Shoot Out the Lights
Shoot Out the Lights by Richard and Linda Thompson is 95 BPM — Andante (walking pace).
Half-time 48 BPM · Double-time 190 BPM · released 1982
Song DNA
Misophonia Triggers
A dark, emotionally charged title track from Richard and Linda Thompson's final album, featuring menacing guitar work and confrontational vocals about relationship breakdown.
Hear it the way it was made
The right gear changes everything.
Moods: cathartic, emotional, heavy, intense, introspective, melancholy
Traditions: alternative rock, folk rock, rock
"Shoot Out the Lights" is in our intense band.
At least one of our five sensory dimensions crosses the threshold that means "this can be a lot." Most commonly: dynamic vocals or layered texture, or a dynamic range of 8/10. The full breakdown is below. If you arrived here looking for a calmer alternative, our use-case verdicts section flags songs with similar mood but lower intensity.
How this song sits on each sensory axis
A dynamic range of 8/10 is in the upper band of our library. This song has a significant quiet-to-loud arc. For sensory-sensitive listening, set the opening volume well below your comfortable top-end; the climax will land harder than the intro suggests.
Sudden changes: present. This song uses surprise as a feature. For focus or background listening, it's likely to pull your attention away; for active listening, that's often the point.
Texture is layered — a full arrangement with clear separation between parts.
Predictability is medium — conventional structure overall, with one or two moments that deviate from what you'd expect.
Vocal style: dynamic vocals.
1982 context
Released in 1982. We have 211 songs from that year in our library, averaging a dynamic range of 6.5/10. This track is about average than the year average. Explore more from the 1980s.
Explore by mood and tradition
Guides that may help
How fast is "Shoot Out the Lights"?
95 BPM — Medium (midtempo / pop ballad)
Too slow for most running; good for warm-up walks or cool-down.
Warm-up, cool-down, yoga, stretching.
Morning coffee, deep work, commute wind-down.
Browse more songs at 95 BPM.
When "Shoot Out the Lights" works, and when it doesn't
Use-case verdicts computed from the song's tempo, dynamics, and sensory profile.
No — too dynamic or too many surprises. Save for active listening.
No — 95 BPM is too slow for sustained cardio.
No — contains elements that will keep an awake nervous system engaged.
Maybe — the intensity / sudden changes are fine for solo highway driving but skip for city or rainy-weather driving.
No — too active to function as background; will pull attention away from what you're doing.
Yes — this is a song for actively feeling what you came to feel, not for background.
Related reading
Editorial guides that cover this song's use cases, moods, or artist.
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Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds made some of the most devastating music in rock history. But not all darkness is the same. This guide ranks his …
Music for Meltdown Recovery: What to Play When the World Is Too Much
Music for Meltdown Recovery: What to Play When the World Is Too Much — A guide for sensory-sensitive listeners on musiciwant.com
I rated every Billie Eilish album by emotional intensity
From bedroom ASMR whispers to walls of distortion — a deep sensory dive into all three Billie Eilish studio albums and what each one actuall…
Why this rating
We rate this song Intense. Our rule is deliberately conservative: any one of high dynamic range, present sudden changes, harsh texture, or a strained/screamed vocal is enough to trigger Intense on its own. Full scoring rubric: methodology.
See how “Shoot Out the Lights” sits against your own sensitivities, or use it as a waypoint in a calmer set.
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Rating last reviewed: 2026-04-14. Reviewed by the Music I Want editorial team against the documented methodology.
Think this rating is wrong? Contact the editor — every message is read and ratings get revised.
By the numbers: how this song compares
Computed from this song’s place among the 19,209 songs we’ve measured.
Where it sits in 19,000 songs
This is one of the more intense things in our library — more energetic than 81% of the 19,209 songs we've measured. Its intensity reading of 61/100 comes from a dynamic range of 8/10, layered texture, moderate shifts, and dynamic vocals. Relatively few songs occupy this exact corner of the spectrum.
What makes it unusual
What stands out most about this song is blazing intensity: more extreme on that axis than 81% of everything we've measured. At the far opposite end of the library sit the songs built on near-total stillness — steady volume, no surprises, a slow and unhurried pulse — the kind of track this one is the counterpoint to.
Feels almost identical to
Closest matches by feel across all 19,209 measured songs — not by genre or artist, by how they actually move.
What it’s good for
Scored from this song’s tempo, intensity, dynamics and texture — not crowd votes.
1982 in context
The 211 songs we’ve measured from 1982 average a dynamic range of 6.5/10. At 8/10, this track is louder and more dynamic than its year.
Mixes smoothly with
Within a few BPM and close in feel — they flow without a jarring transition.
The fingerprint
The 8-dimension measurement behind every rating on this page.
Frequently asked about "Shoot Out the Lights"
Quick answers pulled from the song's sensory analysis.
What is the BPM of "Shoot Out the Lights" by Richard and Linda Thompson?
"Shoot Out the Lights" by Richard and Linda Thompson has a tempo of 95 BPM (Andante (walking pace)). At half-time that is 48 BPM, and at double-time 190 BPM.
What is the sensory intensity of "Shoot Out the Lights" by Richard and Linda Thompson?
"Shoot Out the Lights" by Richard and Linda Thompson rates as Intense. Dynamic range 8/10, moderate sudden changes, layered texture, dynamic vocals vocal style. Any one of high dynamic range, present sudden changes, or harsh texture triggers the Intense rating.
How loud is "Shoot Out the Lights" — what is its dynamic range?
"Shoot Out the Lights" has a dynamic range of 8/10. Substantial quiet-to-loud arc. Start at a volume well below your top-end; the climax will land harder than the intro suggests.
Does "Shoot Out the Lights" have sudden or surprising changes?
Yes. "Shoot Out the Lights" uses surprise as a compositional feature. Expect unsignaled transitions.
What is "Shoot Out the Lights" best for?
In our library "Shoot Out the Lights" is recommended for: deep listening, emotional release, meltdown recovery. These tags are assigned only where the song's sensory profile genuinely supports the use case.
When was "Shoot Out the Lights" released?
"Shoot Out the Lights" is from 1982, on the album "Shoot Out the Lights". It appears in our 1980s catalog.
What is the emotional mood of "Shoot Out the Lights"?
We tag "Shoot Out the Lights" as cathartic, emotional, heavy, intense, introspective, melancholy. Moods are tonal descriptors based on how the song reads emotionally — separate from the sensory intensity axes.
What is the vocal style of "Shoot Out the Lights"?
The vocal style is dynamic vocals.
Is "Shoot Out the Lights" good for running?
Not really — at 95 BPM it's below most running cadences. Better for warm-up, cool-down, or walking. Recreational runners typically step at 140-175 BPM.
Is "Shoot Out the Lights" good for studying?
Only partially. The song's dynamic range (8/10) means there will be loud moments that break focus during deep work.
Can I use "Shoot Out the Lights" for sleep?
Not recommended for sleep. Too intense overall.
Should I listen to "Shoot Out the Lights"?
"Shoot Out the Lights" is Intense in our ratings — dramatic dynamics, possible sudden changes, or strong vocal or textural energy. Best with intention rather than ambient use. If you are sensory-sensitive, the alternatives section surfaces calmer songs in the same mood family.
Songs with the same DNA
layered texture, similar intensity — across any genre or era.
Safer alternatives with a similar feel
These songs share similar moods but with a gentler sensory profile.
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