Death On The Stairs

It's about drugs and addiction, and the excitement and romanticism around it.

The Eritrean maid is a reference to the Abyssinian maid in Kubla Khan, an opium-induced poem by Coleridge. That is in turn about the ecstasy, irreversibility and unholy nature of addiction. I'll just quote that whole section:

"A damsel with a dulcimer In a vision once I saw: It was an Abyssinian maid, And on her dulcimer she played, Singing of Mount Abora. Could I revive within me Her symphony and song, To such a deep delight 't would win me That with music loud and long, I would build that dome in air, That sunny dome! those caves of ice! And all who heard should see them there, And all should cry, Beware! Beware! His flashing eyes, his floating hair! Weave a circle round him thrice, And close your eyes with holy dread, For he on honey-dew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise."

(Abyssinia became Ethiopia, and Eritrea split from Ethiopia. And Abyssinia doesn't scan. They obviously had an encylopedia, eh?)

The anglican bit I think is a pretty much unrelated jab at middle/upper-class morality - the Eritrean maid as an asylum seeker taken advantage of by an apparently selfless theology type, but she sees through him and runs away.

Bit of romanticism (punk rock kids with less than 50p, imagine!), then "bringing with a true love" drugs/alcohol to a friend (probably an ex-band member). The insistence it is out of affection ties in with the "stranded on this street that paved my only way home". They themselves understand the same insistent draw, and swing between feeling of it as a salvation, and realising the wretchedness of their situation. They act towards their friend as they do towards themselves, unsure of whether they are salving a wound or simply feeding an addiction.

The rest is mostly a repetition of the same theme, ecstasy against addiction. "Sweet like nothing, It's like nothing at all", "But don't bring that ghost round to my door I don't wanna see him anymore".

I don't understand the monkey and mouse bit, though the motel is a seedy and secret location for getting high. Even if you grow up and become respectable, you'd still have to go back and feed your addiction. It makes an indelible mark, like an awful crime from your past. If you want to keep it quiet you must pay it off.

Finally I think the title is a reference to overdosing in a tower-block stairwell, as the final limit, the lowest and most desperate end-point of a heroin addict who can’t escape.

Carl once said to Pete "its either the top of the world or the bottom of the canal" - he had a big fear of wasting his life and ending up eating cold beans out of a tin and watching daytime telly on a fuzzy TV - they grew to call this concept 'death on the stairs' - the miserable state that some people become, and thats what this song is about.

It's one of my fave Libs tracks, but the newer version that comes with the 'Dont Look Back Into the Sun' single is awesome - far better than the original.

This is a very, very good song - one of The Libs' best for me. The lyrics are all over the place but they're pretty fantastic. I love the way he says 'half of less than 50p' instead of 'less than half', it always makes me smile. 'I'm stranded on the street that once paved my only way home' is a really lovely line too.

Death On The Stairs, is basically pissing your life down the drain, staying in bed untill noon, watching day time telly and doing fuck all. Well, thats what Carl Barat and Pete Doherty reffered to it as.

From way far across the sea Came an eritrean maiden she Had a one track mind and eyes for me Half blinded in the war

With a pale young Anglican Who said he'd help her all he can Showed her Jesus and his little un-holy friend She had no mind to please him Just say 'ta-ra' and leave him behind

There's a little boy in a stairwell who says "I hate people like you" Got matches & cable TV half of less than 50p We all clambered over the balcony Banging on the window waking Steve Bringing with a true love his un-holy friend If you really need it You just won't leave it behind

So baby please kill me Oh baby don't kill me But don't bring that ghost round to my door I don't wanna see him anymore

Please kill me Oh baby don't kill me Just don't bang on about yesterday I wouldn't know about that anyway

Monkey asked the mouse before If she loved anybody more than he It turns you into stone Now I'm reversing down the lonely street To a cheap hotel when I can meet the past And pay it off and keep it sweet It's sweet like nothing no It's just like nothing at all

Yes I've seen you there How could I help but stare It rips the heart out off your baby Now I've taken far too much to see Or think or touch what's real I'm stranded on this street that Paved my only way home

You really need it oh You just won't leave it behind

So baby please kill me Oh baby don't kill me But don't bring that ghost round to my door I don't wanna see him anymore

Please kill me Oh baby don't kill me But don't bang on about yesterday I wouldn't know about that anyway Oh no

He got nothing he got nothing at all

This is a brilliant song- The Libs at their best. I like the contrast between the almost mythical language of the 1st verse ("Eritrean maiden" "from way far across the sea" etc) and the realism in the 2nd, with its "matchsticks and cable TV". Wonderful. :)

Another brilliant song. I love the lines "From way far across the sea came and Eritrean maiden she had a one track mind & eyes for me".

I love this song, one of the best on the CD in my opinion, next to Time For Heroes. Even though the entire CD kicks ass.

Suberp song, i love the way it flows and changes speed throughout. Up the Bracket 10/10

Yeh its great but hasn't anybody noticed a chunk of the lyrics missing?

"Please don't kill me..."