The band's debut self-titled album was released on April 3, 2012. The album's first single, "Ho Hey" reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart.
The Ho Hey Songfacts reports that Schultz and Fraites were originally based in New York and started collaborating in 2002 after Fraites’ brother, Josh, who was also Schultz’s best friend died of an overdose. The pair began writing and performing to cope with their grief and they later relocated to Denver, where they met the classically trained Pekarek after advertising for a cellist.
Their self-titled debut album The Lumineers was released on April 3, 2012, on Dualtone Records.
Their second album, Cleopatra, was released in 2016.
The band's third album, titled III, was released on September 13, 2019 and debuted at No. 2 on the US Billboard 200.
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Sleep on the Floor
The Lumineers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
'Cause if we don't leave this town
We might never make it out
I was not born to drown
Baby, come on
Forget what Father Brennan said
We were not born in sin
Leave a note on your bed
Let your mother know you're safe
And by the time she wakes
We'll have driven through the state
We'll have driven through the night
Baby, come on
If the sun don't shine on me today
And if the subways flood and bridges break
Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave
Or will you rail against the dying day?
And when we looked outside
Couldn't even see the sky
How do you pay the rent?
Is it your parents?
Or is hard work, dear
Holding the atmosphere?
I don't wanna live like that, yeah
If the sun don't shine on me today
If the subways flood and the bridges break
Jesus Christ can't save me tonight
Put on your dress, yes, wear something nice
Decide on me, yeah, decide on us
Oh, oh, oh, Illinois, Illinois
Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
'Cause if we don't leave this town
We might never make it out
The Lumineers's song Sleep on the Floor is about the decision to leave your current life and start fresh, taking a chance on something better. The lyrics suggest the singer is urging their partner to take a leap of faith with them, to leave the town they're in before it's too late. The chorus implies that the singer is worried that if they don't leave now, they'll be stuck there forever, unable to escape the cycle of poverty and hardship. The line "I was not born to drown" shows the singer's unwillingness to be held down by their current circumstances.
The second verse reflects on the power of belief and the faith people have in their religious institutions. The singer states they don't believe they were born in sin and invokes the name of Jesus Christ. This juxtaposition between belief and the desire to escape one's present life creates a sense of ambiguity in the song's meaning. It's unclear if the singer is seeking salvation through leaving or if they are rejecting the idea of being saved altogether.
The song's third verse returns to the tangible problems of their current situation, suggesting that they're struggling to make ends meet and that the future is uncertain. The chorus is repeated again, with the singer emphasizing that time is running out and that if they don't leave soon, they'll be stuck in this life forever. The final verse returns to the idea of leaving, framing it as a decision that must be made together. The final line, "If we don't leave this town, we might never make it out," sums up the central theme of the song: the desperation to break free from the restraints of their current life.
Line by Line Meaning
Pack yourself a toothbrush dear
Grab the essentials, we're leaving town
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Bring something you love, we may not come back
Take a withdrawal slip
Withdraw all your money, we're starting fresh
Take all of your savings out
We need everything we have to escape this place
'Cause if we don't leave this town
If we stay here, we'll be stuck forever
We might never make it out
Leaving is our only chance for a better life
I was not born to drown
I refuse to let this town hold me back
Baby come on
Let's go, we have to leave now
Forget what Father Brennan said
We are not bad people, we deserve a chance to start over
We were not born in sin
Our past does not define us
Leave a note on your bed
Let your family know you're safe, but we can't wait
Let your mother know you're safe
We don't want them to worry, but we have to leave
And by the time she wakes
We'll already be gone
We'll have driven through the state
We're leaving this place behind for good
We'll have driven through the night
We won't stop until we're free
If the sun don't shine on me today
Things might not go as planned, but we have to keep going
And if the subways flood and bridges break
Even if everything goes wrong, we won't give up
Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave
Will you give up or keep fighting?
Or will you rail against your dying day
Will you resist death and live life to the fullest?
And when we looked outside
We see that nothing will change if we stay
Couldn't even see the sky
The world around us is suffocating
How do you pay the rent
Life is tough and expensive here
Is it your parents
Do you rely on others to survive?
Or is hard work dear
Are you willing to work hard for a better life?
Holding the atmosphere
Our surroundings have an impact on our lives
I don't wanna live like that, yeah
We don't want to be bound to this life of struggle
Jesus Christ can't save me tonight
Religion won't change our situation
Put on your dress, yes wear something nice
We're leaving behind this life of struggle for something better
Decide on me, yea decide on us
Choose to take a chance and trust me as we start over
Oh, oh, oh, Illinois, Illinois
We're leaving this town behind for good
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeremy C Fraites, Wesley Keith Schultz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind