The Gutter Twins is a musical collaboration from Los Angeles between rock m… Read Full Bio ↴The Gutter Twins is a musical collaboration from Los Angeles between rock musicians Greg Dulli and Mark Lanegan.

Dulli and Lanegan have regularly contributed to each other's projects since 2000; of the duo's origins, Dulli said "I think Mark told a journalist we were doing it, and then the journalist called me, and I didn't know we were doing it." On Christmas Day 2003, Dulli and Lanegan began work on the collaboration, titled Saturnalia.

In July 2007, the music website Pitchfork Media announced that the duo, "two of the alt-rock era's greatest frontmen," had signed to Seattle label Sub Pop. Soon thereafter, Sub Pop reported a 4 March, 2008 release date for Saturnalia. Dulli and Lanegan plan to tour in the United States and abroad to promote the album.

On September 2, 2008, The Gutter Twins released their eight-song EP Adorata exclusively through iTunes. The EP was mostly recorded during sessions for their first album, Saturnalia. Adorata features two previously unreleased originals ("Spanish Doors" and "We Have Met Before") alongside covers of "Down the Line" (José González), "Deep Hit of Morning Sun" (Primal Scream), "Duchess" (Scott Walker), "Belles" (Vetiver), "Flow Like a River" (Eleven), and "St. James Infirmary" (traditional). A portion of the proceeds from the release of Adorata will go to the Natasha Shneider Memorial Fund. Shneider, a long-time friend of the band, was the lead singer for Eleven and a member of Queens Of The Stone Age.

Their official web presence is located at http://www.theguttertwins.com.

Seven Stories Underground
The Gutter Twins Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Heaven, so fine
Heaven, it's quite a climb

From seven stories underground
Black mistress gonna crack that whip
When I sleep I'm never found
But my baby she don't take no lip

My Cinderella carryin' me
And my shot blood through the afterglow
Ah, slap me to my knees
Which direction baby I don't know

Oh, Heaven, it's quite a climb
It's quite a climb
Oh, Heaven, it's quite a climb
It's hard to climb, you know

I feel a sickness comin' down
A cold fever wanna snuff my kick
Early morning, not a sound
Chased through the quarter with a whippin' stick

Black dog keeps a followin' me
And my tether just won't let me go
Blackbirds chatter in the trees
What they're sayin' baby I don't know

Oh, Heaven, it's quite a climb
It's quite a climb
Oh, Heaven, it's quite a climb
It's hard to climb, you know

From seven stories underground
Black mistress gonna crack that whip
When I sleep I'm never found
But my baby she don't take no lip

From seven stories underground
Seven stories underground

From seven stories underground
Seven stories underground

Overall Meaning

The Gutter Twins' song "Seven Stories Underground" is a captivating and poetic journey that explores the themes of love, danger, confusion, and transcendence. The song opens with the lines "Heaven, so fine, Heaven, it's quite a climb" which suggests that the singer is seeking a higher state of being or a realm of greater beauty.

However, the journey to reach this state is treacherous, as the opening lines are followed by the ominous lines "From seven stories underground, Black mistress gonna crack that whip, When I sleep I'm never found, But my baby she don't take no lip". These lines suggest that the singer is at the mercy of a dark and dominant force, represented by the "black mistress", who uses fear and pain to control him.

Despite this, the singer is not alone in his journey as his lover ("Cinderella") is carrying him and his "shot blood through the afterglow". This support, however, is not enough to ease the singer's confusion and disorientation ("Which direction baby I don't know"). The song ends with a repetition of the opening lines, suggesting that the journey continues, and the climb to heaven remains difficult but worth it.

Line by Line Meaning

Heaven, so fine
Heaven is a desirable place

Heaven, it's quite a climb
Getting to Heaven is hard work

From seven stories underground
Starting from a difficult situation

Black mistress gonna crack that whip
Danger or trouble is coming

When I sleep I'm never found
Avoiding the pain of reality

But my baby she don't take no lip
Finding comfort and strength in a lover

My Cinderella carryin' me
A supportive partner helping you forward

And my shot blood through the afterglow
Feeling energized and alive

Ah, slap me to my knees
Being humbled or overwhelmed

Which direction baby I don't know
Feeling lost or uncertain

I feel a sickness comin' down
Feeling ill, both physically and mentally