The band was started by Adam Baker in 2003 as a side project of the still active sister band Sunfold, formerly known as Sedona and headed up by lead guitarist Kenny Florence. Ace Fu Records signed Annuals in the fall of 2005 and then released their debut LP Be He Me on October 17, 2006. Annuals' sophomore album, Such Fun, was released on October 7, 2008.
They are frequently compared to the Arcade Fire, Animal Collective, and Broken Social Scene and are known for their intense live shows.
Hardwood Floor
Annuals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I keep patching my roof up
Still, the rain falls on my side of the door
Now my hardwood floor
It swells and it moans like it hurts
And when night comes around
I can hear it pray to the earth
How'd you let me get sewed down?
How'd you let me get sewed down, like I deserve?
I deserve
It don't feel bad, deserving what's left and set aside
To keep latching the days to others
Preferred to negate in the divide
I don't get mad
I just don't get dry, not anymore
I stare out my window
I watch you play in the dirt
How'd you let me get sewed down?
How'd you let me get sewed down?
Won't you send me back home now, like I deserve?
I deserve
I'm so scared, I just can't go anymore
I keep patching my roof up
Still, the rain falls on my side of the door
Now my hardwood floor
It swells and it moans like it hurts
And when night comes around
I can hear it pray to the earth
How'd you let me get sewed down?
How'd you let me get sewed down?
Won't you send me back home now, like I deserve?
I deserve
The lyrics of Annuals’ song “Hardwood Floor” evoke a sense of fear, desperation and a longing for home. The first verse sets the scene of the singer’s deteriorating situation, with rain falling on his side of the door despite his constant efforts to patch his roof. The swelling and moaning of the hardwood floor adds to the sense of unease and discomfort that the singer feels, and it becomes clear that he is not merely describing a physical phenomenon but rather a metaphor for his own emotional state. The singer is scared and cannot carry on, and as the night falls, he can hear his floor praying to the earth, perhaps echoing his own unspoken plea for help.
The chorus of the song uses repetition to reinforce the singer’s sense of injustice and confusion. He asks the question “How’d you let me get sewn down?” three times, before repeating “like I deserve” twice. The use of “sewn down” suggests that the singer is trapped or pinned, unable to escape from his situation. He feels that he deserves better, but he does not understand how he ended up where he is.
In the second verse, the singer expresses resignation rather than anger. He acknowledges that he is not entitled to more than what has been set aside for him, and he does not get mad. At the same time, he does not get dry either, suggesting that he is still being subjected to hardship and suffering. The singer watches others play in the dirt from his window, perhaps indicating a sense of isolation and detachment from the joy and freedom of others. He repeats the chorus, once again expressing his longing for home and a sense of deserving more than what he has been given.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so scared, I just can't go anymore
I am feeling hopeless and afraid that I cannot continue on with my life.
I keep patching my roof up
I am trying to fix the problems in my life, but new ones keep appearing.
Still, the rain falls on my side of the door
Despite my efforts, I cannot keep the bad things in life from affecting me.
Now my hardwood floor
Now even the sturdy foundation of my life is being affected by the problems I am facing.
It swells and it moans like it hurts
My foundation is suffering and showing signs of distress.
And when night comes around
In my darkest moments, I feel the weight of my struggles the most.
I can hear it pray to the earth
I feel like even the things I rely on for stability are crying out for help.
How'd you let me get sewed down?
I feel trapped and unable to escape from my problems.
Won't you send me back home now, like I deserve?
I long for a time when things were better, and I deserve to have that feeling of safety and security again.
It don't feel bad, deserving what's left and set aside
I have resigned myself to feeling like I only deserve the scraps of happiness that are left over.
To keep latching the days to others
I am trying to find joy and solace in the lives of those around me, but it is not enough.
Preferred to negate in the divide
It is easier to ignore my own problems and focus on the problems of the world around me.
I don't get mad
I am not angry about my situation, just resigned to it.
I just don't get dry, not anymore
I cannot shield myself from the emotions and despair I am feeling anymore.
I stare out my window
I am stuck, unable to move forward or escape from my problems.
I watch you play in the dirt
I feel disconnected from the world and those around me, just observing them from afar.
Contributed by Savannah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.