Each member is originally from Anchorage, Alaska and migrated separately to Portland, Oregon to start a career in music.[7][8]
Initially they called themselves "The Funeral Band", performing in the streets and outside of music venues. The name eventually changed to The Builders and The Butchers, "for no other reason than it was the only name all five members liked."[8] The first year of acoustic performances were mostly street shows until opening for the experimental band Man Man in 2006.[8] “We very slowly started plugging [our instruments] in.” Sollee says,[8] but the group had to figure out how to utilize its two percussionists on stage. They found that by splitting one drum kit between Seely and Rude, with one handling the kick drum and another playing the snare, they developed what the group calls a “deconstructed” drumming style.[8]
The band's song-writing process involves Sollee writing the lyrics out and presenting it to the other members, who then start playing and putting the music around these lyrics.[6]
In May 2008 the band won the Willamette Week’s “Best New Band of 2008”[9] and Seattle Sound’s “Best Live Performers 2008”.
In late 2010, The Builders and the Butchers signed with Badman Recording Co. and released their third album, Dead Reckoning on February 22, 2011.[10][11]
Down In This Hole
The Builders and the Butchers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The pocket books are empty 'cause the priest is back in town
He's givin' all his dollars to the girls who work the square
Who never get a dime and then there's murder in the air
Never get a dime and then there's murder in the air
The cops all know who did it but they don't even care
They'll never lift a finger
They'll never spend a dime
Way down
Way down in this hole
Way down
Way down in this hole
Nothing lasts forever in a God forsaken town
The kid's are smokin' soon as they can walk across the ground
They all meet up at midnight takin' rides into the well
And dancin' while the devil taps his dirty finger nail
Dancin' while the devil taps his dirty finger nail
The innocent and kind are rounded up and thrown in jail
You never find a hero just dirty souvenir
For the old and broken angels are the ones that buy you here
Way down
Way down in this hole
Way down
Way down in this hole
Well you can cut your teeth on the sixteen former years
And the blood it just rolled down your cheeks like tears
You can hang your head when your death letter nears
And the blood it just rolled down your cheeks like tears
Nothing lasts forever in a God forsaken town
The judges all been put away
The criminals been crowned
Thousand guilty innocents that fill the prison walls
The chorus and the voices when they echo down the hall
Singing:
Way down
Way down in this hole
Way down
Way down in this hole
Way down
Way down in this hole
Way down
Way down in this hole
The Builders and the Butchers's song Down In This Hole is a powerful ballad that paints a vivid picture of a dark, godforsaken town. The lyrics suggest that corruption, prostitution, murder, and injustice have taken over the town. The song talks about a priest who is giving all his money to the prostitutes working in the square, while the city's police don't care about the rampant crime in the area. It also touches on the fact that the youth in the town have taken to smoking, and the children are not immune to the vices of the town.
The song is bleak and dark, and the lyrics suggest that there is no hope for the town. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "way down in this hole," which signifies that the town is in a deep, dark place, and it is hard to see a way out. The song suggests that there are no heroes in the town, and even the innocent and kind are rounded up and thrown in jail.
This song is a poignant commentary on the state of affairs in many towns and cities. The lyrics touch on themes of corruption, prostitution, crime, and injustice, which are all too common in many parts of the world. The song reminds us that not all is well in our world, and there is a need for change to restore hope and justice to our communities.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing lasts forever in a God forsaken town
In a town abandoned by God, everything is temporary and fleeting
The pocket books are empty 'cause the priest is back in town
The priest has returned, draining the town's finances and leaving the people broke
He's givin' all his dollars to the girls who work the square
The priest is spending all his money on the prostitutes in the town square
Who never get a dime and then there's murder in the air
The prostitutes receive nothing for their services, creating a tense and dangerous atmosphere
The cops all know who did it but they don't even care
The police are aware of who committed the murder, but are indifferent to justice
They'll never lift a finger
The police will not take action or help the situation
They'll never spend a dime
The police will not invest any resources towards solving the crime
They laughed at twenty strangers who they fingered for the crime
The police falsely accuse and blame strangers, mocking them without any real evidence
The kid's are smokin' soon as they can walk across the ground
The youth are smoking from a young age, indicating a culture of vice and drugs
They all meet up at midnight takin' rides into the well
The youth gather at midnight to engage in dangerous and reckless behavior
And dancin' while the devil taps his dirty finger nail
The youth are oblivious to the danger and temptation of the devil, who watches and waits for his chance to capture their souls
The innocent and kind are rounded up and thrown in jail
The good-hearted individuals are unfairly targeted and imprisoned
You never find a hero just dirty souvenir
There will be no one to save the day, only remnants of a grim and unhappy past
For the old and broken angels are the ones that buy you here
The old and abandoned individuals are the ones who lead you to this place of despair
Well you can cut your teeth on the sixteen former years
The past sixteen years have been harsh and inhumane
And the blood it just rolled down your cheeks like tears
The pain and suffering is visible and traumatic
The judges all been put away
The judges have been imprisoned, leaving no justice system in place
The criminals been crowned
The criminals are in charge and hold power over the town
Thousand guilty innocents that fill the prison walls
Those who are innocent are falsely convicted, while the truly guilty roam free
The chorus and the voices when they echo down the hall
The sound of the people's music and cries for help reverberate throughout the prison walls
Singing:
The people unite in song to express their pain and hopelessness
Way down
This is a place of darkness and despair
Way down in this hole
This is a deep and inescapable pit of suffering and misery
Contributed by Kaylee O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.