Hospitality released its first self-titled EP in 2008. It came about after the band met Karl Blau at a show they both played at the Cake Shop. Blau heard Hospitality's soundcheck and asked if he could record them in exchange for Hospitality acting as his backing band sometime in the future. The EP garnered a few favorable reviews and earned Hospitality the title of band to watch from Stereogum.com.
Hospitality remained quiet for the next few years as they worked on side projects and Papini tended to a death in the family. They eventually recorded their first full length album and signed to Merge Records in September 2011.
They released their second album, Trouble, in 2014.
Last Words
Hospitality Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If repeats to roam wild plants to thrive
I wouldn't take for granted
Men who cheat or go wrong 'till night
That can wait, 'till salty arms
Of a soldier or a slave
Please call and take me on
[Chorus]
I can hardly fit it in a couple of words
(take me from this place)
I came to find it in a matter of days
I took a boat to eat at a priestess
That could greet me all on the sand
He led me to a gate, you enter once, but never leave
These brackish ways surround me and I have no exit
He's calling me Mistique, take me back to solid land!
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Hospitality's song Last Words are open to interpretation, but they seem to tell the story of someone who is feeling stuck in a place they don't want to be in. The first stanza may be referring to the fact that the person is alone in bed with their thoughts, and they may feel like they are surrounded by chaos, symbolized by the "wild plants." The singer may also be reflecting on the fact that they feel lucky to not have made the same mistakes as others (i.e., cheating, going wrong), but it still hasn't gotten them where they want to be.
The second stanza seems to suggest that the singer is desperate to leave their current situation and find a new adventure. They're willing to wait until they can find a way to leave, maybe with the help of a "soldier or a slave." We don't know where they want to go, but they want it to be far away from where they are now.
The chorus is a plea to be taken away from this place. It's clear that the singer is feeling trapped and suffocated by their current situation. They can't explain it with a couple of words, but they know that they've been searching for something for days, and they haven't found it yet.
The final stanza introduces a new character - a priestess. The singer took a boat to eat at the priestess's place, but instead was led to a gate where they're now trapped. The "brackish ways" seem to represent a stagnant, murky environment that the singer can't escape from. The priestess calls the singer "Mistique," which could be a name or a title, and the singer pleads to be taken back to solid land.
Overall, the song appears to be about feeling trapped in one's current situation and searching for a way out. It's not clear where the singer wants to go or what they're looking for, but they know they need to leave where they are now.
Line by Line Meaning
A lonely light in bed
I feel isolated and alone in this quiet room
If repeats to roam wild plants to thrive
Nature has a way of taking care of itself and thriving without our intervention
I wouldn't take for granted
I don't want to overlook or underestimate the value of
Men who cheat or go wrong 'till night
Even people who make mistakes or have flaws should not be judged solely on those actions
That can wait, 'till salty arms
I am willing to be patient until I can escape this unpleasant situation and find solace elsewhere
Of a soldier or a slave
I would entrust my safety to anyone who can help me at this moment, regardless of their past or current status
Please call and take me on
I am asking for help to be rescued and taken away from this place
A ship, or boat, take me from this place
Any form of transportation that can lead me away from this environment is what I desire and need
I can hardly fit it in a couple of words
This complex and overwhelming feeling cannot be expressed in a brief statement
(take me from this place)
My only wish is to be liberated from this place and the negative emotions it evokes
I came to find it in a matter of days
I arrived here with the hope of finding something, but it seems like that aspiration will not be fulfilled anytime soon
I took a boat to eat at a priestess
I embarked on a journey hoping to find some form of spirituality or guidance
That could greet me all on the sand
I thought my arrival would be warm and welcoming, but I was mistaken
He led me to a gate, you enter once, but never leave
The place I ended up at was not what I expected; it seems to be a trap from which there is no escape
These brackish ways surround me and I have no exit
I feel stuck and trapped in an unpleasant environment with no apparent way out
He's calling me Mistique, take me back to solid land!
I am being referred to by a name that does not feel like me, and I want to be rescued and brought back to a stable and safe environment
I can hardly fit it in a couple of words
This complex and overwhelming feeling cannot be expressed in a brief statement
Contributed by Brayden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.