While still teenagers, they formed after guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley left the Renegades, and guitarist Ben Eberbaugh left the Reruns. Drummer Joe Bradley joined a few months later. They released their first 7" in late 2001/early 2002 on their own Die Slaughterhaus label.
Just days before a tour was to begin in December 2002, Ben Eberbaugh was killed in a car accident after his car was hit by a drunk driver. The band carried on believing that Eberbaugh would want them to continue.
The band's debut full length album was released on Bomp! Records in 2003. Eberbaugh was replaced by Jack Hines, a friend of the band members, but he too was eventually replaced by current guitarist, and former Renegades member, Ian St. Pe , in 2004.
The Black Lips have a reputation for crazy live shows that have included vomiting, urinating, nudity, band members kissing, fireworks, and a chicken. They have slowly built a fanbase that appreciates their energy and style that is a rough mishmash of blues, rock, doo-wop, country, and punk.
They gained national attention in 2006 with features in Spin and Rolling Stone magazines. The band got exposure in the New York Times for being the hardest working band during the 2007 South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas, in which they played a dozen shows over a three-day period.
In September 2007 their most recent album entitled Good Bad Not Evil was released. The Black Lips made their American national television debut in October 2007 on Late Night with Conan O'Brien and played O Katrina.
The band also has songs from previous recording sessions, and they will eventually be released by In The Red Records.
The Black Lips are going to star in a film called Let It Be. They will play musicians in a fictitious '1980s era DIY band called The Renegades. The movie is set for production in 2008.
Cole, Jared and Joe also play in a band called The Spooks, along with members of Deerhunter and The Kiwis. The Spooks have recorded an album which should be released in 2007 or 2008 on the Die Slaughterhaus label. Ian also plays in a blasphemous garage punk band called The Original Three. There is a full length record out on Empty records and a single out on SYA records (Italy). The Original Three will have a new single coming out in December 2007 on Savage records (Sweden). Jared plays in a band called The Gaye Blades. Rob's House Records has released one 7" by The Gaye Blades, and another one should be released before the end of 2007. Cole has also released solo material under the name Old King Cole Younger. There is one split 10" release of his material on Rob's House Records that features Bradford Cox of Deerhunter, under the name of Atlas Sound, on the other side.
In 2009, the band released their fifth album, "200 Million Thousand", on Vice Records.
Band Members
* Cole Alexander (Old King Cole Younger) - Vocals, Guitar (2000 - present)
* Jared Swilley - Vocals, Bass Guitar (2000 - present)
* Joe Bradley - Vocals, Drums (2000 - present)
* Ian St. Pe - Guitar (2005 - 2014)
* Jack Hines - former Guitar (2002 - 2005, 2014 - present)
* Ben Eberbaugh - Guitarz(2000 - 2002) - deceased
Chainsaw
Black Lips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's hard to forget
Belief was broken
And you lost your friend
The gate was left open
Rush hour traffic on the street
The clouds in the sky they were choking
With the rain that would put you to sleep
And it's hard to know
That you've gone away
And it's hard to know
That you've gone away
Gonna lead me through the gate that was open
Alone without you
And I'll be calling you
And you might hear your name
If you're lost or have to go
To me it's both the same
Do you remember
It's hard to forget
The same day that you left me
Was like the same day we met
And it's hard to know
That you've gone away
And it's hard to know
That you've gone away
Gonna lead me through the gate that was open
Alone without you
And I'll be calling you
And you might hear your name
If you're lost or had to go
To me it's both the same
And I'll be calling you
And you might hear your name
If you're lost or had to go
I hope you flood the drain
The lyrics to Black Lips's "Chainsaw" tell the story of someone who has lost a loved one and is struggling to come to terms with their absence. The opening lines "Do you remember, it's hard to forget" set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is haunted by the memory of their lost friend and is finding it difficult to move on. They describe how "belief was broken" and their friend was lost, perhaps suggesting that they have died, moved away or simply cut ties with the singer.
The gate left open could symbolize an opportunity that was missed or a mistake that was made. The presence of rush hour traffic and choking clouds highlights the chaos and confusion that the singer is feeling in the aftermath of their friend's departure. They long for their friend's return but must come to terms with the fact that they may be gone forever.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "And it's hard to know that you've gone away, gonna lead me through the gate that was open, alone without you" underscoring the sense of loss and loneliness that the singer is feeling. The final lines suggest that the singer is hoping for some kind of closure or resolution in their grief.
Overall, "Chainsaw" is a poignant and moving tribute to the pain of loss and the search for meaning in the face of absence.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember
Asking if the person remembers a past event
It's hard to forget
Suggesting the event was significant and hard to forget
Belief was broken
Something happened that shattered the person's beliefs or expectations
And you lost your friend
As a result, the person lost a friend (perhaps due to a disagreement)
The gate was left open
Metaphor for the person's life feeling chaotic and out of control
Rush hour traffic on the street
Visual imagery to emphasize the chaos and busy-ness of life
The clouds in the sky they were choking
Person feels like there's a heaviness or suffocation in their life
With the rain that would put you to sleep
Rain represents a feeling of sadness or depression
And it's hard to know
Repeating the idea that it's difficult to come to terms with a loss
That you've gone away
The person is struggling to accept that their friend is no longer around
Gonna lead me through the gate that was open
Hope to find a way to move on and find clarity in life
Alone without you
But acknowledging that this must be done alone, without the friend's presence
And I'll be calling you
The person is likely to keep trying to contact their friend, even though they know they won't get a response
And you might hear your name
Hoping that maybe the friend will somehow hear them
If you're lost or have to go
Whether the friend is lost or has simply moved on, the person is still trying to reach out
To me it's both the same
To the person, the friend's absence feels like a loss regardless of whether they deliberately left or not
The same day that you left me
Repeating the idea that the person feels a loss like the day their friend died or left
Was like the same day we met
Emphasizing the importance and singularity of the event
I hope you flood the drain
Misdirected anger or frustration - this line suggests the person is angry or bitter at their friend for leaving, and wants them to suffer in some way.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Jared Swilley, Cole Alexander
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind