Formed in Helsingborg, Sweden, in 2012, the duo won the prestigious music industry award 'Denniz Pop Awards' in 2015. In the spring of 2016 the duo won Musexpo in Los Angeles in the category 'New emerging International Artist'.
Hotel Walls
Smith & Thell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I rent the earth where I stay and the air I breathe
Then you forget that deal you made with God
While busy finding yourself being young, being dumb, and in love
It's all too easy and you're easily bored
Never once has it crossed your mind that life's too short
And there's a third person walking behind us
A tap on the back and it's there to remind us
So I stand back and I watch us fall
As we break everything inside these hotel walls
Life's for rent and it called us out
So I hand back the key as the door man bows
They greet you welcome with roses and champagne
When you walk through the lobby they all know your name
But all beautiful things come with edges and thorns
And the body you borrowed is starting to look kinda worn
So I stand back and I watch us fall
As we break everything inside these hotel walls
Life's for rent and it called us out
So I hand back the key as the door man bows
We're just grains in the universe
I let that comfort me when I'm anxious
This life is beautifully ugly at times
We're just grains in the universe
I let that comfort me when I'm anxious
This life is beautifully ugly at times
It's beautifully ugly at times
It's beautifully ugly at times
It's beautifully ugly at times
It's beautifully ugly at times
So I stand back and I watch us fall
As we break everything inside these hotel walls
You know that life's for rent and it called us out
So I hand back the key as the door man bows
The lyrics of Smith & Thell's song "Hotel Walls" portrays the idea of renting and owning life. The first verse references signing papers for a lifelong lease, which represents the contract that one is born into that binds them to their existence. The line "rent the earth where I stay and the air I breathe" is a metaphor for how one is merely given their surroundings and existence, like a business deal. The next line mentions forgetting the deal made with God, which refers to how people tend to get caught up with everyday life, without fully experiencing the world. They "find themselves being young, being dumb, and in love," which suggests the idea of living impulsively and recklessly, without any thought for the future. However, life is short, and without realizing it, one can easily become bored and lose the precious time they have. There is also a reminder that there is always an end to life waiting for us; when the line "A tap on the back and it's there to remind us/Life is a blink of an eye 'til you are no more" is sung.
In the chorus, the singer is observing themselves and others, watching them break everything inside the "hotel walls." The walls metaphorically represent the limitations and restrictions that people put up around themselves. The world is rented for a short amount of time, and then we return it back to life. The key is handed back, suggested by the line "So I hand back the key as the doorman bows," and we give away the wealth and privilege we've acquired through our lives. Then the song talks about how beautiful moments are always mixed with pain and struggle, and we all exist as mere "grains in the universe."
Overall, "Hotel Walls" is a thought-provoking song that inspires listeners to live in the moment and avoid getting held back by limited perspectives, whilst remaining aware of the end that awaits all.
Line by Line Meaning
I signed the papers for a lifelong lease
I committed myself to this mortal life
I rent the earth where I stay and the air I breathe
I am but a temporary occupant of this planet
Then you forget that deal you made with God
You lose sight of your spiritual origins
While busy finding yourself being young, being dumb, and in love
You tend to prioritize immediate pleasures over long-term goals
It's all too easy and you're easily bored
You crave constant stimulation and novelty in life
Never once has it crossed your mind that life's too short
You fail to appreciate the shortness and preciousness of existence
And there's a third person walking behind us
There is a specter of death that haunts our every step
A tap on the back and it's there to remind us
A gentle nudge to remind us of our mortality
Life is a blink of an eye 'til you are no more
Life is fleeting and ephemeral, until we cease to exist
So I stand back and I watch us fall
I step back and observe how we self-destruct
As we break everything inside these hotel walls
As we indulge in recklessness and debauchery within these temporary confines
Life's for rent and it called us out
Life is a temporary loan and it beckons us to fulfill our purpose
So I hand back the key as the door man bows
I surrender my existence back to the universe, as a humble gesture
They greet you welcome with roses and champagne
They welcome you to this world with open arms and lavish gifts
When you walk through the lobby they all know your name
You become a recognizable figure, but that fame is fleeting
But all beautiful things come with edges and thorns
Everything that appears pristine and desirable harbors hidden dangers and complications
And the body you borrowed is starting to look kinda worn
And the temporary physical vessel you inhabit is gradually deteriorating
We're just grains in the universe
We are tiny and insignificant in the grand scheme of things
I let that comfort me when I'm anxious
This realization helps me cope with my worries and fears
This life is beautifully ugly at times
This existence can be both painful and breathtakingly beautiful
It's beautifully ugly at times
Life is a paradoxical mess of contradictions
So I stand back and I watch us fall
I remain a detached observer of our collective descent
You know that life's for rent and it called us out
You understand that life is a loan that demands to be repaid
So I hand back the key as the door man bows
I relinquish my borrowed life as a final act of humility
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alexander Tidebrink, Joakim Berg, Maria Jane Smith, Victor Thell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@waynemunjoma5479
Listening to this song at exactly 03:12am I’m down and out , if anyone comes across this comment, please pray for me. I need breakthrough
@user-df7of3qh3j
You'll be okay ❤
@prestonodia4981
You are blessed in your struggles. You are blessed in your body. You are blessed with the air you breath. You are blessed to overcome. You are blessed with victory. You are blessed with brake through. Amen!
@offisawoju
I pray for your soul to be restore and believe in your maker you will be fine again
@yoyoyoyo-qv5hu
Don't give up
@smallsmallsteps8551
Jesus restore all that you have lost, You will be fine and more refined when this is over in Jesus name amen...Hang on there, this too will surely pass...
@gracemuranda9641
Just discovered this song and can't have enough it. 🇰🇪
@johnkinyua5809
Iko poa aje
@nakirandaramla5765
Me too
@giddbam7314
Here too