Step by Step
Oliver Hart Lyrics

I got a little story to tell
The singer is about to share a personal experience or anecdote.

See it was September 1st, 1999, the day of my death
The singer is describing the specific day he died, which serves as the starting point for his afterlife journey.

My back was on the cold concrete as I take my last breath
The singer is dying and noticing physical sensations as his soul leaves his body.

Saw my body laying on the ground as my soul hovered above me
The artist is experiencing an out-of-body moment where he can see his physical body below, while his soul remains above it.

Damn Eyedea you was a good lookin' cat
The artist is observing his own physical appearance before he died.

But anyway another day at 18 years of age
The singer is reflecting on his young age when he died.

Step in heaven's gate anxious to see what God got to say
The singer is entering the afterlife with a sense of curiosity and anticipation about meeting God.

Maybe he'll give me a gift for always saying my prayers
The artist is hopeful that his devotion to religion will be rewarded in the afterlife.

But he might send me downstairs for last year's love affair
The artist is acknowledging the possibility that he may be punished for past mistakes or moral transgressions.

Well who cares
The artist is expressing a casual attitude towards the uncertainty of his afterlife destination.

You know right now it's all a mystery
The singer is acknowledging the unknown nature of the afterlife.

I mean I'll find out when I get there
The artist is recognizing that he can't know for sure what will happen until he experiences the afterlife.

Until then I can't let it get to me
The singer is choosing to remain calm and not worry about his uncertain fate until it happens.

I'm keepin' my cool
The singer is expressing that he is not getting overly anxious or nervous about the unknown aspects of the afterlife.

Besides everybody dies
The singer is acknowledging the universal experience of death as a basic fact of life.

I'll just follow the white light like the do in the movies
The artist is referencing the trope of following a white light to heaven as portrayed in popular culture.

It seems like I was went by and I'm still travelin
The artist is expressing a sense of timelessness and endlessness in his journey through the afterlife.

Right towards the brightness
The singer is moving towards a bright light or source of illumination in the afterlife.

Now this ain't heaven of hell
The singer is characterizing his current location in the afterlife as something other than traditional visions of heaven or hell.

This realm is lifeless
The artist is describing his current location in the afterlife as lacking or devoid of life or energy.

And I hate to say it
The artist is expressing frustration or disappointment with his current circumstances in the afterlife.

But this wild goose chase had me bored
The artist is feeling bored or unengaged with the current journey he is on in the afterlife.

No directions, no clues, no idea what I was in for
The singer is expressing confusion and a lack of guidance or information as he navigates the afterlife.

But forward I kept floating
The artist is persisting in his journey through the afterlife despite the lack of direction or guidance.

And then a quick flash the lights split directly in half
The singer experiences a sudden change or shift in the afterlife that is represented by a flash of light and a split in the path he is following.

And created a forked path
The singer is describing a fork in the road or divergence in his journey through the afterlife.

Representing each side is an angel
The singer sees an angel at each potential path in the fork, indicating that they represent different choices or directions.

Now whats the task I have to untangle to meet the big man in charge I ask
The artist is seeking clarity and information from the angels in order to figure out how to find God.

And one on the right of me says one of us always lies and one that always tells the truth
One of the angels introduces a puzzle or riddle that the artist must solve in order to determine which path will lead him to God.

Ask the right one the right question he'll direct you to heaven
The solution to the riddle is that the singer must ask one of the angels a specific question that will reveal which path leads to heaven.

If ask the wrong one son, farewell you going straight to well....
If the singer asks the wrong question or chooses the wrong path, he will end up in hell instead of heaven.

Y'all get the picture
The artist seeks confirmation or understanding from his audience about the challenge he is facing in solving the angel's riddle.

The one on my left told me not to listen to his fibs
The artist is being cautioned by one of the angels to not believe the other's lies or falsehoods that may mislead him.

He said it ain't that complicated to find out where god lives
One of the angels is suggesting to the artist that the answer to the riddle is more simple than it may seem.

He told me to follow his path
One of the angels is advising the singer to follow his path in order to reach God.

And tell god that he said hi
One of the angels is suggesting to the artist to send greetings to God from him once he meets him.

Then the one on my right jumped in and told me not to believe his lies
The second angel is disputing the claims made by the first angel and urging the singer to not be misled by him.

And I'm like Jesus Fucking Christ
The singer is expressing frustration and exasperation with the confusing and contradictory advice he is receiving from the angels.

I didn't care much for life
The singer is reflecting on his attitude towards life before he died, suggesting that he wasn't overly invested in it.

But I've tried to stay alive forever if I knew this is what death was like
The artist is remarking on how unpleasant and confusing the afterlife experience has been so far, suggesting that he would have wished to avoid it if he had known what it would be like.

I was never good at problem solving especially in emergencies
The artist is acknowledging a personal weakness or limitation in problem-solving, which is being challenged in the afterlife.

I get a tad bit nervous when concerned with burning for eternity
The singer is expressing a fear or anxiety about the potential for eternal punishment or damnation in the afterlife.

But anyway I asked them which one lied and they pointed at each other
The singer has attempted to solve the angel's riddle by asking them which one is lying, but their answers are still contradictory and don't provide clear direction.

Thinking I'd had it I asked the name of my mother
The artist is becoming frustrated and seeks to change the subject, asking a question that is unrelated to the riddle or his journey through the afterlife.

One said he don't know the other said he know but he can't tell me
The angels continue to provide unhelpful and contradictory answers, adding to the artist's confusion and frustration.

God damn this is going to be hard
The artist is expressing defeat and difficulty in the face of the riddle and conflicting information he has received from the angels.

So I asked 30 questions and I still wasn't sure
The singer has made numerous attempts to solve the riddle and determine which path leads to God, but has been unsuccessful so far.

But being me I gave those pricks a few good words
The artist has become angry and frustrated with the angels, and has resorted to insulting them.

Frustrated with it all
The singer is fed up with the challenge he is facing and the lack of progress he has made so far.

I turned my back to the angels and when I walked away to my surprise
The singer has given up on trying to solve the riddle, and has decided to walk away from the path altogether.

I found myself in heaven
Despite giving up on the challenge of the angel's riddle, the singer has somehow ended up in heaven, suggesting that his fate was determined by something other than the riddle or his decisions in the afterlife.

I Walked away, walked away, walked straight into heaven...
The artist is describing how he arrived in heaven, suggesting that it was through a process of walking or moving towards it.