Hotel Womb
Church Lyrics


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Volcano pierce the air, ashes block out the sun.
Down in the lair, well I met her there
With a price for everyone.
I paid eighty dollars for this wedding ring,
I couldn't take it off if I tried.
And the cactus sure tastes strangely sweet
As it goes down inside
I dream I'm safe in my hotel womb.
Soft and soul made, it's a wonderful room.
I wish I'm back in my hotel womb.
Slip through the crack, to that wonderful room.
Sudden voltage in the night, with a rainforest girl.
As we float downstream to the Amazon River
Where the black waters swirl.
I say, why are you people wearing those masks?
I say, can we be reconciled?
She says the mother of the storm has to roam the sky
Searching for her child. (Chorus)
Morning comes at last, and she's lying by my side.
She's got the face of the widow who keeps following me
And the body of my bride.
I say, why are those buildings swaying like trees?
I say, can we stop for a while?




She says, can't you hear the city that's hidden in there?
It's just another mile. (Chorus)

Overall Meaning

In the song "Hotel Womb" by Church, we see the singer expressing and exploring his inner fears and desires through vivid and surreal imagery. The first stanza depicts a post-apocalyptic scenario where a volcanic eruption has occurred, and the sun is blocked out by ash. The singer then inexplicably finds himself in a "lair" where he meets a woman with a "price for everyone." He has paid "eighty dollars" for a wedding ring, which seems to be a symbol of his commitment to this woman or perhaps a sense of obligation. However, he acknowledges that he cannot take it off, even if he wanted to. The imagery of him eating a cactus that tastes "strangely sweet" strengthens the surreal and dreamlike quality of the song.


The second stanza describes the singer's desire to retreat into his "hotel womb," a safe and comforting place where he can escape from the chaos and uncertainty of the world. The hotel room is described as "soft and soul made," which suggests a sense of comfort and familiarity. However, the tone seems to shift in the third stanza, where the singer encounters a "rainforest girl" as they float down the Amazon River. The singer questions the girl about the masks people are wearing and tries to find common ground to be reconciled. The girl appears to have a deeper understanding of the natural world and tells him the "mother of the storm" must roam the sky to search for her child. The final stanza seems to hint at the singer's fear of commitment and his inability to escape his past. He wakes up next to the woman he met in the lair, but he is haunted by the face of a widow who keeps following him. The woman represents the body of his bride, but the singer seems unsure about his ability to commit to her fully. The imagery of swaying buildings that look like trees reinforces the sense of instability and suggests that the singer may not be able to find the sense of safety and comfort he is searching for.


Line by Line Meaning

Volcano pierce the air, ashes block out the sun.
A volcano has erupted, causing ash to darken the sky.


Down in the lair, well I met her there With a price for everyone.
He met her in a seedy underground place where you have to pay to do anything.


I paid eighty dollars for this wedding ring, I couldn't take it off if I tried.
He spent a lot of money on a wedding ring and it's now stuck on his finger.


And the cactus sure tastes strangely sweet As it goes down inside
Despite being prickly, the cactus fruit has a surprisingly sweet taste.


I dream I'm safe in my hotel womb. Soft and soul made, it's a wonderful room.
He dreams of being in a safe and comforting space, like a hotel room.


I wish I'm back in my hotel womb. Slip through the crack, to that wonderful room.
He longs to escape to the comforting environment of his hotel room.


Sudden voltage in the night, with a rainforest girl. As we float downstream to the Amazon River Where the black waters swirl.
He experiences an intense attraction to a girl from the rainforest as they travel down a dangerous river filled with black water.


I say, why are you people wearing those masks? I say, can we be reconciled? She says the mother of the storm has to roam the sky Searching for her child.
He asks the people in masks why they wear them, and wonders if they can peacefully make amends. The girl explains that the storm mother has been searching for her child.


Morning comes at last, and she's lying by my side. She's got the face of the widow who keeps following me And the body of my bride.
The next morning, he wakes up next to the girl and realizes she has the face of someone who has lost her husband, but the body of someone he married.


I say, why are those buildings swaying like trees? I say, can we stop for a while? She says, can't you hear the city that's hidden in there? It's just another mile.
He questions why the buildings are swaying, and asks if they can take a break. The girl tells him that there's a hidden city close by.


Chorus
Repeats the refrain about wanting to return to the safety of the hotel room.




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

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