About the song
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Words from the artist’s archive
FOURTEENTH FLOOR lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Fourteenth floor, king bed, city view I been here before
Verse 1
Check-in was 12:04, rolling suitcase, one garment bag Plaque wrapped in a hoodie like it might bruise Checked every lock twice, deadbolt then the chain Hit every lamp, even the one behind the desk nobody uses TV running, not watching, just the company of sound I get a hundred of him yearly, big day energy Dry champagne sweat and shoe polish The louder it was out there, the more switches he hits in here
Pre-chorus
I seen this check-in a hundred times, same routine Same suitcase, different name, same thing on the nightstand
Chorus
Bigger the day, more lights you leave on Bigger the win, the quieter the room get Bigger the day, more lights you leave on Nobody called to say they coming, did they?
Verse 2
Phone buzzing since he sat down on the edge Congratulations from the ones who disappeared in February He answered three, then flipped it face-down on the marble Scrolling old photos now, smaller rooms, more faces Back when celebrations had folding chairs and paper plates Champagne still sweating on the desk, I seen that bottle before Different guest, same cork, same ring on my wood
Pre-chorus
I seen this check-in a hundred times, memorized the arc Same bottle, different label, same ring left in the dark
Chorus
Bigger the day, more lights you leave on Bigger the win, the quieter the room get Bigger the day, more lights you leave on Nobody called to say they coming, did they?
Verse 3
TV muted on the launch, four astronauts in a capsule Two hundred thousand miles from anyone who knows their middle name He don't notice the parallel but I do, I'm a room, I notice things Both in containers built for function, not for comfort Both watched by millions who can't actually reach them Sitting on the bathroom tile now, the heated one Only surface giving something back without him asking
Bridge
Club sandwich, cut in triangles, comfort tell Same order as the athlete in 2019 He eats watching astronauts wave before they board Big open-hand wave, full commitment to somewhere impossible First smile all night I wonder if he waved at anyone today or just got waved at
Verse 4
There's a difference and I been tracking it fourteen floors of data The ones who wave back tend to open the champagne The ones who get waved at leave it sweating on the desk He left a voicemail, seven seconds, just said hey I did it call me back Rawest thing I heard since the singer in 412 Who sang to an empty room the night she got the part
Verse 5
Five AM, asleep diagonal, shoes on, TV still blue Nightstand inventory, plaque, phone with fourteen unread Full champagne catching light from every lamp he left burning Checkout at eleven, he'll leave the plaque beside the remote They always do, housekeeping finds it next to a tip too big and no note I reset by noon, same minibar, same view Next guest checks every lock twice and hits every switch
Chorus
Bigger the day, more lights you leave on Bigger the win, the quieter the room get Bigger the day, more lights you leave on Nobody called to say they coming, did they?
Outro
Same lights, new guest
Inside the recording
Fourteenth floor, king bed, city view I been here before
I seen this check-in a hundred times, same routine Same suitcase, different name, same thing on the nightstand
Same lights, new guest
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.