Ka-Spel is probably best known as the lead singer, songwriter and co-founder (with Phil "The Silverman" Knight) of the prolific underground band The Legendary Pink Dots. He has also released numerous solo albums and has worked in various side projects, including The Tear Garden (with cEvin Key of Skinny Puppy), and Mimir (with Phil Knight, Christoph Heemann, Jim O'Rourke and others).
His musical output has combined elements of psychedelia, dark folk, goth, industrial, electronic, found noise, sampling, pop and rock in varying degrees. His lyrics have been described as intensely personal and mystical, incorporating recurrent themes from his own personal mythos, and his songwriting and singing have been compared (usually favourably) to Syd Barrett and early Pink Floyd.
Ka-Spel's singing voice is distinctive, especially for listeners outside of England, as it displays characteristics peculiar to the region of England in which he grew up. In addition to his East London/East Anglian accent, Ka-Spel's dialect has what is sometimes misidentified as a lisp, but is actually a form of rhotacism, in which Rs are pronounced as Ws. This is believed to be a sociolect or a form of "permanent affectation" acquired as a child, rather than a speech disorder as such.
Hotel X
Edward Ka-Spel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Two columns weaved a marble gateway to a starlit moon
And painfully you raised your stick and
Led me through with promises of paradise
Where nothing ever dies
It blossoms
I follow pacified
No preconceptions. Open-eyed
We walked across the crystal ocean, sheltered from the storm.
We were born inside a black light cavern.
Watched the red sky raining roman candles.
Washed our hands in amber.
We were married in the shade.
A shadow play was serenading adagio.
Then faded yellow. Grey. Green. Purple. Blue.
A rainbow whirlpool sucked us down
We tiptoed senseless underground
There was nothing we could hold except each other
You murmured your apologies.
I smothered you with sympathy.
We crawled, we shivered to the mirror.
Where you saw your shaky hand hang bravely.
To my ribbons.
And me, I watched my tired eyes slowly burning.
Slowly burning.
Slowly burning.
Slowly Burning.
Fade away.
The lyrics of "Hotel X" paint a vivid picture of a journey through a psychedelic, dream-like world. The singer describes following someone else, perhaps a lover or a guide, through a gateway of smoke rising from their eyes. This person promises paradise, where nothing dies but everything blossoms, and the singer follows willingly, with no preconceptions and their faith held loosely. As they travel across the crystal ocean, they are sheltered from the storm and born inside a black light cavern, where they witness a red sky raining roman candles and wash their hands in amber. Eventually, they are married in the shade.
Despite the fantastical nature of the world they're exploring, there are moments of tension and vulnerability. The duo is serenaded by a shadow play in which the colors fade and shift, and they find themselves sucked down into a rainbow whirlpool. They are forced to rely on each other for stability as they tiptoe senseless underground. At one point, the singer murmurs apologies while the other person smoothers them with sympathy. They eventually make it to a mirror, where the singer sees their own tired eyes burning away to nothing.
Overall, "Hotel X" seems to be about the transformative power of a journey, whether it's through one's own psyche or through a physical and mystical world. There are moments of beauty and wonder, but also hardship and pain. Through it all, the singer is willing to follow their guide into the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
I watched the smoke rise slowly from your tired eyes
I observed the exhaustion in your eyes, visible as a trail of smoke rising slowly into the air.
Two columns weaved a marble gateway to a starlit moon
Two tall columns constructed from marble seemed to form a gateway toward a moon that shone brilliantly with a luminous glow.
And painfully you raised your stick and
You, struggling with pain, lifted your staff or cane with effort, indicating your desire to proceed further.
Led me through with promises of paradise
You lead me forward, making assurances that what was to come would be a heavenly or idyllic experience.
Where nothing ever dies
The place you lead me to is one where living things seem to be immortal, where death has no place.
It blossoms
Life flourishes or blossoms within this place you have taken me.
I follow pacified
I trust and follow you, feeling a sense of calm or tranquility about the journey ahead.
No preconceptions. Open-eyed
I approach this experience with an open mind and eyes, free of any preconceived notions or expectations.
My faith worn on the shaky hand that′s hanging to your ribbons
I hold onto your coat or dress with a shaky hand, my faith in you symbolized by my grip on your clothing.
We walked across the crystal ocean, sheltered from the storm.
We walked over a body of water so clear we could see through it, finding refuge there from an approaching tempest.
We were born inside a black light cavern.
Our journey started within a dark and mysterious cave lit by a strange source of light that defied its blackness.
Watched the red sky raining roman candles.
We gazed up at a fiery red sky, meteors falling like fireworks to the ground.
Washed our hands in amber.
We rinsed our hands in liquid with the same color as the semi-precious stone, amber.
We were married in the shade.
We held our nuptials underneath a spread of foliage that offered the perfect shade and shelter from the sun's heat.
A shadow play was serenading adagio.
We watched some sort of entertainment or show, acted out by shadows, with a slow and graceful tempo or rhythm.
Then faded yellow. Grey. Green. Purple. Blue.
The performance or show gradually transitioned from sunny shades of yellow to cooler hues like grey, green, purple, and blue.
A rainbow whirlpool sucked us down
We were pulled into a spiral of water that looked like a rainbow, and were dragged with it down below the surface.
We tiptoed senseless underground
Feeling disoriented and muddled, as if in a trance or in awe, we explored a subterranean realm, moving cautiously and quietly.
There was nothing we could hold except each other
Amidst this new world we'd discovered, the only thing we could rely on was each other's presence, with no external object on which to cling.
You murmured your apologies.
You spoke softly in a remorseful tone, expressing regret or saying sorry for something.
I smothered you with sympathy.
I enveloped you in support, affection, and compassion, conveying my concern and understanding.
We crawled, we shivered to the mirror.
On our journey through this underworld, we had to move on all fours, feeling cold and trembling, until we reached a reflective surface.
Where you saw your shaky hand hang bravely.
When you looked into the mirror, you noticed your hand was shaky, but still upheld bravely, hanging onto my clothing.
To my ribbons.
Your hand clung to the ribbons that adorned my attire, using it as a source of strength or support.
And me, I watched my tired eyes slowly burning.
I gazed upon myself, seeing my weary or fatigued eyes, watching them burn with intensity, passion or a spark of life.
Slowly burning.
The sensation of my eyes' burning persisted, lasting for an extended period.
Slowly burning.
The feeling of my eyes burning remained, slowly fading away.
Slowly Burning.
The burning sensation diminished slowly and gradually over time.
Fade away.
That sensation ultimately disappeared entirely, fading away into the past or into oblivion.
Writer(s): Edward Ka-spel
Contributed by Hunter B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@campbell1183
First time I heard this, was in 1993... loved it in my soul from that day... thanks to Chris D Smith, he knew the name and the Artist and forever I will connect.......!!!!
@phaedra240
I love the Clocks-sample, and the bautifull piano end, it give´s me shivers, and tears...great piece of work this song, my favorite!
@regallmusiccorp.8052
Oh takes me back to 1992 - back to the dreamy melancholy that this song gave me- I had this on the Third mind records 'Mindfield' compilation. This song will always remind me of the rainy autumn of 92'
@motherfinestudios
I think I found my favorite Ka-Spel song.
@luvkrafft
Great song. Ah, such poetry creates visions of such depth.
@bdazzled08
Love it! One of my favorite songs! Some of the sequences recall the atmosphere of the Brothers Quay. Great work!
@FluxVoovoo
I can't believe you put this up already. It hasn't even been a week since I told you how much I'd like to see and of course hear this song on your channel. This is the first song I ever heard from Ka-spel...........blew me away. Tonight I'm watching your graphics on the Samsung 52"........blown away again. Thanks guy.
@SweetSweetWaldo
I have reached the Epsom Circle at 6:00 a.m. I have 31 more miles north on 28. I hope I don't brown out on the way to Wolfeboro. Anyway, that's what the song reminds me of. Driving all night in college!
@Lux019
ahh tired eyes slowly burning.
@jamesfruin3441
Where were we then?