The official music video was released via the Lumineers' YouTube and Vevo accounts on November 16, 2016. As of August 2021, it has gained over 170 million views. The music video was directed by Isaac Ravishankara, who also directed The Ballad of Cleopatra videos compilation, starring Elise Eberle and Adam C. Lively.
The clip begins with a scene of a girl attending her father's funeral, then her boyfriend tells her "If we don't leave now, you may never make it out". Then the girl goes with him into a car and they drive throughout all the state; after some mechanical problems with their car, they finally arrive at a house where they spend the night. The same night they get married; the music video ends with them going to sleep on the house's floor but when it dawns, she was the only one laying down on the floor. This means the rest of the video was what could’ve happened if she left with her boyfriend.
Sleep on the Floor
The Lumineers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
'Cause if we don't leave this town
We might never make it out
I was not born to drown
Baby, come on
Forget what Father Brennan said
We were not born in sin
Leave a note on your bed
Let your mother know you're safe
And by the time she wakes
We'll have driven through the state
We'll have driven through the night
Baby, come on
If the sun don't shine on me today
And if the subways flood and bridges break
Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave
Or will you rail against the dying day?
And when we looked outside
Couldn't even see the sky
How do you pay the rent?
Is it your parents?
Or is hard work, dear
Holding the atmosphere?
I don't wanna live like that, yeah
If the sun don't shine on me today
If the subways flood and the bridges break
Jesus Christ can't save me tonight
Put on your dress, yes, wear something nice
Decide on me, yeah, decide on us
Oh, oh, oh, Illinois, Illinois
Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
'Cause if we don't leave this town
We might never make it out
The Lumineers's song Sleep on the Floor is about the decision to leave your current life and start fresh, taking a chance on something better. The lyrics suggest the singer is urging their partner to take a leap of faith with them, to leave the town they're in before it's too late. The chorus implies that the singer is worried that if they don't leave now, they'll be stuck there forever, unable to escape the cycle of poverty and hardship. The line "I was not born to drown" shows the singer's unwillingness to be held down by their current circumstances.
The second verse reflects on the power of belief and the faith people have in their religious institutions. The singer states they don't believe they were born in sin and invokes the name of Jesus Christ. This juxtaposition between belief and the desire to escape one's present life creates a sense of ambiguity in the song's meaning. It's unclear if the singer is seeking salvation through leaving or if they are rejecting the idea of being saved altogether.
The song's third verse returns to the tangible problems of their current situation, suggesting that they're struggling to make ends meet and that the future is uncertain. The chorus is repeated again, with the singer emphasizing that time is running out and that if they don't leave soon, they'll be stuck in this life forever. The final verse returns to the idea of leaving, framing it as a decision that must be made together. The final line, "If we don't leave this town, we might never make it out," sums up the central theme of the song: the desperation to break free from the restraints of their current life.
Line by Line Meaning
Pack yourself a toothbrush dear
Grab the essentials, we're leaving town
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Bring something you love, we may not come back
Take a withdrawal slip
Withdraw all your money, we're starting fresh
Take all of your savings out
We need everything we have to escape this place
'Cause if we don't leave this town
If we stay here, we'll be stuck forever
We might never make it out
Leaving is our only chance for a better life
I was not born to drown
I refuse to let this town hold me back
Baby come on
Let's go, we have to leave now
Forget what Father Brennan said
We are not bad people, we deserve a chance to start over
We were not born in sin
Our past does not define us
Leave a note on your bed
Let your family know you're safe, but we can't wait
Let your mother know you're safe
We don't want them to worry, but we have to leave
And by the time she wakes
We'll already be gone
We'll have driven through the state
We're leaving this place behind for good
We'll have driven through the night
We won't stop until we're free
If the sun don't shine on me today
Things might not go as planned, but we have to keep going
And if the subways flood and bridges break
Even if everything goes wrong, we won't give up
Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave
Will you give up or keep fighting?
Or will you rail against your dying day
Will you resist death and live life to the fullest?
And when we looked outside
We see that nothing will change if we stay
Couldn't even see the sky
The world around us is suffocating
How do you pay the rent
Life is tough and expensive here
Is it your parents
Do you rely on others to survive?
Or is hard work dear
Are you willing to work hard for a better life?
Holding the atmosphere
Our surroundings have an impact on our lives
I don't wanna live like that, yeah
We don't want to be bound to this life of struggle
Jesus Christ can't save me tonight
Religion won't change our situation
Put on your dress, yes wear something nice
We're leaving behind this life of struggle for something better
Decide on me, yea decide on us
Choose to take a chance and trust me as we start over
Oh, oh, oh, Illinois, Illinois
We're leaving this town behind for good
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeremy C Fraites, Wesley Keith Schultz
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@piyushagarwal805
Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
'Cause if we don't leave this town
We might never make it out
I was not born to drown
Baby, come on
Forget what Father Brennan said
We were not born in sin
Leave a note on your bed
Let your mother know you're safe
And by the time she wakes
We'll have driven through the state
We'll have driven through the night
Baby, come on
If the sun don't shine on me today
And if the subways flood and bridges break
Will you lay yourself down and dig your grave
Or will you rail against the dying day?
And when we looked outside
Couldn't even see the sky
How do you pay the rent?
Is it your parents?
Or is hard work, dear
Holding the atmosphere?
I don't wanna live like that, yeah
If the sun don't shine on me today
If the subways flood and the bridges break
Jesus Christ can't save me tonight
Put on your dress, yes, wear something nice
Decide on me, yeah, decide on us
Oh, oh, oh, Illinois, Illinois
Pack yourself a toothbrush, dear
Pack yourself a favorite blouse
Take a withdrawal slip
Take all of your savings out
'Cause if we don't leave this town
We might never make it out
@iken.4751
Ha.... I’m living that. My fiancé chose to walk out and go back to her emotionally abusive parents. We we’re gonna run and live and dream. She had always wanted a tattoo, she’d never been on a road trip, she wanted to work with foster kids. Her parents are wealthy. I am not. They hated me for that. They hated me for encouraging her to step outside her comfort zone and chase dreams and adventure. We had planned that when we got married we wanted to put some distance between her family and she and I.
To convince her to leave me. They told all her friends that I had raped her, but she was too ashamed to admit or talk about it. So her friends and family we’re all trying to get her to leave. I lost the respect and friendship of most of my peers over all of this. I had extended family dealing with the fallout of their character assassination.
One week before the wedding, we found out she was pregnant. We we’re scared, but so excited. We had always wanted to have children. Her family detonated, they suggested she raise the child without me, they called the cops on me, they told her I had mental health issues, they called me family and begged them to convince me to leave her (which didn’t happen because my family knows that her family is psychotic)
Finally the pressure became too much. She left without even a word. I got a text saying she was leaving the country to go visit family, I got a letter saying she miscarried (They might have convinced her to abort the baby but I don’t know) one month later I got an email saying it’s over, she loved me but I don’t respect her parents enough for us to work out. She said I’m a good man, and that she was so inspired and excited to dream with me. But her family hates me. And her family is what’s most important to her right now.
She’s gone. I don’t know what to do. She was my family.
@SpencerFC
Love this song, great video!
@skittleyy5691
Spencer FC SPENCER YOU LIKE DA LUMINEERS ;0
@tomspoop898
Spencer FC I love your vids
@fcdannymls3142
Spencer FC Ikr people don't do folk like they used to I love it <3
@kaiharvey7745
MY TWO FAVOURITE THINGS EVER HAVE COME TOGETER
@lukeberrie3942
Of all the people commenting on this video...
Spencer would be the person you'd least expect.
@SierraIsAlive
You don't really know how strong of a bond this is until you experience it. Just having each other in a world so big to lean on & comfort through stress & troubles that come.. is a feeling never forgotten.
@RalphNardell
That's a really lovely thought. <3
@natalienelson8681
I lost the love of my life to cancer. Losing that bond is indescribable.
@jansonbriggs3250
I lived this life with an ex for 3 1/2 yrs. We toured the country selling our art & doing Shaman work. She was so amazing then something in her change one day. The next year & 1/2 was the most miserable period of my entire life. But the road was still an escape. I don’t miss her one bit. Only the freedom & liberation I felt as a nomad. If you’re out there living the life don’t take a single moment for granted. Especially if you’re out there with someone you love. It can end like this or in my case? Even worse at any moment.