AJ Estrada - Vocals, Guitars, Keys, Saxophone
Brandon Peterson - Vocals, Guitars, Keys
Neil Scalesse - Drums, Percussion
Mike Nixdorf - Percussion, Glockenspiel, Organ
Anthony Arma - Bass Guitar
Mike Solomon - Keys, Organ, Vocals
NOAH
Hotel of the Laughing Tree Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Noah don't know how to do,
And Noah don't know why.
Maybe, maybe it's your attitude,
Or maybe it's the girls you knew,
Or maybe it's the nights you let fly by.
You're right, you brought me here, I don't know anyone else.
Shine it on my window pane, to prove to me that you're insane.
Noah, Noah are your animals completely irresponsible?
Maybe they're just high.
Noah, Noah isn't here today, he forgot to pay his bills and pray,
So now he sleeps below with twenty guys.
We'll I'm right, I know your face, it can't be nobody else.
So all the lonely people will show me how to go.
Take another walk outside, and hide me from your fathers eyes.
So what does it take to sail my ship, you saint?
This must be the place, I recognize the waves.
They said they saw someone down below,
crack open the hull, and drip through my bones.
Come dawn, I'll watch my final scene,
She floats off the beach and carries my fleet.
I know you can see from mile to mile,
when everyone laughs but nobody smiles,
you can't navigate across the sea
when everybody wants to throw a party for me.
I'm not sinking ships to pass the time,
I just fall in line like a new born bride.
I can't help myself but shine so bright,
like the little red light on your traffic signs.
You can't take what's right and mine from me,
when everybody wants to throw a party for me,
I can't take you where you want to be,
when everybody wants to throw a party for me.
The song "Noah" by Hotel of the Laughing Tree is a poignant commentary on the troubles and insecurities of the titular character, Noah. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is adrift, confused, and struggling to find his place in the world. Noah doesn't know what to do, how to do it, or even why he's doing it. His attitude and past experiences with women are held up as possible explanations for his predicament.
The next stanza highlights the role of love in Noah's life, and how he feels grateful for the love he has received from someone. However, he is still unsure whether this love is genuine or a manifestation of the other person's insanity. This illustrates Noah's lack of trust and confidence in his relationships.
The song then seems to shift to a new perspective, where someone is asking Noah questions about his animals, which are possibly a metaphor for his unpredictable emotions. Noah is portrayed as someone who is irresponsible and forgetful, choosing to sleep with twenty guys when he can't pay his bills. This paints a picture of a person who is unable to manage his own life, let alone take care of others.
In the final stanza, the singer seems to be contemplating the nature of his own existence. He talks about the waves, and how they make him feel like this is the right place for him. He then describes a scene where his fleet is carried away by the waves, as if his life is a journey that he is unable to control. Finally, he talks about how people want to throw a party for him, but he can't navigate across the sea and take them where they want to be.
Overall, "Noah" is a deeply introspective and melancholic song about a character who is struggling with his own identity and place in the world. The lyrics are full of metaphors and allusions, making it a rich and complex piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Noah, Noah don't know what to do,
Noah is clueless and doesn't have any idea about what to do.
Noah don't know how to do,
Noah lacks the knowledge or expertise to accomplish anything.
And Noah don't know why.
Noah is unaware of the cause or reason behind his situation.
Maybe, maybe it's your attitude,
There is a possibility that Noah's negative attitude is causing his predicament.
Or maybe it's the girls you knew,
Noah's past relationships with certain girls might be contributing to his troubles.
Or maybe it's the nights you let fly by.
Noah wasted his previous nights, and he is now experiencing the aftermath of that.
You're right, you brought me here, I don't know anyone else.
The singer acknowledges that they are here because of the other person and doesn't have any connections of their own.
So I will take your love and spread it all around.
The artist will use the other person's love as a means to gain the affection of others.
Shine it on my window pane, to prove to me that you're insane.
The other person's excessive display of affection will be used to demonstrate their craziness to the artist.
Noah, Noah are your animals completely irresponsible?
The artist questions whether Noah's animals are uncontrollable or not.
Maybe they're just high.
The possibility exists that the animals are in an altered state.
Noah, Noah isn't here today, he forgot to pay his bills and pray,
Noah is absent because of his inability to fulfill his obligations and religious rites.
So now he sleeps below with twenty guys.
As a result, Noah is sleeping with a group of men below the surface.
We'll I'm right, I know your face, it can't be nobody else.
The singer assures the other person that they are the right one for them because they recognize their face as soon as they saw them.
So all the lonely people will show me how to go.
The singer will follow the lead of all the lonely people on how to live alone.
Take another walk outside, and hide me from your fathers eyes.
To avoid getting caught by the father figure, the artist asks to take a walk outside while hiding.
So what does it take to sail my ship, you saint?
The artist challenges the other person and asks them what they would do in their situation.
This must be the place, I recognize the waves.
The singer feels like they are where they are meant to be because of the familiarity of the waves.
They said they saw someone down below,
There are rumors of someone being under the surface.
crack open the hull, and drip through my bones.
The artist is imagining the sensation of water seeping through the hull of the ship.
Come dawn, I'll watch my final scene,
The artist anticipates the sunrise as it will mark the end of their life.
She floats off the beach and carries my fleet.
At the time of the artist's death, a vessel takes them away from the shore.
I know you can see from mile to mile,
The singer is confident that the other person has a broad understanding of their situation.
when everyone laughs but nobody smiles,
When people are pretending to be happy but they are actually sad.
you can't navigate across the sea
The singer believes it is impossible to cross the vast sea.
when everybody wants to throw a party for me.
No one can move forward until the singer is gone or absent.
I'm not sinking ships to pass the time,
The singer is not purposely trying to cause chaos or confusion.
I just fall in line like a new born bride.
The artist is following a structure or guideline because they are new to this.
I can't help myself but shine so bright,
The artist can't help to appear as a shining star and draw attention to themselves.
like the little red light on your traffic signs.
The singer compares themselves to a traffic light that is difficult to ignore.
You can't take what's right and mine from me,
The singer is protecting something that belongs to them and cannot be taken away by anyone else.
when everybody wants to throw a party for me,
Again, the artist believes that everything has to stop until they are completely gone or finished.
I can't take you where you want to be,
The artist can't help the other person to reach their desired destination.
when everybody wants to throw a party for me.
The artist's magnetic or overwhelming personality takes the attention away from everyone and everything else.
Contributed by Lucas J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.