In the summer of 2010, Harrington and Wright were playing for spare change in Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace. In two short years since, Tall Heights has headlined packed listening rooms across New England, toured down to Austin, TX to showcase at South By Southwest Music Festival, and performed alongside national acts like David Wilcox, Ryan Montbleau, and Andrew Belle.
For the duo’s debut full-length effort, Man of Stone (May, 2013), Tall Heights returned to the home studio, sinking deeper into the vast world they’ve meticulously built for two. The title track and first single, Man of Stone, recalls a time when cavemen documented day-to-day existence on the walls of their stone-sheltered dwellings. “Emblems of cavemen they taught me / the importance of typing in bold,” contextualizes the rest of the record and challenges a careful listener to view each song as a vital documentation of what is both banal and extraordinary. The record exists in a fire-lit, shadowy space for their growing army of fans to inhabit. After two powerful EPs, Rafters (2011) and the Running of the Bulls EP (2012), there has been a growing cry for more from these young artists, and Tall Heights delivers with an LP of grand vision and scale.
RECENT PRAISE
“Tall Heights’s delicate melodies and gentle harmonies create a rare public space where the people can slow down, even stop, and suspend the chaos of city life in exchange for some really great music.”-Meghna Chakrabarti, NPR
“if you still remember how happy your ears were when you first listened to Bon Iver or Arcade Fire and realized you’d stumbled into singer/songwriter oblivion… you can trust me when I say this show is worth seeing.” – Boston Magazine
“…beautiful harmonies, exquisite musicianship, intricate songwriting. I love it when the bar is set so high” –David Wilcox
House On Fire
Tall Heights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I get off from working on the wrong long job in town
Awake, awake for now
When I'm off and walking to the song of clocking out
Hey, I'm getting raucous
I'm living in a house on fire
I walk home in the darkness
Don't matter if I want this
I'm living in a house on fire
Been working for the heartless
I'm living in a house on fire
I live in a house on fire
Great escape for now
In a two out of seven is the part for being me
Awake, awake for now
Just a five out of seven is the price for being free
Hey I'm getting raucous
I'm living in a house on fire
I walk home in the darkness
But now I'm seeing twice as far
Don't matter if I want this
I'm living in a house on fire
Been working for the heartless
I'm living in a house on fire
I live in a house on fire
Hey, I'm getting raucous
I'm living in a house on fire
A shimmer in the darkness
But now I'm seeing twice as far
Don't matter if I want this
I'm living in a house on fire
Been working for the heartless
I'm living in a house on fire
Tonight I'm getting raucous
I'm living in a house on fire
I walk home in the darkness
But now I'm seeing twice as far
Don't matter if I want this
I'm living in a house on, living in a house on-
Living in a house on-
I live in a house on fire
The lyrics of Tall Heights's song "House on Fire" seem to tell the story of someone who has been working a bad job and living in a way that suppresses their true potential. The singer seems to be caught up in a cycle of mundane work and life, waiting it out and dreaming of something more. However, there is a moment of awakening in the song where the singer sees clearly for the first time. They are "living in a house on fire" but they are also "getting raucous" and ready to break free.
The house on fire could represent a life that is burning out of control or a passion that is burning inside the singer. The darkness that the singer walks home in could represent the unknown or the fear that comes with taking risks. Ultimately, the song seems to be about breaking free from a monotonous life and finding a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It encourages listeners to embrace their passions and take risks, even if it means living in a house on fire.
Line by Line Meaning
Wait, I wait it out
I patiently endure the current circumstances
I get off from working on the wrong long job in town
I find relief from the dissatisfaction of working a job that doesn't fulfill me
Awake, awake for now
I am conscious and alert in the present moment
When I'm off and walking to the song of clocking out
After finishing work, I am free to walk home and listen to music or enjoy the sounds of the city
Hey, I'm getting raucous
I am becoming loud and rowdy
I'm living in a house on fire
My life feels intense and chaotic
I walk home in the darkness
I am walking home at night
But now I'm seeing twice as far
Despite the darkness, I have newfound clarity and insight
Don't matter if I want this
Regardless of my desires, this is my reality
Been working for the heartless
I've been working for a company or boss that lacks compassion or empathy
Great escape for now
It's a brief relief from the daily grind
In a two out of seven is the part for being me
Only a small fraction of my time is truly representative of my identity
Just a five out of seven is the price for being free
I accept that some days I must work to have the financial freedom to enjoy the other days
A shimmer in the darkness
There is a faint glimmer of hope in the midst of difficult circumstances
Tonight I'm getting raucous
Tonight I am going to be loud and boisterous
Living in a house on-
Continuing to live life with intensity and chaos
I live in a house on fire
My life is continually intense and chaotic
Writer(s): PAUL WRIGHT, TIM HARRINGTON
Contributed by Reagan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
George Simpson
on Back To Autumn
i really enjoyed listening to this song and the close harmony. i have a feeling we will be hearing more good music from these musicians!
George Simpson
on Spirit Cold
What spectacular harmonies! A beautiful song! You can be proud of this sound.