Escalators
I the Mighty Lyrics


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Floating down escalators
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
Just build the biggest one, then all the smaller ones come down
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

Overall Meaning

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.
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Comments from YouTube:

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.

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