The ladder as a muse? Ladders are useful pieces of equipment and hardly the sort of item you could imagine a creative type getting inspired by, but it seems like the ladder and the associations of climbing, descending and bridging a gap are things which inspire some moving music.

The rap artist Kalenna uses these connotations in her song ‘Ladder’, in the chorus:

“Just remember why I helped you climb
What’s yours was supposed to be mine
We supposed to share everything
Oh that’s why I gave you everything
I’ve been your ladder for so long
I never minded my heart being stepped on
As long as you made it to the happy place
I was your ladder to the happy place”

She presents her role in the relationship as that of a ladder, providing a supportive structure for her and her lover to reach happiness together. A ladder rung acts as a metaphor for her heart, (“I never minded my heart being stepped on”) creating an image of her body and soul providing a pathway for her other half. Using the ladder metaphor for herself, she comes across as the strong one in the relationship, a powerful image indeed!

Ladders as People?

Coldplay use a similar idea in their song ‘Ladder to the Sun’: that of a person being a ladder, a route to happiness in a relationship. The chorus goes:

“Cause you’re not just anyone
You’re a ladder to the sun
You’re not just anyone
You’re a ladder to the sun”

The idea of a ladder to the sun suggest a ladder to a brighter, happier place and the person whom the ladder represents is someone special, someone who can provide that brightness and hope. The rest of the song lyrics also suggest that there is some danger associated with this person, that the risk of climbing this metaphorical ladder to the sun is not without the possibility of losing everything and it is within this idea that we can see that despite the sun being a bright place and something to aim for, it is also risky and dangerous, just like love.

Paula Cole’s ‘The Ladder’ uses this idea of ladders being a person as well, but this is not a traditional love song. This is a song of despair and loneliness (which are common themes in ballads and love songs). The lyrics:

“I am climbing the ladder of urgency
Climbing a ladder of hope
Climbing a ladder of my emotions
Climbing a ladder of unraveling hope

I’m only one thing
One thing I feel
I am the ladder”

present the inner struggle to ascend beyond emotional turmoil and finding that turmoil becoming more tangled and difficult to navigate until, at the end of the song, she asserts that she is the ladder that she is trying to climb: she embodies the despair and loss of hope that she is trying to overcome. This is a song of loss of love, rather than of obtaining love, but still manages to use the ladder as an effective metaphor for that journey.

Shared Ladders

‘This Ladder is Ours’ by The Joy Formidable uses ladders as a metaphor for a love journey, but rather than a journey that one person is making to reach the other, this is shared, the pathway of a relationship that both people are climbing together:

“This ladder is ours
This ladder is ours
We can be anybody else
Hold on to the fringe
Jump through from the past

This ladder is ours
This ladder is ours
This is where everybody turns
Out right in the end
Can you play that part?”

The ladder represents the next stage of the relationship, one to be conquered together as long as the other person ‘can…play that part’. It does have associations of risk, but this ladder belongs to two people, who can steady it for each other. Unlike the other ladder based love songs, where the ladder is a solo struggle, this one is shared and approached with caution.

Diana Ross and the Supremes had a song called ‘Up the Ladder to the Roof’ which contained the lyrics:

“I will never ever, ever leave you, leave you alone to wonder
As we go on our love it will grow much stronger and stronger
Don’t you wanna go

Up the ladder to the roof
Where we can see heaven much better
Up the ladder to the roof
Where we can see heaven much better”

Again, this is an invitation to climb a ladder together, to see heaven together and the act of climbing the metaphorical ladder together will strengthen their love for one another.

Sue Thompson’s ‘James Hold the Ladder Steady’ is another song where the ladder to love is shared by two people, although only one of the pair is actually on it. The lyrics:

“James, James hold the ladder steady
James, James I’m packed tonight I’m ready
James, James hold the ladder steady
I’m a’coming down to your arms
I’m a’coming down to your arms”

show Sue on the ladder, climbing down toward “James” who is holding that pathway steady with the very arms she is travelling towards. This imagery is redolent of the fairytale Rapunzel, where the admirer rescues the damsel from her prison.

The song ‘If I Let the Ladder Down’ by Ben’s Brother also uses the Rapunzel idea with the lyrics:

“In the street below
You’re staring up at my apartment
Wondering where my heart went
Wondering where the story goes

If I let the ladder down (repeat 2x)

Would you stand on the ledge with me?
Run to the edge and take miss me
If I let the ladder down
If I let the ladder down”

The ladder in this song represents the question of whether, if the singer lets his guard down and invites another person into his life, they will stand by him. It is a song of love lost, but with the possibility of reconciliation if the lover climbs up the metaphorical ladder to stand side by side.

David Allan Coe uses the idea of someone supporting a ladder, providing a support system, in his song ‘If You’ll Hold the Ladder (I’ll Climb to the Top), much like Sue Thompson, Kalenna, and, to a certain extent, Ben’s Brother:

Baby, you’re the only dream, I’ve ever had come true
There’s so much more to reach for thanks to you
Now I can climb this mountain, babe, there was a time I’d stop
If you’ll just hold the ladder, baby, I’ll climb to the top”

The love and support provided by the subject of the song is represented as a ladder, and if this support and love is held steady, then the singer can reach his goals. This is a nice metaphor for the dynamics of support within a relationship.

The Ladder of Love

Rodney Crowell’s ‘Ladder of Love’ is perhaps the song that uses the ladder image most prominently. The ladder is featured all the way through the song:

“I’m getting off this merry-go-round
I’m giving up the battle on the ladder of love
Well I ain’t gonna worry bout tomorrow right now
I’m climbing that ladder of love somehow

Well I ain’t gonna worry bout tomorrow no more
I’m climbing that ladder up to heaven’s door
I’m gonna walk right in and tell ‘em how I’ve been
I’m tired of running, I’m tired of hiding

I’m sick of keeping this thing inside
I’m gonna let it unravel on the ladder of love
I’m giving up the battle on the ladder of love”

In this song, the act of climbing the ladder of love is presented as a sort of battle against people who are trying to get in the way of his journey and the use of the ladder as representative of the route suggests that this particular pathway to love is fraught with danger and is also a potentially insurmountable obstacle. The act of climbing this ladder of love is scary, but Crowell is insistent that he will climb that ladder and make it to his destination. This is a song of determination and courage, as well as love.

Bright Eyes also use the idea of the ladder being scary and dangerous in their song ‘Ladder Song’:

“No one knows where the ladder goes
You’re gonna lose what you love the most
You’re not alone in anything
You’re not unique in dying”

Although this isn’t obviously a love song, it does suggest that love is part of the ladder, which is used more as a metaphor for a life journey than love alone. The assertion at the start of the song that ‘No one knows where the ladder goes’ implies that the ladder here represents life in general, that no one can see where their life is headed and that everyone is in the same situation.

There are many, many more songs that use the ladder as a metaphor for a struggle and for love, as the connotations of risk, attainment and hard work that are associated with ladders is a great source of inspiration for songwriters. Perhaps a ladder would make a good romantic gift, paired with a rendition of one of these songs?!

As you can see we at Midland Ladders put time and energy into trying to make the MLC ladder blog as fun, informative and interesting as possible, if you have any subject related to ladders, platforms or any type of working or playing at height that you think is worth a look at please drop us a line or pop a comment below.