After self-releasing 2007's All Lies and 2008's Lullaby Death Jams EPs to little attention, the band was effectively broken up by the end of 2008. In January 2009, Japandroids signed to Unfamiliar Records for the release of their debut LP Post-Nothing, deciding to continue on temporarily. The album quickly and unexpectedly rose to wide critical acclaim after its April release. King and Prowse were subsequently signed to Polyvinyl and toured extensively throughout 2009 and 2010, playing more than 200 shows in 20 countries and earning praise for their extremely energetic live performances. A compilation of Japandroids' self-released EPs, entitled No Singles, as well as a series of three 7" singles, "Art Czars," "Younger Us," and "Heavenward Grand Prix" were released in the meantime. The tour ultimately concluded on October 27, 2010.
After working on new material throughout 2011, Japandroids announced in March 2012 that their second LP, Celebration Rock, would be released internationally on June 5, prefaced by the single "The House That Heaven Built" on May 15. Similarly to its predecessor, Celebration Rock was also widely acclaimed by critics.
The House That Heaven Built
Japandroids Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was laid to rest
And the nights forgotten and left for dead
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
I happened on a house
Built of living light
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
I settled in slowly, to this house that you call home
To blood and breath, fear, flesh and bone
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Blush of our bodies in the heat of the night
All day the day after, reddened the skies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
It's a lifeless life, with no fixed address to give
But you're not mine to die for anymore
So I must live
Born of a bottle, from heaven's hand
And now you know and here I am
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
The House That Heaven Built by Japandroids is a song that speaks to the soul of the city, addressing its death and unremembered nights. The lyrics hold a sense of melancholy, acknowledging the inevitable death of the city and the people within it. However, within this darkness, there is a glimmer of hope found in a house built of living light where all evil disappears and dies. This house is the safe space where the singer settles in, where they are free to be themselves, blood and breath, fear, flesh, and bone, and where they are able to let themselves go and enjoy the carnality of life.
The refrain "When they love you, and they will, tell 'em all they're loving my shadow, and if they try to slow you down, tell 'em all to go to hell" speaks to the fear of losing oneself in a relationship, where the other person loves only the shadow of the person and not the person themselves. The line "It's a lifeless life, with no fixed address to give, but you're not mine to die for anymore, so I must live" expresses the singer's acceptance that they are not beholden to anyone and can live life on their terms. The final lines of the song, "When they love me, and they will, I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow, and if they try to slow me down, we'll tell 'em all to go to hell" encapsulate the idea that the singer has matured and is no longer afraid to stand up for themselves, even to those they love.
Line by Line Meaning
When the soul of the city
Was laid to rest
The city was dead and forgotten.
And the nights forgotten and left for dead
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
The city was so dead that even the nights were forgotten.
I happened on a house
Built of living light
Where everything evil disappears and dies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
The singer found a house made of light where evil could not exist.
When they love you, and they will (and they will)
Tell 'em all they're loving my shadow
And if they try to slow you down (slow you down)
Tell 'em all to go to hell
The singer advises to embrace your true self and ignore those who attempt to hinder you.
I settled in slowly, to this house that you call home
To blood and breath, fear, flesh and bone
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
The singer made this house their home, where they experience emotions and being alive.
Blush of our bodies in the heat of the night
All day the day after, reddened the skies
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
The passion of the night affects the day, causing reddened skies.
It's a lifeless life, with no fixed address to give
But you're not mine to die for anymore
So I must live
The singer feels that their life has no purpose, but they can no longer die for someone who is not theirs.
Born of a bottle, from heaven's hand
And now you know and here I am
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh oh, oh
The singer was created from an unknown source and is now present.
When they love me, and they will (and they will)
I'll tell 'em all they're loving your shadow
And if they try to slow me down (slow you down)
We'll tell 'em all to go to hell
The singer will tell people they are loving the shadow of the person they are with and will ignore those who attempt to slow them down.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Brian King, David Prowse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
David Findlay
I could live in this song forever.
Kenny Vasquez
This song fucking kills, in 2017, 2021, through the pandemic, now in 2022... It will always be as beautiful and powerful for anyone who hears it, knows it, turns it onto people, for anyone who loves it. It will always be there for me
Groteskfull
Damn, this is a certified fist-pumping banger of a tune!! Really lights a fire under you
startervisions
one of the great rock songs for our generation
AK
This song makes me wish that I was twenty two again without a care in the world and knowing that I was unstoppable.
JulexX Ka
gettin 22 today, reading this randomly, instantly feeling better. ty for reminding me to acting my age
fallendeacon
@JulexX Ka Whoa oh oh oh ah ah ah oh oh!
Zach Wells
It also works for us people who aren't 22 and are trying to light a fire under our own asses.
Napoleon Wilson
I'm 40 at the end of this month...and I still am unstoppable. Happy Japandroids day!
Tryptych90
@Napoleon Wilson fuck yeah dude that's amazing