The Legendary Pink Dots are a Netherlands-based band formed in August 1980 … Read Full Bio ↴The Legendary Pink Dots are a Netherlands-based band formed in August 1980 in the UK who, although distinctly underground, have been musically influential over the years. The band name was derived from pink dots of nail varnish on the piano in their squat, where founding members Edward and April lived. The band has as its focal point vocalist Edward Ka-Spel, who is, along with Phil "The Silverman" Knight, one of the original remaining members of the band. In the mid eighties the band resettled in the Netherlands, where they still reside today. Apart from Edward and Phil, the line-up has gone through many changes. Members such as Ryan Moore, a Canadian bass player, who joined in 1991 after the recordings of the Last Man to Fly with the Tear Garden (he joined as a session musician), went on to form their own labels and musical projects. See Twilight Circus and M Records. Their music is nothing if not original and it is difficult to categorise, but comparisons may be drawn with bands like Pink Floyd and Can.

Their sound has been described as an amalgamation of psychedelic rock, industrial, synth-pop and avant-garde. They have released over 40 records and continuously tour the world.

Members of the band have also collaborated with Nurse With Wound, The Dresden Dolls, Jarboe, HNAS, Jim O'Rourke, Skinny Puppy's cEvin Key, forming The Tear Garden. Ka Spel accompanied Skinny Puppy for a small part of their 1988 European 'Head Trauma' tour in Sweden. Key also appears on the 1994 album 9 Lives to Wonder.

Hotel Z
The Legendary Pink Dots Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Overdose...
Comatosed...
I feel you close,
But you're so very far away.

Surrogate...
There's no escape.

I found a gate,
But it's locked...
So I'm here to stay...

Every wish I have is granted.
Every hand is mine to hold
All the trees that I have planted
Touch the sky, turn gold.

Could buy the planet if I wanted.
Make it mine...
Yes, I'd unfold a tapestry that I'd recline in,
Somewhere we could both grow old together.

Our dream...

Dying eyes...
You sympathize.

I clutch my prize;
But it so slowly fades away...

Overall Meaning

The song Hotel Z by The Legendary Pink Dots has a dreamlike, surreal feel to it. It starts with the lines "Overdose...Comatosed...I feel you close, but you're so very far away" which could suggest the singer is in a drug-induced state or maybe they are experiencing a state of enlightenment, but still unable to connect with reality. The next lines "Surrogate...There's no escape" suggest that the singer is searching for a way out, but whatever they are trying to escape from has them trapped in a kind of surrogate reality. They then express the desire to leave this place, but find themselves unable to do so as they are locked in.

The following lines "Every wish I have is granted. Every hand is mine to hold. All the trees that I have planted touch the sky, turn gold" paint a picture of a world where everything is perfect, where every desire is fulfilled, and everything blooms beyond what the singer could have ever envisioned. The lines "Could buy the planet if I wanted. Make it mine... Yes, I'd unfold a tapestry that I'd recline in, somewhere we could both grow old together" signify the singer's mastery and ownership of this perfect world, and the desire to share it with someone they love. Finally, the song closes with "Dying eyes...You sympathize. I clutch my prize; But it so slowly fades away" which suggests that the perfection that the singer has achieved is fleeting, and even though they have finally found what they were searching for, it's slipping away.

Line by Line Meaning

Overdose...
I have overdosed on drugs and have fallen into a coma.

Comatosed...
I am in a deep state of unconsciousness due to overdose.

I feel you close, But you're so very far away.
Although I am in a comatose state, I feel the presence of someone I love near me, but they are not physically present.

Surrogate... There's no escape.
I am trapped in a dream-like state, a kind of surrogate reality, with no way to escape.

I found a gate, But it's locked... So I'm here to stay...
Even though I have found a gate, it is locked and I cannot leave, so I am stuck in this dream-like state.

Every wish I have is granted. Every hand is mine to hold All the trees that I have planted Touch the sky, turn gold.
In this dream-like state, I have everything I could ever want, even the trees I have planted have turned to gold, reaching to the skies.

Could buy the planet if I wanted. Make it mine... Yes, I'd unfold a tapestry that I'd recline in, Somewhere we could both grow old together.
I have complete control in this dream-like state, and could buy and own the entire planet. I would create a beautiful tapestry to recline in with my loved one and grow old together.

Our dream...
This is our collective dream, the dream of me and my loved one.

Dying eyes... You sympathize.
As I start to lose this dream-like state, my loved one knows and feels my pain.

I clutch my prize; But it so slowly fades away...
Even though I hold on tightly to what I have in this dream-like state, it slowly fades away and I am forced to wake up from my coma.

Contributed by Callie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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