You’re at the Party

You're at the Party is the fourth bonus track on the 2016 Lemon Demon album Spirit Phone.

You're at the Party
Song
Artist	Lemon Demon
Released	2016
Written by	Neil Cicierega
Appears on	Spirit Phone
Sung by	Neil Cicierega
Duration	5:20
Tempo	129
Genre	Synth Pop, Horror
Language	English
Links:	Spotify, Youtube, Bandcamp

Description

This song is about not being able to sleep because there is a party occurring nearby your bedroom. The song has a creepy, mystical vibe similar to a lot of songs on the first half of Spirit Phone, like Eighth Wonder and When He Died. The reason it was not included on the main album is simply because Neil felt he never "finished (the track) to his liking."

Neil explains the track on Spirit Phone's commentary track, stating:

"It’s about a sick person who’s trying to sleep while a noisy party happens next door, and it gradually overtakes him and invades his nightmares- or are they nightmares…? I don’t know, it’s ambiguous."

History

This song seems to be one of the older tracks to be worked on heavily for Spirit Phone, with a full demo instrumental created by Neil in early 2011. It has two demo versions, both released in the Lemon Demon 2024 Rarities Dump.

The first was finished March 1, 2011, titled Ashwagandha.mp3, a song title referencing a medicinal plant. This song features no lyrics, but a decently similar instrumental to the song released on the album, albeit missing some parts.

The second of the song's demos, aptly titled you're at the party.mp3 features early sets of vocals and an improved instrumental, but it has multiple different lyrical passages that were changed heavily by the time of the song's release. This demo was finished April 30, 2012.

Lyrics

  Hour hand's gone from two to three, now four.
  You've barely slept all night,
  All the noise and lights and
  Party songs next door
  Are too much.
 
  Ooh, They make you sweat.
  Half awake, soaking wet,
  Fever dream.
  People screaming bloody murder
 
  Paint chips flaking off the neighboring wall.
  As the night goes on and 
  Threatens the dawn,
  The music fills the hall
 
  They're in your house.
  You lock the door.
  You shut your eyes tight as your
  Window breaks.
 
  Someone,
  Something takes your hand.
  You don't understand.
  You can't understand it.
 
  Eyes shut tight, never open up
 
  (Too late) You've been invited,
  (Too late) You're at the party,
  (Wake up, wake up) And it's a place you've seen before.
  (Whoa-oh-oh) You've seen before
  (Whoa-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh)
 
  A place you've seen before you were born.
 
  Now you are dancing,
  You're with your people,
  You're not alone.
  Now you are drinking,
  Having a party,
  You're not alone.
 
  (Too late) You are the party!
  (Wake up) You are the nuisance.
  (Too late) You're not alone.
  (Wake up) It's not a nightmare.
  (Too late) You are delightful.
  (Wake up) You're not alone.
  (Too late) You've been invited.
  (Wake up) You're at the party.
  (Too late) You're not alone.
  (Wake up) You've been invited.
  (Too late) You're at the party and you notice that the-
 
  Sun's not rising, 
  And the birds aren't there.
  There's only dust on the floor
  Where people were before,
  And the dream won't leave your head.
  It won't leave.
 
  You need a drink.
  Half-empty bottles in the sink,
  Down the drain.
  Sudden rain outside alarms you.
 
  Hour hand's gone and now you're feeling strange!
  Now your hands grow strong, your fingers long,
  And your face,
  Your face begins to change.
 
  Ooh, you're mesmerized
  You want to cover up your eyes
  But they're already shut so tight...
 
  A whisper in your ear,
  Only you can hear,
  Only you can hear it.
 
  Eyes shut tight, never open up
 
  Too late (mmm)
  Too late (ooh-ooh)
 
  You've been invited
  You're at the party
  And it's a place you've seen before
  (Too late) You've been invited
  (Too late) You're at the party
  (Wake up, wake up) And it's a place you've seen before
  You've seen before!
 
  A place you've seen before you were born
  Before you were born!
  Before you were born! 
  Before you were born!
 
  (Too late) You've been invited
  (Wake up) You're at the party
  (Too late) You're not alone
  (Wake up) You've been invited
  (Too late) You're at the party
  (Wake up) You're not alone
  (Too late) You are the uproar!
  (Wake up) You are the party
  (Too late) You're not alone
  (Wake up) It's not a nightmare
  (Too late) You're at the party and you're not alone.

Alternate Versions

• Ashwagandha.mp3
• You're at the Party (2012 Demo)

Trivia

• This song seems to lyrically reference, or at least take inspiration from, Hotel California by The Eagles.