePhoebe BridgersPinkPantheressRemi WolfReneé RappSabrina CarpenterSam FenderShameSlipknotTate McRaeTaylor Swift
Twenty One PilotsWallowsWet LegWolf AliceYard ActYUNGBLUDZara Larsson
etc.
Film & TV
Gaming
Literature
Culture
Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS
Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
Playlist Covers
Playlist Directory
Recommender
Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS
After Gates-FESTIVAL SESSIONS
Music Video Directory
Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST
Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED
Dork Live
Oasis Live ’27Tickets. Dates. What’s the story?Explore the tour
Dork Radio
Live
Live 24/7
Dork Radio
Dork
Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

October 2026

Latest issue variants

View archive
Dork, October 2026 (Cara Delevingne cover)

Cara Delevingne

Dork, October 2026 (Keo cover)

Keo

Dork, October 2026 (Lizzy McAlpine cover)

Lizzy McAlpine

Dork, October 2026 (Tove Lo cover)

Tove Lo

Advertise|Support|About Dork|Editorial standards & corrections|Privacy Policy|Genres|Years|Sitemap|RSS|Cookie settings
© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Powered by PlaywireAdvertise on this site.
  1. Tracks
  2. Lights
  3. The Listening
  4. Face Up
Face Up by Lights

TRACK

Lights

Face Up

Release date: 21st September 2009

From The Listening
Track 10
3:26
PopMusic
Spotify Apple Music More on Lights

About This Track

'Face Up' by Lights is a 2009 pop track from the album 'The Listening'. The lyrics set a late-night, tired mood, with a speaker wishing for small comfort while feeling stuck, then pushed into motion anyway. There is a sense of reluctant urgency, the pull between wanting to stay still and having to go, even as the desire to “feel alive” keeps tugging underneath. The song’s emotional engine is that daily friction: exhaustion, self-protection, and the thin determination to keep going.

"Face Up" is a track by Lights, from the album The Listening, released 21st September 2009. The track is 3:26 long. It's filed under Pop. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 1 article about Lights.

About the Artist

Lights

Lights

Lyrics

Face Up

It's late and I am tired
Wish I could spark a smile
The place is flying high
But right now I want to be low
Don't wanna move an inch,
Let alone a million miles
And I don't want to go
But right now I gotta go
I just want to feel alive

The times you don't want to wake up
'Cause in your sleep it's never over when you give up
The sun is always gonna rise up
You need to get up
Gotta keep your head up

Look at the people all around you
The way you feel is something everybody goes through
Dark out but you still gotta light up
You need to wake up
Gotta keep your face up

Seems like the more you grow the more time you spend alone
Before you know it you end up perfectly on your own
The city's shining bright but you don't see the light
How come you concentrate on things that don't make you feel right
I just want to feel alright now

The times you don't want to wake up
'Cause in your sleep it's never over when you give up
The sun is always gonna rise up
You need to get up
Gotta keep your head up

Look at the people all around you
The way you feel is something everybody goes through
Dark out but you still gotta light up
You need to wake up
Gotta keep your face up

I'm looking for more than a little bit
I'm gonna have to find my way through it
Gonna leave a mark
I'm gonna set a spark
I'm coming up off the ground
I won't be looking down

The times you don't want to wake up
'Cause in your sleep it's never over when you give up
The sun is always gonna rise up
You need to get up
Gotta keep your head up

Look at the people all around you
The way you feel is something everybody goes through
Dark out but you still gotta light up
You need to wake up
Gotta keep your face up

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From The Listening

3:262009
Listen
Album
The Listening
The Listening
Lights
22nd September 2009
Track number
10
Release year
2009
  1. 1Saviour
    3:29
  2. 2Drive My Soul
    3:21
  3. 3River
    3:04
  4. 4The Listening
    3:35

More from Lights

Albums & EPs

A6EXTENDED
A6EXTENDED
2026
A6
A6
2025
dEd
dEd
2023
PEP
PEP
2022
Skin&Earth Acoustic
Skin&Earth Acoustic
2019
Skin&Earth
Skin&Earth
2017

Explore

More tracks by Lights

  1. Grip (dEd version)dEd
    3:43
  2. In My Head (dEd version)dEd
    4:20
  3. Right Through You ('Mile End Kicks' - Music Inspired by the Motion Picture)
    2:59
  4. Salt and Vinegar (dEd version)dEd
    4:10
  5. Sparky (dEd version)dEd
    4:43
  6. ALIVE AGAINA6EXTENDED
    3:42
  7. ALIVE AGAINA6
    3:42
  8. ANGELINAA6EXTENDED
    2:54
  9. CLINGYA6EXTENDED
    3:25
  10. CLINGYA6
    3:25

Showing 10 of 50

If you like Lights

PVRIS

PVRIS

Say Lou Lou

Say Lou Lou

Luna Shadows

Luna Shadows

Fickle Friends

Fickle Friends

CHVRCHES

CHVRCHES

Purity Ring

Purity Ring

  • 5Ice
    2:56
  • 6Pretend
    3:23
  • 7The Last Thing On Your Mind
    3:20
  • 8Second Go
    3:16
  • 9February Air
    3:48
  • 10Face Up
    3:26
  • 11Lions!
    3:17
  • 12Quiet
    3:14
  • 13Pretend (Reprise)
    3:05
  • 14Saviour (Adam Young Remix)
    3:17

    • Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Lights, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter
    Producer
    Lights, Thomas “Tawgs” Salter
    READ MORE ABOUT LIGHTSREAD MORE ABOUT LIGHTSREAD MORE ABOUT LIGHTSREAD MORE ABOUT LIGHTS
    READ MORE ABOUT LIGHTSREAD MORE ABOUT LIGHTSREAD MORE ABOUT LIGHTSREAD MORE ABOUT LIGHTS
    Tegan and Sara have released new single ‘Our Year’ with Lights
    News

    Tegan and Sara have released new single ‘Our Year’ with Lights

    Tegan and Sara’s first new music since 2022 arrives with Lights, producer Felix Cartal and a new video.

    25 Sept 2026 • 4:54 am
    Tegan and Sara have announced new single ‘Our Year’ with Lights and Felix Cartal
    News

    Tegan and Sara have announced new single ‘Our Year’ with Lights and Felix Cartal

    The Canadian duo’s first new song since 2022 will arrive with a video on Friday 25th September.

    19 Sept 2026 • 7:33 pm
    Lights shares new single 'Alive Again' ahead of sixth studio album
    News

    Lights shares new single 'Alive Again' ahead of sixth studio album

    The haunting new wave-inspired track comes ahead of new full-length 'A6'.

    8 Feb 2025 • 1:10 pm
    Lights: "Creativity is not formulated by genre; it's formulated by fucking mood swings"
    Features

    Lights: "Creativity is not formulated by genre; it's formulated by fucking mood swings"

    One of music’s most ambitious artists, Lights has spun her ever-expanding world of music, comics and stories into her stripped-back full-length, ‘Skin&Earth Acoustic’.

    18 Jul 2019 • 9:29 am
    Lights: "I'm able to open up this whole new side of me"
    Features

    Lights: "I'm able to open up this whole new side of me"

    "A young woman is in a post-apocalyptic world where the last bastion of humanity lives. It's an oasis in the middle of a wasteland, and there's an insan...

    26 Sept 2017 • 12:57 pm