The sound of The Tibbs is a healthy diet of sixties R&B, funk, jazz, pop and a bit of ska, harking back to the Detroit and Philly sounds of the 1960s and '70s.
Full-length albums ensued: Takin' Over (2016), Another Shot Fired (2020) and Keep It to Yourself (2024).
Current roster:
Roxanne Hartog - vocals
Henk Kemkes - guitar
Anton Titsing - Hammond / keys
Michael Willemsen - bass
Bas de Vries - drums
Frank Stolwijk - tenor sax
Berd Ruttenberg - baritone sax
Siebe Posthuma de Boer - trumpet
On Top Of The World
The Tibbs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trying to feel invincible
Dying on top of the world
I remember the nights
Caught up in dreaming my 'goodbyes'
Watching the door for anything more
Than an ordinary life
I remember the days, days, days
With something to prove and nothing to lose,
Not a soul to betray
Here I am
Living a dream that I can't hold
Here I am on my own
On top of the world, on top of it all,
Trying to feel invincible
I'm dying on top of the world
I remember the lies
Caught up in building 'paradise'
The angels were slaves and demons behaved and
Everything was alright
Here I am
Living a dream that I can't hold
Here I am on my own
On top of the world, on top of it all,
Trying to feel invincible
On top of the world on top of it all,
Trying to feel invicible
I'm dying on top of the world
I hear the crowds beneath me
I'm wishing they could reach me
But I'm 'on top of the world'
Up here I'm dying alone
Inside the walls of gold, outside of happiness
It's all been a show, too late to confess
No room for heart and soul,
No room for innocence, innocence
On top of the world, on top of it all,
Trying to feel invincible
X2
But I'm dying on top of the world
The Tibbs's "On Top of the World" speaks about the loneliness and disillusionment that come with success, as the singer takes stock of their life while standing atop the world. They begin by acknowledging the euphoria that comes with achieving success, trying to feel invincible, but then reveal the price as the song progresses. The singer seems to remember the sacrifices they made on the journey to the top, often caught up in dreaming their goodbyes and building paradise. They reference the angels being slaves while demons behaved, giving the impression that the world they inhabit is dominated by greed and selfishness.
The chorus of the song repeats itself, signaling not only a cyclical nature to success but also the perpetuation of pain that comes with it. The singer speaks about wanting to connect with the crowds beneath but being unable to, as they are on top of the world and alone. They mention the walls of gold that surround them, a metaphor for how success has imprisoned them while closing them off from true happiness. The last lines of the song reveal the truth that the singer has been hiding from themselves, stating that it's all been a show and that their accomplishments have left no room for innocence, heart and soul.
Line by Line Meaning
On top of the world, on top of it all,
Trying to feel invincible
Feeling as though everything is going right and nothing can stop me.
Dying on top of the world
Even though I'm on top, I'm really struggling and can't sustain this feeling forever.
I remember the nights
Caught up in dreaming my 'goodbyes'
Watching the door for anything more
Than an ordinary life
I used to dream of leaving the ordinary life behind and finding something more meaningful.
I remember the days, days, days
New beginnings on an open 'page'
With something to prove and nothing to lose,
Not a soul to betray
I remember when I had just started out and had the world at my feet, with nothing holding me back and no one to disappoint.
Here I am
Living a dream that I can't hold
Here I am on my own
Even though I've achieved my goals, it's not sustainable and it's a lonely place to be.
I remember the lies
Caught up in building 'paradise'
The angels were slaves and demons behaved and
Everything was alright
I may have been successful, but I got there through deception and manipulation, and everything is not as it seems.
On top of the world, on top of it all,
Trying to feel invincible
Feeling as though everything is going right and nothing can stop me.
I'm dying on top of the world
Even though I'm on top, I'm really struggling and can't sustain this feeling forever.
I hear the crowds beneath me
I'm wishing they could reach me
But I'm 'on top of the world'
Even though I'm successful and admired, I still feel disconnected from the people around me.
Up here I'm dying alone
Inside the walls of gold, outside of happiness
It's all been a show, too late to confess
No room for heart and soul,
No room for innocence, innocence
Even though I've achieved everything I ever wanted, it's not bringing me any joy or fulfillment, and I feel like I've lost myself in the process.
On top of the world, on top of it all,
Trying to feel invincible
X2
Feeling as though everything is going right and nothing can stop me, but it's not going to last.
But I'm dying on top of the world
Even though I'm on top, I'm really struggling and can't sustain this feeling forever.
Writer(s): Alexander Junior Grant, Benjamin Arthur Mckee, Daniel Coulter Reynolds, Daniel Wayne Sermon
Contributed by Muhammad F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
AmmaLeslie
The first one WAS enough.
Because it was the first one.
It was the proof that the privilege he loved was slipping away.. he had seen it happen in other ways but it had never touched him (literally) until that moment.
Now the whole foundation of his life is gone.
And even Henry saw it!!!
juncrow2007
Logged in here to pay my respects. As a black kid going to a school in a racist part of London, this one slap by Virgil Tibbs truly left a lifelong impression on me. It was a deeply symbolic scene, for me and for non-white people worldwide! Endicott's sobs surely reflect his pain at realising that the days when black people "knew their place" were on their way out. What a classy, elegant, almost regal, figure Mr Poitier was. RIP, Sir Sidney. 🖤✊🏽
Anthony Jackson
@K nah- we're good right here. Our place was earned by blood and stripes of our ancestors so we ain't goin nowhere. You're free to leave though✌🏽
A z
I knew at 5 what this slap meant. It's why I'm here
nightsage1961
@maddymud he did both. Cried like a baby and then sent his goons after him.
MeaneyMouse
@Expose TheNWO TrueThatTrueThat
Karl Moore
I was born in 1966 in Arkansas. I'm surprised that white man didn't use the word "lynched" because that would have been more accurate outcome!
But not anymore!
RIP Ancestor....
Lorne Noland
In the original script, he was supposed to walk away after getting slapped. It was Poitier who insisted he strike back and they rewrote the scene. Iconic.
I also want to give credit to the actor playing Endicott. He was so rattled by Tibbs striking back that he broke down in tears. Excellent.
KutWrite
Veteran actor, Larry Gates. He really helps bring out the tension and pathos of the scene. I almost want to cry with his character at the end, thinking so much I valued in my life has changed for the worse.
Stanley Reed
Mr. Tibbs slapped the taste out of Endicott's mouth! My parents took me to see the movie when I was 11. At the end of this scene the audience started clapping and yelling so much the projectionist replayed it. Rest in Power Mr. Poitier.
Jeffrey Ball
They call mr. Tibbs. That quote stuck out