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.
wooden floorboards
Hotel Books Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I created them and I hate them
But I ask them to stay
'cause I have this fixation on death
This fixation on change
This fixation on three years I grew out of pain
This fixation on sleep
This fixation on you and on me, but who could I be?
And she told me it was worth it
Because she told me you were last
but darling, I'll hold my tongue as I hold you tight
'cause forgetting what you think love means is my sleeping pill every night
I remember when he woke up and screamed
Maybe our love is just laced with LSD 'cause darling, I'm high on life and you're just high on me
And as I tried my best to read between the lines or lip shake words I've tried to interpret as lies
Only to see the devil hiding deep inside the details
As Lucifer found his way back into retail
And my dear he sold us a product we didn't wanna buy
But we weren't trying to be original
We were just trying to survive
The voices in my brain tell me it's all in my head
And I'll sleep with one eye open
But I won't sleep 'til I'm dead
'cause a fair assessment of existence is an inconsistent realist vision of selfish antics reduced to survival of the fittest
Defined by our ability to avoid those carrying any sickness
And these whispers in my head intensify to raspy screams
Asking when my skull will explode so they can breathe
They know that no one has a voice when no one is listening
And the violent ride of staying silent or quiet is torturous to those who need to hear something
And that violence has its own sort of beauty
And you are my beauty
And you're my violent smile
And you are my violent prayer
And you're not my oxygen
but I breathe your air
'cause these voices in my brain remind me of past mistakes
The beauty I found of being able to say, "Look what I went through - I survived"
But is survival living, or is survival just a place holder for a vacant mind to cut off the threat to coincide with the soil while their blood boils?
'Cause my biggest fear was never facing death or even facing what happens after
My biggest fear was never facing anything like that
My biggest fear was waking up in that coffin with these voices chanting
A of remorse, a force to bore from the course I had chosen
And now I'm laying here frozen
With fear
Staring up at a splintering slab of wood paid for with my life savings
Buried beneath the Earth that grew the weeds that poison my family's feet
What if I woke up, walked back home, and it was like nothing had happened
We left your room the way you left it
We just scrubbed the blood stains out of the carpet
We just rubbed the mud remains out of your pockets
We just dubbed the tough claims of your sonnets
We just evacuated your room and hoped you would too
But your spirit haunted it too long
So we boarded it up, moved along, and watched it become a guest room
A place for the non-permanent inhabitants to exist within this home we created to raise our kid
That was my biggest fear
Finding out something like that would happen
'cause the memories that have come with this only caused everything else to hurt deep inside of this dismissed feeling I feel
But sometimes you have to face the past
And maybe I've never faced death
But if I were to walk away, then what would I be?
These voices in my head, what would they say and what would they see?
Did I survive or am I cursed?
Did I die or die I learn?
What if I woke up like nothing happened?
What if I never wake up?
My dear, then what's my purpose?
What if I woke up like nothing happened?
And darling, darling, what if you woke up too?
The song "Wooden Floorboards" by Hotel Books is a deeply introspective and emotional exploration of the voice inside the singer's head. The lyrics detail the struggle with mental health and the fixation on past pain and trauma that comes with it. The theme of death also permeates the song, with the singer expressing both a fascination with it and a fear of it.
The opening lines, "I have these voices in my brain / I created them and I hate them / But I ask them to stay", set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer acknowledges the presence of the voices but also resents them, while simultaneously relying on them for comfort or companionship. There is a sense of helplessness and resignation in the lines, "But we weren't trying to be original / We were just trying to survive", suggesting that the voices are an integral part of the singer's survival.
The idea of survival is further explored in the later parts of the song, where the singer faces the possibility of death and the uncertainty of what lies beyond. The line "My biggest fear was never facing anything like that" reflects the singer's fear of being forgotten, of having their life reduced to a memory in someone else's mind. The final lines of the song leave the listener with a haunting thought: "What if I never wake up? / My dear, then what's my purpose? / What if I woke up like nothing happened? / And darling, darling, what if you woke up too?" The uncertainty and vulnerability of these lines leave a lasting impression on the listener, emphasizing the fragility of life and the impermanence of all things.
Overall, "Wooden Floorboards" is a raw and emotionally charged song that delves deep into the complexities of mental health and the human experience. It is a poignant reminder of the power of music to connect with audiences on a deeply personal level.
Line by Line Meaning
I have these voices in my brain
The singer has created voices in their mind and hates them, but still listens to them due to their fixation on death, change and past experiences.
I spent three years writing poems about a fixation on the past
The singer fixated on the past and wrote poetry for 3 years about it, but a person told them that it was worth it because they believed the past experiences helped them move on.
But we weren't trying to be original, we were just trying to survive
The singer and others in their situation were not focused on being original, only surviving each day and coping with their past experiences.
And that violence has its own sort of beauty, and you are my beauty
The violence that the singer experienced had a unique beauty to it and the person they are referring to in the song is the thing or person that makes them feel and see that beauty.
'Cause my biggest fear was never facing death or even facing what happens after
The singer is not afraid of death or what comes after it, but rather waking up in a coffin with their inner voices taunting them with 'what ifs'.
What if I never wake up? My dear, then what's my purpose?
The singer is questioning their purpose and existence should they never wake up from death, as their voice would also cease to exist.
Contributed by Bella W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Ty-qe1jb
I have these voices in my brain
I created them and I hate them,
But I ask them to stay
'Cause I have this fixation on death,
This fixation on change,
This fixation on three years I grew out of pain.
This fixation on sleep.
This fixation on you and on me,
But who could I be?
I spent three years writing poems
About a fixation on the past,
And she told me it was worth it,
Because she told me it would last.
But, darling, I will hold my tongue as I hold you tight,
'Cause forgetting what you think love means is my sleeping pill every night.
I remember when you woke up and screamed,
"Maybe our love is just laced with LSD,
'Cause, darling, I'm high on life and you're just high on me."
And as I tried my best to read between the lines,
Your lips shaped words I try to interpret as lies,
Only to see the devil hiding deep inside the details.
As Lucifer found his way back into retail, my dear,
He sold us a product we didn't wanna buy.
But we weren't trying to be original,
We were just trying to survive.
The voices in my brain telling me it's all in my head.
And I'll sleep with one eye open but I won't sleep until I'm dead
'Cause a fair assessment of an existence is an inconsistent
Realist vision of selfish antics
Reduced to survival of the fittest
Defined by our ability to avoid those carrying any sickness.
And these whispers in my head intensify to raspy screams
Asking when my skull will explode so they can breathe.
They know that no one has a voice when no one is listening
And the violent riot of staying silent or quiet is torturous to those who need to hear something
And that violence has its own sort of beauty.
And you are my beauty.
And you're my violent smile.
And you are my violent prayer.
And you're not my oxygen but I breathe your air
'Cause these voices in my brain remind me of past mistakes,
The beauty I found of being able to say, "Look what I went through, I survived."
But is survival living or is survival just a placeholder for a vacant mind to cut off the threat to coincide with the soil while their blood boils?
'Cause my biggest fear was never facing death or even facing what happens after.
My biggest fear was never facing anything like that.
My biggest fear was waking up in that coffin
With these voices chanting a chorus of remorse, a forced abort from the course I had chosen.
And now I'm laying here frozen
With fear staring up at a splintering slab of wood
Paid for with my life savings
Buried beneath the earth that grew the weeds
That poisoned my family's feet.
What if I woke up, walked back home and it was like nothing had happened?
"We left your room the way you left it,
We just scrubbed the blood stains out of the carpet,
We just rubbed the mud remains out your pockets,
We just dubbed the tough claims out of your sonnets.
We just evacuated your room and hoped you would too
But your spirit haunted it too long so we boarded it,
Up moved along and watched it become a guest room.
A place for the non-permanent inhabitants to exist
Within this home we created to raise our kid."
That was my biggest fear, finding out something like that would happen.
'Cause the memories have come with this
Only cause everything else to hurt deep inside of this dismissed feeling I feel.
But sometimes you have to face the past.
And maybe I've never faced death
But if I were to walk away then what would I be?
These voices in my head,
What would they say and what would they see?
Did I survive or am I cursed?
Did I die or did I learn?
What if I woke up like nothing happened?
What if I never wake up?
My dear, then what's my purpose?
What if I woke up like nothing happened?
And, darling, darling, what if you woke up too?
@charlesponder1004
"And darling, darling... What if you woke up too?"
Gives me chills.
@clarissalikespizza5344
oh my god, same
@JayQtea
I'm not sure I understanding the meaning of that last line
@DailyScratcher
Jay Q pretty sure somebody passed away. either that or its a figure of speech like what if you woke up and realized all this is wrong idk something like that
@AAsLightShows
it's a story of a man dealing with depression after his wife commit suicide.
@decaf4450
what also gets to me is ''we dubbed the tough claims out of your sonnets''
@consvmeco
Every word, every phrase, hits me harder everytime, gives me hope, sadness, happiness, anger... It's unreal... and i'm in love with it.
@ratmrage
lol u sugg
@luvvlc
Do you still listen?
@jasminelitsa5885
The first line "I have these voices in my brain and I created them and I hate them, but I ask them to stay." Got me right in the feels. My whole depression was based on all of those voices.