Steve returned to New York and, with the help from some musicians, including former Suzanne Vega guitarist Jon Gordon, started a rock and roll project. This turned into his debut album Big Señorita. It was chosen as one of Performing Songwriter Magazine’s Top 12 Independent Releases of 2001. After the release he started touring nationally and winning national and international awards, including the Grand Prize in the USA Songwriting Competition.
His second solo CD “Stopped at a Green Light” was released in September 2003. He is currently frontman to The Weepies, along with his wife Deb Talan, whom he met in 2001 and now resides with in Topanga, CA with their three sons, Theo, Alexander, and Nicholas.
Shelter Hotel
Steve Tannen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She was a millionaire heiress
I didn't love her and she didn't love me
And we stayed up drinking ‘til the morning
Chorus:
Shelter hotel, shelter hotel
I love your loneliness
Shelter hotel
But what a bitch in the morning
And it rained every damn day
Just give me something so I have something
that I can throw away
There was a war on the TV we had it on without the sound
Go get some wine and watch the rain come down
Repeat chorus
And I want to stay but I know better than that
I've been in love so many times that now it barely makes a scratch
She was taking off her dress
We barely noticed when outside the darkness fell
Shelter hotel
The lyrics of Steve Tannen's song "Shelter Hotel" is about a man who took a rich girl to Paris. Although they didn't love each other, they stayed up drinking until morning in a hotel where the singer loves the loneliness. The chorus of the song is about the singer loving the loneliness of the place and hearing the cathedral bells of the night. In the morning, the girl was not nice, and it rained every day. The singer wants something to throw away from the experience. They watched the war on the TV and drank wine. She started to take her clothes off, but they didn't notice when the darkness fell outside.
The lyrics of the song have a melancholic tone to them, perhaps representing the loneliness of the singer. The "Shelter Hotel" offers him shelter from his loneliness, but it is temporary. The relationship with the rich girl is also temporary and meaningless. It is also interesting to note that the singer mentions the war on TV, perhaps indicating that he is not in a happy place mentally when he is traveling. Overall, "Shelter Hotel" is a somber and introspective song that touches on themes of transience, loneliness, and the search for meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Took a pretty girl to Paris
I went to Paris with an attractive female companion.
She was a millionaire heiress
She came from a wealthy family and had a significant amount of inherited wealth.
I didn't love her and she didn't love me
Our relationship lacked emotional attachment and was most likely driven by external factors like superficial attraction or convenience.
And we stayed up drinking ‘til the morning
We spent the entire night drinking alcohol and socializing with each other.
Chorus:
The recurring section of the song.
Shelter hotel, shelter hotel
The singer is addressing a hotel which they refer to as a shelter.
I love your loneliness
The singer has a fondness for the isolation they feel within the hotel.
I hear the night's cathedral bells
The artist is describing the sound they hear at night as resembling the bells of a cathedral.
But what a bitch in the morning
The female companion the artist refers to in the first verse is described negatively by the artist in hindsight.
And it rained every damn day
It rained continuously throughout their stay at the hotel.
Just give me something so I have something that I can throw away
The singer desires a disposable item to symbolize their brief stay at the hotel.
There was a war on the TV we had it on without the sound
Despite being within the comforts of the hotel, the external world is still visible and present through the television.
Go get some wine and watch the rain come down
The singer suggests filling the time by drinking wine and watching the rainfall outside.
Repeat chorus
The recurring section of the song is repeated.
And I want to stay but I know better than that
The singer would prefer to remain in the isolation of the hotel, but realizes that it is not possible or practical to do so.
I've been in love so many times that now it barely makes a scratch
The artist has experienced love and heartbreak numerous times before and has become desensitized to the emotional impact of it.
She was taking off her dress
The female companion from the first verse is undressing.
We barely noticed when outside the darkness fell
The passing of time was not noticeable to the singer or their companion due to their focus on each other.
Shelter hotel
The singer addresses the hotel once more.
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.