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.
Sleepover
Hospitality Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An army bag of clothes
A coin to call your mother
She didn't answer
Put another quarter
In the colonnade
Hanging around robbers
I'm not tired of you staying here
Up all night, don't have to sleep
Let's pretend that we're married
Keep your hat under the sheets
Tall and clean and handsome
Raisin-colored eyes
Taking me for granted
Oh I don't care
Beige chiffon, silk and roses
Lock the door, I'll take your coat
Let's pretend that it's summer
Keep your bags behind the couch
Send a wire to your sister
Take a pill and go to sleep
I'm not tired of you staying here
Lock the door before you leave
At first listen, the song Sleepover by Hospitality may seem like a simple love song about a couple spending the night together. However, on closer inspection, the lyrics reveal a deeper sense of sadness and loneliness. The song’s protagonist has moved out in the summer with an army bag of clothes and only a coin to call her mother. When she tries to call her, her mother does not answer. The singer is hanging around robbers, and wonders what her mother would say.
However, the singer finds comfort in the person she is with, and the idea of pretending to be married to them. The song’s chorus repeats the line, “I’m not tired of you staying here,” which could be a reflection of the loneliness the singer feels, and how unimportant it is to her to have someone around. The verses alternate between descriptions of the singer’s lover and the details of their night together, creating a dreamy, almost surreal, atmosphere.
Overall, Sleepover by Hospitality is a complex and beautifully crafted song about the loneliness of modern life, and the comfort that can be found in human connection, even if it is only for one night.
Line by Line Meaning
Moved out in the summer
Left home in the summer
An army bag of clothes
Carrying just a bag of clothes
A coin to call your mother
Has only one coin to call their mother
She didn't answer
Mother didn't respond to the call
Put another quarter
Insert another coin
In the colonnade
At the arcade
Hanging around robbers
Being around bad people
What would your mother say?
Questioning the appropriateness of their actions
I'm not tired of you staying here
Enjoying the companionship of the person staying with them
Up all night, don't have to sleep
Staying awake all night
Let's pretend that we're married
Fantasizing about being in a relationship
Keep your hat under the sheets
Leaving something out of sight to pretend it's not there
Tall and clean and handsome
Complimentary description of the person they're with
Raisin-colored eyes
Describing the color of the person's eyes
Taking me for granted
Not appreciating the singer
Oh I don't care
Not bothered by their partner's behavior
Beige chiffon, silk and roses
Describing the decor
Lock the door, I'll take your coat
Preparing for a romantic encounter
Let's pretend that it's summer
Imagining a different reality
Keep your bags behind the couch
Not worrying about their belongings for the moment
Send a wire to your sister
Communicating with a family member
Take a pill and go to sleep
Taking medication to fall asleep
I'm not tired of you staying here
Reiterating that they're not tired of the person's company
Lock the door before you leave
Reminder to keep things secure before parting ways
Contributed by Hudson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.