This is a little more my speed but this isn't the original. It's a historical reference to a point in time in England. Gold star to the first who knows what is being referenced.
"The Dropkick Murphys, who perform at the Roseland Ballroom in Manhattan on Sept. 15, turned Guthrie’s lyric about the London air raids, “Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight,” into a Clash-like scorcher on the 2003 album “Blackout” (Hellcat)."
The London air raids or the "London blitz" began in 1940.
But to me, "black out" has more significance as it also represents a darker time for me, even if some of it was self inflicted, and I shut out nearly everything and everyone. I stopped taking in information and I stopped letting any emotion get through. "Hello darkness my old friend"?