Hotel Books began in 2010. After the release of "Call Me Human," many demos were released online, which ultimately became "Everything We Could Have Done Differently." After extensive touring in the US and overseas, the band signed to InVogue Records, under which they released a double-packaged EP, "I'm Almost Happy Here, But I Never Feel At Home" as well as two full band records, "Run Wild, Young Beauty," and "Run Wild, Stay Alive," along with two albums in the "Equivalency" series and an experimental LP "I'll Leave the Light on Just in Case."
The band's InVogue Records debut, "I'm Almost Happy Here, But I Never Feel at Home" was released July 1, 2014, via InVogue Records. The album received mostly positive reviews, as well as earned the band their first Billboard chartings; No. 9 on Alternative New Artists and No. 20 on Heatseekers, for the album's debut week. Their next effort, "Run Wild, Young Beauty," was released on April 7, 2015, and spent three total weeks on the Billboard charts.
In 2016, Hotel Books released their second long-player "Run Wild, Stay Alive" to negative and mixed reviews. The album focused more on the rock elements and traditional song structure.
In October of 2017, Hotel Books released "Equivalency" via InVogue Records to critical acclaim.
Hotel Books has toured the United States, Europe, Asia, and Australia, playing with a variety of notable acts, including Defeater, Counterparts, and I Prevail.
August
Hotel Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then I'm gonna continue to chisel it
′Cause that's what I do when I find myself in a new relationship
'Cause I remember when this started out as mud mixed with water that turned to clay
And I watched it break and break and look more like the image I wanted to make
It′s pathetic, I know but it′s all anyone ever gave
'Cause I was born a virgin covered in blood and free of sin
And that′s the exact shape I wanna make when I jump off this bridge
I'm tired of trying to be something that I can′t be
And I'm tired of fighting for something that I can′t see
I'm finding new life in every regret and finding regrets in everything I forget
And the second I'm at peace I′m thrown off by my need to make everything complete
′Cause I'm a sucker for the rule of 3′s
You hurt me and I hurt you but when I hurt you something needs to happen to give me some sort closure
And I'm sorry for this poor posture, I just can′t stand up straight and take this like a man today
I'm too broken and there′s so many things I want to say if only you would listen
And I'll put my fingers in the door so when I close it on you, maybe I'll hurt a little bit too
I′ll put my fingers in the door so when I close it on you, I′ll hurt a little bit too
Because the only reason I held on to you was because I felt I had nothing left
And the deeper I carve into this rock, I'm realizing it′s not gonna fit into the shape I want
So I quit
'Cause I′ve always been afraid to fall in love
'Cause there′s something about falling that just doesn't sound worth it
And I've said it before and I′ll say it again
It was problematic at best because you beckoned me and you lessened me
And no other love would accommodate my blindfold so easily
But now I can see, now I can see
God, I gave you all of my love but I can′t see past this hurt
God, I gave you all of my love so now what do I give to her?
God, I gave you all of my love, I just can't see past this hurt
God, I gave you all of my love, so what am I supposed to give to her?
God, I gave you all of my love, I just can′t see past this hurt
God, I gave you all of my love so what am I supposed to give to her?
'Cause I′m terrified, I'm terrified but I′ve never felt so alive
I'm terrified, I'm terrified but I′ve never, I′ve never felt so alive, I've never felt so alive
The song "August" by Hotel Books is a poetic expression of the struggles that come with starting and ending a relationship. The first verse talks about chiseling away at a rock to create an image, which parallels the process of forming a relationship. The singer describes how they had to mold the "mud mixed with water that turned to clay" into the shape they wanted. Despite it being a difficult process, they continued to shape the relationship into what they desired. However, in the end, the singer realized that they were not meant to be together, and they quit.
The second verse delves into the singer's inner turmoil as they struggle to move on from the failed relationship. They are tired of pretending to be someone they are not and fighting for something they cannot see. The rule of 3's is a literary device where things are grouped in threes, and the singer describes themselves as a sucker for it. This repetition further emphasizes the idea that the singer is struggling to find closure and move on.
The bridge of the song expresses the pain caused by both the singer and their former partner. They describe how they are sorry for their poor posture, implying that they might have acted childish during the relationship's ending. They also wish their former partner would listen to all the things they want to say. In the end, the singer admits to being afraid of falling in love because it always ends in hurt.
Overall, "August" explores the pain of ending a relationship and the struggle of moving on. It also explores the fear of falling in love and being hurt again.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm gonna chisel away at this rock until I get the shape that I want
I will keep working on this new relationship until it meets my desired outcome.
And then I'm gonna continue to chisel it
Even after achieving my desired outcome, I will still work on improving the relationship.
'Cause that's what I do when I find myself in a new relationship
Constantly working to better the relationship is my approach to new relationships.
'Cause I remember when this started out as mud mixed with water that turned to clay
This relationship started out messy, but with work, it has become something solid.
And I watched it break and break and look more like the image I wanted to make
Through trials and tribulations, the relationship has become what I intended it to be.
It′s pathetic, I know but it′s all anyone ever gave
My approach to relationships may seem excessive, but it is all I have learned from past experiences.
'Cause I was born a virgin covered in blood and free of sin
My identity is tied to my innocence and purity from birth.
And that′s the exact shape I wanna make when I jump off this bridge
I want to return to my pure and innocent state, even if that means hurting myself.
I′m tired of trying to be something that I can′t be
I am exhausted from pretending to be someone I am not.
And I'm tired of fighting for something that I can′t see
It is draining to fight for something that I am not sure exists.
I'm finding new life in every regret and finding regrets in everything I forget
I am learning and growing from my mistakes, and realizing missed opportunities.
And the second I'm at peace I'm thrown off by my need to make everything complete
As soon as I find a moment of tranquility, I am driven to continue working and fixing things.
'Cause I'm a sucker for the rule of 3′s
I am superstitious and follow patterns, such as the rule of three.
You hurt me and I hurt you but when I hurt you something needs to happen to give me some sort closure
When you hurt me, I feel the need to hurt you to feel closure and move on.
And I'm sorry for this poor posture, I just can′t stand up straight and take this like a man today
I apologize for my weakness, as I am unable to handle the situation with strength and dignity today.
I'm too broken and there′s so many things I want to say if only you would listen
I am emotionally drained and unable to express myself effectively without your willingness to listen.
And I'll put my fingers in the door so when I close it on you, maybe I'll hurt a little bit too
I am willing to cause myself pain to hurt you in return and achieve closure.
Because the only reason I held on to you was because I felt I had nothing left
I clung to you out of desperation, feeling that I had nothing else in my life.
And the deeper I carve into this rock, I'm realizing it′s not gonna fit into the shape I want
Despite my efforts to mold this relationship, I am realizing that it may not turn out as intended.
So I quit
I give up on this relationship.
'Cause I've always been afraid to fall in love
I have a fear of love and commitment.
'Cause there′s something about falling that just doesn't sound worth it
I do not see the value in allowing myself to fall in love.
And I've said it before and I′ll say it again
I have previously expressed this sentiment and will continue to do so.
It was problematic at best because you beckoned me and you lessened me
Our relationship had its issues, as I felt both drawn in and diminished by you.
And no other love would accommodate my blindfold so easily
I struggle to find love that allows me to remain ignorant or blind to certain aspects.
But now I can see, now I can see
I have gained perspective and am now able to see things more clearly.
God, I gave you all of my love but I can′t see past this hurt
I have put my faith in a higher power, but am still struggling to move beyond the hurt of this relationship.
God, I gave you all of my love so now what do I give to her?
I have given all of my love to a higher power, but am unsure what to offer in a new relationship.
'Cause I'm terrified, I'm terrified but I've never felt so alive
I am scared, but this situation is making me feel more alive than ever before.
I'm terrified, I'm terrified but I′ve never, I′ve never felt so alive, I've never felt so alive
My fear is accompanied by an intense feeling of being alive and present in the moment.
Writer(s): Nicholas Stephen Moore, Cameron Smith
Contributed by Jason K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@skyl2661
I’m gonna chisel away at this rock
Until I get the shape that I want
And then I’m gonna continue to chisel it
Because that’s what I do when I find myself in a new relationship
Because I remember when this started out as mud
Mixed with water that turned to clay
And I would watch it break and break
And look more like the image I wanted to make
And it’s pathetic, I know
But it’s all anyone ever gave
‘Cause I was born a virgin
Covered in blood and free of sin
And that’s the exact shape I wanna make
When I jump off this bridge
I’m tired of trying to be something that I can’t be
And I’m tired of fighting for something that I can’t see
I’m finding new life in every regret
And finding regrets in everything I forget
And the second I’m at peace, I’m thrown off by my need
To make everything complete
‘Cause I’m a sucker for the Rule of Threes
You hurt me and I hurt you
But when I hurt you, something needed to happen
To give me some sort of closure
And I’m sorry for this poor posture
I just can’t stand up straight and take this like a man today
I’m too broken
And there’s so many things I wanna say
If only you would listen
And I’ll put my fingers in the door, so when I close it on you
Maybe I’ll hurt a little bit too
I'll put my fingers in the door, so when I close it on you
I'll hurt a little bit too
Because the only reason I held onto you
Was because I felt I had nothing left
And the deeper I carve into this rock
I realize it’s not gonna fit into the shape that I want
So I quit
Because I’ve always been afraid to fall in love
Because there’s something about falling
That just doesn’t sound worth it
And I've said it before, and I’ll say it again:
It was problematic at best
Because you beckoned me and you lessened me
And no other love would accommodate my blindfold so easily
But now I can see, now I can see
God, I gave you all of my love
But I can’t see past this hurt
God, I gave you all of my love
So now what do I give to her?
God, I gave you all of my love
I just can’t see past this hurt
God, I gave you all of my love
So what am I supposed to give to her?
God, I gave you all of my love
Yet I just can’t see past this hurt
God, I gave you all of my love
So what am I supposed to give to her?
'Cause I’m terrified, I'm terrified
But I’ve never felt so alive
I’m terrified, I'm terrified
But I've never, I've never felt so alive
I've never felt so alive
@estebanrubio3703
My parents didn't sign the permission slip for this feels trip...
@talkcookiemonster
The way he screams just gives me chills!
@officialxomusic
''Because I’ve always been afraid to fall in love because there’s something about falling, that just doesn’t sound worth it.''
<3 exactly how i feel :c
@officialxomusic
I think everyone was hit by this song :c
we are all beaten up xD
@esotericsauce3089
You feeling better man?
@VonVisualsOfficial
it didn't take very long to get into this band...
@ashleyhamilton2500
Von Visuals it took me the first line of the first song i heard, Lose One Friend
@taylorroy2131
+MotionlessInHannah mine was dreaming or sinking and I am in love
@briankoch9786
+Von Visuals I first heard July and August (the mixed music video) and I was completely hooked. Spoken word gets me every time.
@Blank-ez7mu
Von Visuals I first heard nothing was the same