the lights are on but nobody 's home TheFreeDictionarycomGlow shine on a residence, but when it comes to no one, they remain unacknowledged. Properties devoid of person presence stay dull. Nobody to welcome the glow, no one's property to cheer up. Abandoned properties stay empty of light, leaving the lamps meaningless. Illumination searches occupants, but in not a soul's dwelling, there's not a soul to illuminate.