From band site: The next song is called "One More Notch" and was inspired b… Read Full Bio ↴From band site: The next song is called "One More Notch" and was inspired by the 2nd circle of hell in Dante's inferno. It is about a love affair that shouldnt exist, and how the characters are hiding their relationship from the public, but in the end they should not be together and they are dealed out a pretty serious punishment. The song talks about how even after the characters are dead they will still be in hell, echoed in the line "you aren't safe under the earth, hiding your actions covered in dirt" but then, it offers a less cruel option for those who catch themselves early enough and says "like a snake, shedding its skin if you fess up you can start all over again", suggesting that those who confess to the ones they have hurt will be forgiven. As for the narrative, they are dancing in a ballroom and a whirlwind begins to sweep them off the floor- at first it seems romantic and magical but then they begin to spin out of control and at the peak of the dance they burst into flames. The thing is, they are so greedy and self absorbed, they don't realize the other is on fire so they frantically try to save themselves while their "lover" burns. Ahh sweet horrible terrifying justice.

One More Notch
Murder By Death Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Hole up kid there's a storm comin' down
Work those fingers to the bone
You got grit that's a fact
You build 'em up just to knock 'em all down

Dig a hole that goes down deep in the ground
And when the time comes calling
And as the earth all shudders

At the pounding of the feet of the four horsemen

You aren't safe under the earth
Hiding your actions covered in dirt
Like a snake shedding its skin
If you fee up you can start all over again

And the whirlwind lifts you up to the ceiling
The balconies pass but you don't even see them
As they go by and it whops your bodies higher and higher
When your lips lock you both catch on fire
The crowd covers their eyes

You've forgotten everything but yourselves
You don't really even matter to each other
It's the rush that you get when you know you've done wrong
As you bake your bodies separate but you never notice
That the other burning
You just pity yourself

You aren't safe under the earth
Hiding your actions covered in dirt
Like a snake shedding its skin
If you fee up you can start all over again

And the whirlwind lifts you up to the ceiling
The balconies pass but you don't even see them
As they go by and it whops your bodies higher and higher

When your lips lock you both catch on fire
The crowd covers their eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Murder By Death's song "One More Notch" are rich with imagery and symbolism, suggesting themes of guilt, temptation, and escape. The opening lines, "Hole up kid there's a storm comin' down, work those fingers to the bone," evoke a sense of impending danger and urgency. The next lines, "You got grit that's a fact, you build 'em up just to knock 'em all down," suggest a sense of destructive energy and a need to control one's destiny.

The following lines, "Dig a hole that goes down deep in the ground, and when the time comes calling, and as the earth all shudders at the pounding of the feet of the four horsemen," create a vivid image of a person hiding from some kind of apocalyptic event. The repetition of the phrase "You aren't safe under the earth, hiding your actions covered in dirt, like a snake shedding its skin, if you feel up you can start all over again," creates a sense of desperation and futility, suggesting that the person will never truly escape their guilt.

The final stanza, with its description of two people caught up in a self-destructive relationship and the crowd watching in horror, captures the rush of temptation, the heat of passion, and the sense of isolation that can come from making bad choices. The overall meaning of the lyrics is left somewhat ambiguous, but they suggest a world filled with danger and the need to take risks in order to survive.

Line by Line Meaning

Hole up kid there's a storm comin' down
Find shelter because danger is approaching.

Work those fingers to the bone
Put in a lot of effort to prepare for something.

You got grit that's a fact
You are tough and determined.

You build 'em up just to knock 'em all down
You create something only to destroy it later.

Dig a hole that goes down deep in the ground
Hide your actions and their consequences.

And when the time comes calling
When the moment of truth arrives.

And as the earth all shudders
The world will feel the impact of your actions.

At the pounding of the feet of the four horsemen
With the arrival of catastrophic events.

You aren't safe under the earth
You can't escape responsibility for your actions.

Hiding your actions covered in dirt
Trying to conceal the truth.

Like a snake shedding its skin
Changing your identity or persona.

If you fee up you can start all over again
If you escape, you'll have a chance to start anew.

And the whirlwind lifts you up to the ceiling
The chaos surrounding you violently takes you away.

The balconies pass but you don't even see them
You are too focused on yourself and the chaos.

As they go by and it whops your bodies higher and higher
You are being thrown around and damaged by the chaos.

When your lips lock you both catch on fire
The passion between two people is overwhelming.

The crowd covers their eyes
Others are repulsed and don't want to see what's happening.

You've forgotten everything but yourselves
You are egocentric and self-absorbed.

You don't really even matter to each other
The relationship is purely physical and lacks emotional connection.

It's the rush that you get when you know you've done wrong
The thrill of doing something forbidden and dangerous is exciting.

As you bake your bodies separate but you never notice
You are oblivious to the fact that you are hurting each other.

That the other burning
The other person is also in pain.

You just pity yourself
You only care about your own feelings and not the other person's suffering.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: MATTHEW TAYLOR ARMSTRONG, SARAH JACKSON BALLIET, ALEXANDER RANDOLPH SCHRODT, ADAM MICHAEL TURLA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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