It didn't take long for I the Mighty to start making an impression on the West Coast. The quartet landed on the music director's desk at local modern rock station Live 105 around the release of Hearts and Spades, and from there it's been one milestone after another. I the Mighty have found regular radio airplay, opening slots for Deftones, Hawthorne Heights, and There For Tomorrow, as well as packed venues up and down the West Coast. Not to mention glowing reviews and coverage in Alternative Press, AMP Magazine, and on AbsolutePunk.net
"We wanted to introduce I the Mighty and Hearts and Spades to as many people as possible, so we decided to put together a 'track hunt' and make each of the songs available on different social media sites and later on Purevolume.com," explains singer Brent Walsh. "We researched how our fans and friends discovered music online and embraced that by giving them a reason to connect with us (the EP for free) and then we tried to build a personal friendship with each one." The band's marketing strategy has been an unquestionable success, with over 3,500 full EP downloads within the first 3 months of release.
In addition to their high-energy live set, I the Mighty have paired new media intellect with traditional promotion to help build a loyal and enthusiastic group of fans.
They were signed to Equal Vision records and released three albums before breaking up in 2020 due to frontman Brent Walsh receiving sexual assault allegations.
Escalators
I the Mighty Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your eyes are green, your heart is black
You've done some ugly things, now it's too late to take them back
Just money mongers here who never filled their karma cups
Now death has brought them here, and this room in hell is filling up
From town to town he came
To build his wealth he bought them out
We live the golden age 1909, 1909
Much money to be made monopolize, monopolize
Woah oh, oh you're so
Deserving of the place you're in
Escalating down in rows
Woah oh, oh you're soul
Was conscious of the path you chose
Here's proof that somebody knows
On a wooden stage he speaks
Eloquently about his feast, he swayed a simple folk
But in the middle of his speech
A none position screams "A man of one! A man of one!"
His threat was well received and so he hung and so he hung
And now it's all verse one it's all verse one
(Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!)
Woah oh, oh you're so
Deserving of the place you're in
Escalating down in rows
Woah oh, oh you're soul
Was conscious of the path you chose
Here's proof that somebody knows
And you can call, oh brother call
Yes, you can call, oh brother call
No one can hear you, not at all
But you can call, oh brother call
And you can call, oh brother call
(Floating down escalators, you're eyes are green you're heart is black)
Yes, you can call, oh brother call
(You've done some ugly things, now it's too late to take them back)
No one can hear you, not at all
(Just money mongers here, who never filled their karma cups)
But you can call, oh brother call
(Now death has brought them here, and this room in hell is filling up)
We give you death by forty-five
It's what we call your last time out, your last time out
By forty-five, it's what we call your last time out
Woah oh, oh you're so
Deserving of the place you're in
Escalating down in rows
Woah oh, oh you're soul
Was conscious of the path you chose
Here's proof that somebody knows
We give you death by forty-five
It's what we call your last time out, your last time out
By forty-five, it's what we call your last time out, your last time out
The lyrics of I the Mighty's song "Escalators" are an intense critique of greed and the consequences that come with it. The title itself refers to the metaphorical downward spiral that the characters are being dragged into, perhaps not in a literal sense but more in a spiritual one. The opening lines state "floating down escalators" implying a comfortable and effortless descent into hell where they are now trapped. The singer, whose "eyes are green" implying envy, and "heart is black" implying wickedness, has done some "ugly things" that cannot be undone. The setting of the song appears to be in a room in Hell, with people who never filled their "karma cups" in life. As the song progresses, it discusses the different ways in which greed rears its ugly head, including the monopolization of small businesses, taking advantage of common folk, and even the death penalty.
The second verse of "Escalators" details the growth of the singer's riches and his bloodthirsty way to monopolize small businesses. The year "1909" is repeated to create a sense of era and setting. The singer grows rich by buying out small businesses and destroying them while he builds larger ones. His greed, however, ultimately leads to his downfall. The third verse of the song recounts the story of a speaker, perhaps the singer, who was well-received until someone "screams a none position." The confrontation that follows leads to the hanging of the singer. The chorus repeats throughout the song, reflecting on the inevitability of justice for the wicked, the idea that someone is always observing and taking note of their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Floating down escalators
Moving downward without making any effort
Your eyes are green, your heart is black
You have envy and greed in your heart
You've done some ugly things, now it's too late to take them back
You have committed immoral acts that cannot be undone
Just money mongers here who never filled their karma cups
People who prioritize money over doing good deeds
Now death has brought them here, and this room in hell is filling up
Death has brought the unrighteous to a place of eternal punishment
From town to town he came
He traveled around looking for ways to increase his wealth and power
To build his wealth he bought them out
He gained riches by buying out his competition
Just build the biggest one, then all the smaller ones come down
By monopolizing the industry, he was able to eliminate the smaller players
We live the golden age 1909, 1909
We are experiencing an era of prosperity and wealth
Much money to be made monopolize, monopolize
There is a lot of money to be made by monopolizing the market
Woah oh, oh you're so
Expressing sarcasm towards someone's negative qualities
Deserving of the place you're in
Deserving of the punishment that you are receiving
Escalating down in rows
Moving downwards in an orderly manner
Woah oh, oh you're soul
Expressing recognition of someone's spiritual nature
Was conscious of the path you chose
You were aware of the immoral deeds that you committed
Here's proof that somebody knows
The fact that you are being punished is proof that a higher power is aware of your actions
On a wooden stage he speaks
A person speaks to a crowd on a wooden platform
Eloquently about his feast, he swayed a simple folk
He spoke persuasively about his own success and influenced the less educated and unimportant people
But in the middle of his speech
A disruption occurred during his speech
A none position screams "A man of one! A man of one!"
A person accuses the artist of being selfish and only caring about himself
His threat was well received and so he hung and so he hung
The people acted on the accusation and punished the artist
And now it's all verse one it's all verse one
Repeating that history is repeating itself
We give you death by forty-five
A warning that there will be consequences for bad actions
It's what we call your last time out, your last time out
It is the end of the line for you and your poor decisions
By forty-five, it's what we call your last time out
Your bad deeds will catch up to you eventually
Contributed by Hailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
zerologic
This band's drummer is on point! Trippy, pro-style fills.
lazomba
My teacher went to school with him haha They have gaming party's whenever they come through on a tour.
LORDDAKNESS
the band above "I The Mighty" is talking about the Buddhist wheel of life its called Samara.
Quinn Dennis
After 100's of plays I have come to the conclusion that this is the best song of the album.
David Vodicka
this is by far my favorite song. i literally limit myself to listening to it once every few days to make sure i don't spam it and ruin it. the whole song is just so atmospheric and every time i get to the bridge i get chills up my spine.
Caleb Rogers
Have not put those restrictions in place, still not ruined after a couple of months
duckduckpajamas
I get the chills when he starts talking about the smaller ones come down and the golden age. They do so well at getting you invested in the story.. More than most modern film makers
newbie
I do the same thing with songs I like
Julio Alberto Martin Jimenez
Best discovery in YEARS. Wishing the best for this band.
IonSquared
So why did this EP - which is brilliant, no doubt - get so much attention and their debut album has gone relatively unnoticed? It's their best work yet and my album of the year so far. Fans of this EP, go check out their album Satori immediately.