Courtney Barnett – Elevator Operator Lyrics

Courtney Barnett – Elevator Operator Lyrics

Elevator Operator Lyrics by Courtney Barnett

The lyrics of the first song on the album is inspired by a story that Barnett had been told by a friend. During an interview, she said:

Elevator Operator is a story I wrote about a friend that likes to go to the top of this building to enjoy the view. One day he got into the elevator with this lady, and she freaked out because she thought he was going up to the roof to kill himself. He told me the story, and it seemed to be such a crazy kind of story to me, just a crazy situation. She must have assumed that something was wrong with him, because he was young and had scruffy hair or something – I don’t know.

Asked why she chose this one as her opening track, Barnett replied:

It’s the only song that isn’t about me and my feelings, but about someone else’s, and the lyrics come in straight away, right in your face. It seemed like a good way to set the tone for the album.

[Verse 1]
Oliver Paul, twenty years old
Thick head of hair, worries he’s going bald
Wakes up at quarter-past-nine
Fare-evades his way down the 96 tram line
Breakfast on the run again, he’s well aware
He’s dropping soy-linseed Vegemite crumbs everywhere

[Verse 2]
Feeling sick at the sight of his computer
He dodges his way through the Swanston commuters
Rips off his tie, hands it to a homeless man
Sleeping in the corner of a Metro bus stand, and he screams:
“I’m not going to work today
Going to count the minutes that the trains run late
Sit on the grass, building pyramids out of Coke cans”

[Verse 3]
Headphone wielding to the Nicholas building
He trips on a pothole that’s not been filled in
He waits for an elevator, one-two-nine
A lady walks in and waits by his side
Her heels are high, and her bag is snakeskin
Hair pulled so tight, you can see her skeleton
Vickers perfume on her breath
A tortoise-shell necklace between her breasts
She looks him up and down with a botox frown
He’s well used to that look by now
The elevator dings, and they awkwardly step in
Their fingers touch on the rooftop button

[Chorus]
“Don’t jump, little boy, don’t jump off that roof
You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, you’re still in your youth
I’d give anything to have skin like you”

[Verse 4]
He said, “I think you’re projecting the way that you’re feeling
I’m not suicidal, just idling insignificantly
I come up here for perception and clarity
I like to imagine I’m playing SimCity
All the people look like ants from up here
And the wind’s the only traffic you can hear”
He said, “All I ever wanted to be
Was an elevator operator—can you help me please?”

[Chorus]
Don’t jump, little boy, don’t jump off that roof
You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, you’re still in your youth
I’d give anything to have skin like you
Don’t jump, little boy, don’t jump off that roof
You’ve got your whole life ahead of you, you’re still in your youth
I’d give anything to have skin like you