Chairlift was an electro-pop band formed in 2005 in Boulder, Colorado, Unit… Read Full Bio ↴Chairlift was an electro-pop band formed in 2005 in Boulder, Colorado, United States. The band consisted of Caroline Polachek (vocals, keyboards) and Patrick Wimberly (bass, drums). The third founding member, Aaron Pfenning (guitar, synths, vocals), left the band in 2010. In December 2016, Chairlift announced that they would be breaking up, with a final tour in the spring of 2017 .

The band formed in Boulder, Colorado in early 2006 to make live music for haunted houses. Frequenting the Broker Inn on the edge of town for empty late-night jazz shows, Polachek, Pfenning and Wimberly were mystified by the 1980's faux-gothic architecture, oak-cabinet aquariums, vacant dancefloors, fake trees, crystal chandeliers and dark velveteen booths. Relocating to Brooklyn in the summer of 2006, the trio continued on to develop a hypnotic yet tongue-in-cheek style, playing shows around Brooklyn and the Lower East Side.

'Evident Utensil', released on 7" vinyl featuring a remix by MGMT, marked Chairlift's first release on Kanine. Chairlift unleashed their first full-length album, "Does You Inspire You", on Kanine Records on September 30th, 2008. The duo completed their sophomore album, "Something" in 2011 for release in January 2012. Recorded between New York and London, they recruited producers Alan Moulder (Depeche Mode, My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails) and Dan Carey (MIA, Franz Ferdinand, Lily Allen) and Carey also mixed the majority of the record. Three singles, 'Amanaemonesia', 'Sidewalk Safari' and 'Met Before' preceded the album's release. "Moth", the third and final album was released January 22, 2016, preceded by the single 'Ch-Ching'.

Turning
Chairlift Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the dark we unroll an inner vision
I'm turning into someone else
The cage starts fitting
There's something in the water
I'm turning into someone else
I never thought I could reach this far
I never thought I could reach this

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Chairlift's song "Turning" are open to interpretation. However, it seems to address the idea of personal growth and change, as well as the struggle and uncertainty that comes with it. The opening line, "in the dark we unroll an inner vision," suggests that it is in moments of introspection and self-reflection that we most clearly see the path we need to follow to become the person we want to be. The subsequent lines, “I’m turning into someone else / The cage starts fitting,” conveys the internal conflict and struggle we may feel as we shed our old selves and emerge into a new form.

The line "there's something in the water" is intriguing, as it can have multiple meanings. It can refer to a physical change, as in, like something in the water is causing a mutation. At the same time, it can also be a metaphor for external factors and influences that can shape our sense of identity. These external factors can include relationships, societal expectations, and cultural norms. Meanwhile, the final lines “I never thought I could reach this far / I never thought I could reach this” speak to the discovery of our own potential and the limitless possibilities that come with growth and change.

Line by Line Meaning

In the dark we unroll an inner vision
We imagine things in our mind, in a place where nobody else can see

I'm turning into someone else
I'm changing my identity, becoming unrecognizable to myself

The cage starts fitting
I feel trapped and confined, like I'm in a cage that's shrinking around me

There's something in the water
Something has changed, there's a new element in my environment that's affecting me

I'm turning into someone else
I'm still transforming, I don't know who I'll become when this is over

I never thought I could reach this far
I never thought I would push myself this much, go beyond my limits

I never thought I could reach this
My success is surprising to me, I'm accomplishing things I never thought possible

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KURT FELDMAN, CAROLINE ELIZABETH POLACHEK, JONATHAN PATRICK WIMBERLY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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