The Antlers are an indie rock band currently based in Brooklyn, New York, f… Read Full Bio ↴The Antlers are an indie rock band currently based in Brooklyn, New York, fronted by Peter Silberman. Initially, The Antlers was a solo project created by vocalist and guitarist Silberman immediately after he had moved to Brooklyn, New York, in 2007. Silberman wrote the first two albums, "Uprooted" and "In the Attic of the Universe" by himself and under his own name. Afterwards, he recruited Lerner and Cicci, becoming a collaborative group. The band recorded two EPs: "Cold War" and "New York Hospitals". Silberman's collection of songs (which was mentioned as an "elegy for his planned disappearance") would later become a full-length album titled "Hospice" and would feature an epic storyline, telling the story of an abusive relationship through an allegory of a hospice worker losing a patient—for whom he developed feelings for—to bone cancer. Silberman has stated that the album is mostly auto-biographical. The album was independently released by the band in March of 2009, selling an apparently overwhelming number of copies, later selling all of their stock and had to produce more. The band later commented that they had "bit off more than they could chew". The album received critical praise for both its narrative and musicianship and has since been listed on several "Album of the Year" lists. The band later signed with New York-based French Kiss Records. The label released a remastered "Hospice" on August 18, 2009. In 2011, they released "Burst Apart," their follow-up to "Hospice." The album was received with critical acclaim equal to its predecessor, and the band subsequently launched a world tour in support of the record.
They released the (together) EP shortly after Burst Apart which contained 8 remixes and covers with several collaberating artists.
In 2012 the Undersea EP was released containing 4 new songs.
On March 31th 2014 the band announced the 5th studio album called "Familiars". It was released on June 17th 2014 receiving critical acclaim worldwide.

Peter Silberman - vocals, guitar
Michael Lerner - drums, percussion
Darby Cicci - keyboards, trumpet, bowed banjo

Additional members
Justin Stivers – bass guitar on Hospice
Timothy Mislock - bass guitar, guitar (touring)

Discography:

Uprooted (2006)
In the Attic of the Universe (2007)
Cold War (EP) (2008)
New York Hospitals (EP) (2008)
Hospice (2009)
Burst Apart (2011)
(together) (EP) (2011)
Undersea (EP) (2012)
Familiars (2014)
Green to Gold (2021)

Stairs To The Attic
The Antlers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I decided on that evening that I was through with sitting still
I stood up and started moving with a childlike fascination
For those doors that don't have locks and the stairways that were blocked
So I dug through the obstruction, put my fist around the railing

And each step was far apart and far away from steps before it
And the air was getting thinner 'til I couldn't breathe at all
And if I happened to look behind me there were miles and miles of stairs

Enough so I couldn't see the doorway but I knew that it was there

And on the last step I was dizzy 'cause there were stairs in all directions
But I found another door and through the door there was the attic
Without old clothes, without a ceiling, everything had opened wide
Into the jaws of something bigger and suddenly I saw that I was

Upstairs and outside and
Freezing on the roof
Finally it had found me
The answer, the feeling and the truth

That I'm small
That I'm small

That I'm small
I'm smaller than the smallest fireball

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Stairs To The Attic" by The Antlers talk about the singer's journey of self-discovery. He decides to leave his comfort zone and explore the hidden parts of his house, like the doors that don't have locks and stairways that are blocked. As he climbs up the stairs, he realizes how far apart each step is from the previous one, and the air gets thinner until he can barely breathe. Despite the long way up, the singer keeps going, knowing that at the end of it all, he will find a door that leads to the attic.

Finally, after what feels like miles and miles of stairs, he makes it to the attic. But to his surprise, there is no ceiling or old clothes lying around, but something much larger than he could have ever imagined. As he steps outside, onto the roof, he feels the cold, fresh air on his skin, and he realizes that he has found what he was looking for all along. The feeling of being small and insignificant compared to the power and vastness of the universe.

The song's ethereal sound accompanies the lyrics' deep, introspective message, making it a powerful piece of art that tackles the themes of self-discovery and the search for meaning.

Line by Line Meaning

I decided on that evening that I was through with sitting still
I made a firm decision that I no longer wanted to be inactive.

I stood up and started moving with a childlike fascination
I got up and started moving with excitement and curiosity.

For those doors that don't have locks and the stairways that were blocked
I was drawn to the challenge of exploring doors that I didn't need permission to enter and stairs that were previously inaccessible.

So I dug through the obstruction, put my fist around the railing
I pushed through the blockage and held onto the railing to keep my balance.

And each step was far apart and far away from steps before it
Each step was a greater distance from the previous one, making the climb increasingly difficult.

And the air was getting thinner 'til I couldn't breathe at all
The air was becoming more and more scarce until I could no longer inhale.

And if I happened to look behind me there were miles and miles of stairs
When I glanced behind me, I saw an immeasurable number of stairs stretching far into the distance.

Enough so I couldn't see the doorway but I knew that it was there
There were so many stairs that the door was hidden from view, but I still had a sense of where it was.

And on the last step I was dizzy 'cause there were stairs in all directions
When I reached the final step I was disoriented because there were stairs branching off in various directions.

But I found another door and through the door there was the attic
Despite the dizzying stairs, I discovered another door which led me to the attic.

Without old clothes, without a ceiling, everything had opened wide
The attic was devoid of clutter and its ceiling had been removed, creating an expansive, liberating feeling.

Into the jaws of something bigger and suddenly I saw that I was
I entered into something grand that was greater than myself and suddenly realized my own smallness.

Upstairs and outside and
I had reached the top level, and outside of the confined space.

Freezing on the roof
I was exposed to the cold on the rooftop.

Finally it had found me
I had discovered what I had been searching for.

The answer, the feeling and the truth
I had found the answers to my questions and the truth about myself.

That I'm small
I had discovered that I am small in comparison to the grandeur of the world.

That I'm small
My smallness was reaffirmed as I took in the vastness around me.

That I'm small
I accept and acknowledge my place in the world as just one small entity.

I'm smaller than the smallest fireball
I am infinitesimal compared to even the smallest element of nature.

Contributed by Gabriel I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

sammy sam

6y↑36

I decided on that evening
That I was through with sitting still
I stood up and started moving
With a childlike fascination
For those doors that don't have locks
And the stairways that were blocked
So I dug through the obstruction
Put my fist around the railing
And each step was far apart
And far away from steps before it
And the air was getting thinner
Until I couldn't breathe at all
And if I happened to look behind me
There were miles and miles of stairs
Enough so I couldn't see the doorway
But I knew that it was there
And on the last step I was dizzy
Because there were stairs in all directions
But I found another door
And through the door there was the attic
Without old clothes
Without a ceiling
Everything had opened wide
Into the jaws of something bigger
And suddenly I saw that I was
Upstairs and outside and freezing on the roof
Finally it had found me
The answer, the feeling, and the truth:

That I'm small
That I'm small
That I'm small
I'm smaller than the smallest fireball

All comments from YouTube:

sammy sam

6y↑36

mata schmata

6y↑22

when I listen to this song I can feel the my vision zooming out, out of me, out of the earth, out of our solar system, out of our galaxy, and it just keeps going and going, and it never ever stops. it's like we don't even exist at all. And it doesn't make me feel insignificant, it makes me feel like... like, I'm happy that I'm so small because it means I get to experience all this beauty and all this wonder on such a large scale. I can appreciate the smallest grain of sand. And when I look up at the stars I'm overwhelmed with joy and hope.