Hotel Chelsea Nights
Ryan Adams Lyrics
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Before I get over you, doll?
I bet it's gonna be awhile now, kid
What with you living right up the hall
And I'm tired of living here in this hotel
Snow and the rain falling through the sheets
In fact, I'm tired of 23rd Street
Strung out like some Christmas lights out there in the
Chelsea nights
Maybe you just didn't read me right
The lights went you,
And you just didn't understand
I played your song, I got the melody all wrong
Wound your shit up like a ball of rubber bands
And I'm tired of living in this hotel
Fire and blood all into the streets
In fact, I'm tired of 23rd Street
Strung out like some Christmas lights
Out there in the Chelsea nights
Strung out like some Christmas lights
Out there in the Chelsea nights
I feel like getting rid of all my things
Maybe just disappear into the fog
The traffic roars, my stomach screams
Like a gang of angry dogs
And I'm tired of living in this hotel
TV and dirty magazines
And I'm just trying to get some sleep
Strung out like some Christmas lights
Out there in the Chelsea nights
Strung out like some Christmas lights
Out there in the Chelsea nights
Strung out like some Christmas lights
Out there in the Chelsea nights
Strung out like some Christmas lights
Out there in the Chelsea nights
Ryan Adams's song Hotel Chelsea Nights is a melancholic ode to a relationship that has come to an end. The song expresses the singer's weariness about living in a hotel and the emotional pain of being near to the ex-partner. The song opens with a reflection on the duration it will take to move on, expressing pessimism as he lives in the same hotel as his ex-girlfriend. The refrain of the song, "strung out like some Christmas lights out there in the Chelsea nights," refers to how the singer is feeling as if he has been left tangled and abandoned, a festive decoration forgotten in the aftermath of the Christmas season.
Adams's references to the Chelsea district highlight the juxtaposition of beauty and desperation. He expresses how he is tired of his surroundings and longs to escape. He talks about the noise of the traffic, a stomach that screams like a "gang of angry dogs," and how he wants to get some sleep. He paints a picture of a life that has lost its luster and the struggle of trying to move on from a past relationship.
The song further contains lines about the singer feeling misunderstood, evoking images of miscommunication and disagreement. Although he played his ex-girlfriend's song, he got the melody wrong, which could be a metaphor for the failure in communicating his love correctly. The song ends with the imagery of the string of Christmas lights, which suggests hope, light, and celebration but is now disillusioned, tangled, and overwhelming.
Line by Line Meaning
How long it's gonna be, babe
Asking how much time it will take to get over the lost love.
Before I get over you, doll?
Referring to the lost love as 'doll' and questioning if they can truly move on.
I bet it's gonna be awhile now, kid
Expressing the idea that getting over the lost love will take some time.
What with you living right up the hall
Explaining that the love interest still lives close-by which makes the process of getting over them difficult.
And I'm tired of living here in this hotel
Expressing the exhaustion of living within the same space where the heartbreak occurred.
Snow and the rain falling through the sheets
Describing the unpleasant living conditions within the hotel room.
In fact, I'm tired of 23rd Street
Expressing discontent with the location of the hotel on 23rd Street.
Strung out like some Christmas lights out there in the Chelsea nights
Feeling overwhelmed and struggling to cope with the pain of the lost love, particularly in the dark nights of the Chelsea neighborhood.
Maybe you just didn't read me right
Suggesting that the love interest may have misunderstood the depth of their feelings.
The lights went you,
Referring to a moment when the love interest left and everything changed.
And you just didn't understand
Feeling that the love interest didn't grasp the gravity of the situation.
I played your song, I got the melody all wrong
Describing a metaphor for the relationship where they tried to make things work but it didn't turn out as planned.
Wound your shit up like a ball of rubber bands
Imagining themselves as the source of the confusion and pain in the relationship.
Fire and blood all into the streets
Describing the tumultuous emotions of anger and hurt after the breakup.
I feel like getting rid of all my things
Expressing the desire to leave behind everything associated with the lost love.
Maybe just disappear into the fog
Metaphorically disappearing from the world to escape the pain of the breakup.
The traffic roars, my stomach screams
Describing the inner turmoil after the heartbreak, in contrast with the noise of the outside world.
Like a gang of angry dogs
Using simile to describe the intensity of the discomfort felt.
TV and dirty magazines
Listing the mundane aspects of the hotel room, highlighting a lack of fulfillment and satisfaction.
And I'm just trying to get some sleep
Finding solace in sleep to numb the pain.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RYAN ADAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind