As a singer-songwriter with a unique gift of capturing the subtleties of British life, he did not keep his opinions to himself. This articulation often resulted in audience members being offended, outraged or otherwise aghast. He received earfuls from angry old ladies in hunting villages, indie crowds in Essex and a few outraged liberals at the Leftfield stage during Glastonbury Festival. He must have been doing something right.
After spending three years at Leeds University earning a degree in pop music, the inevitable move to London followed. He spent 1999 slogging at a day job, and recorded his first album during evenings and weekends on the cobbled-together not-exactly-state-of-the-art recording equipment in his bedroom. The result was Beatverse, released in 1999 on his own label, Wine Cellar. It sold fewer than 500 copies, but it taught him not be afraid of being opinionated and brutally honest in his songs.
Snowstorm Records loved the album and offered to fund the next T-T release. The result was 2000’s Panic Attack at Sainsbury’s, a mixed bag of pop anthems (You Can Be Flirty), anti-establishment sing-alongs (Dreaming of Injured Popstars) and twisted love songs (Open Books, Exeat).
Over the next few years, T-T became intimate with every venue on the UK indie circuit, driving beat-up vans and sleeping on floors while getting paid next-to-nothing to perform to an ever-increasing base of dedicated fans.
With two albums, the first two parts of the London Trilogy ‘The 253’ (2001) and ‘London Is Sinking’ (2003), as well as overtly political mini-album ‘9 Red Songs’ (2005), Chris T-T tackled life's grand themes of war, money, politics, love, sex, and death, and has transformed them into highly personal and highly emotional songs, championed by everyone from NME to Rolling Stone, from Radio 1 to Radio 3, and 6Music.
As the Guardian said: "The genius of Chris T-T's songwriting is his ability to humanise even the most outlandish conceits. They seem instead like brilliant ideas that no-one else could've come up with."
His offering ‘Capital’ (released in March 2008 through Xtra Mile Recordings) is a stunning collection of carefully-crafted fuzzed-up folk-rock anthems, is the climactic final part of the London Trilogy.
While ‘The 253’ uses wry observations, sincerity, and sting to depict gritty modern life in London, and ‘London Is Sinking’ portrays a city fraught with prejudice and fear, ‘Capital’ imagines the city devouring itself. As Chris explains:
“In my head it's a civil war in London with the authorities versus normal people, and the insurrectionists (the good guys) are hoodlum kids. Though in a way, the whole thing's just a big clunky metaphor for modern urban decay."
This is no grand dystopian vision, though, but rather a fine portrait of the human cost of civil war, with a love story at its heart. “I was inspired by how difficult it is to imagine what it's like in a war zone,” Chris says. “Even watching Baghdad on TV, you get no sense of real, normal people trying to live there, get to work, eat, even have fun. The characters in Capital are let down by basic failing infrastructure as well as soldiers roaming the streets bashing people up.”
Chris T-T has produced yet another brilliantly intricate and hilariously acerbic album, with musical styles ranging from electronic synth-pop to moody piano-led folk. ‘Capital’, featuring the world-class drumming of Andy Burrows (Razorlight), reaches a depth too few try to attain.
Official websites:
http://www.christt.com/
http://www.myspace.com/christtuk
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=20876321656
I'm Gonna Be
Chris T-T Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can’t tell the match from the flame
I don’t know the story behind every scar
I don’t even know your daddy’s name
But I know all along
That I’m gonna love you when you’re gone
I don’t know your sign, or if you’re scared of bees
I can’t tell the buzz from the pain
I can’t tell the river from the rain
But I know that it goes on and on
That I’m gonna love you when you’re gone
I know every wish wants another in the well
I know every arrow wants a heart
I know every scar’s got its story to tell
But I know its ending from its start
And I know it won’t be long
Til I’m gonna love you when you’re gone
The lyrics to Chris T-T's song "I'm Gonna Be" express a sense of joyful abandon and devotion to God. The song speaks of laying oneself bare and showing others what God has done for them. The singer is not holding back and is determined to praise God with all their heart. They promise to sing, dance, and live for God, declaring that they will not be silent.
There is a sense of liberation in the lyrics, as the singer proclaims that they are going to run like they've been set free. This may be a reference to the idea of being saved by God or finding freedom in faith. The chorus is repeated throughout the song, reinforcing the message of devotion and praise.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll lay it out for all to see
I am going to be open and honest about my relationship with God, and share what He has done for me with everyone.
What You, my God have done for me
I am grateful for everything God has done for me.
I'm not holding back now, oh
I am not afraid to express myself and my faith openly and without reservation.
I got my heart on my sleeve
I am being emotionally vulnerable and expressing my feelings openly.
No lies in between
I am being genuine and truthful about my thoughts and feelings.
I'm gonna sing, I'm gonna dance
I am going to wholeheartedly worship and praise God.
I'm gonna praise You
I am going to show gratitude towards God through worship and praise.
Like I never had the chance
I am going to take the opportunity to worship and praise God with everything I have, as if it were my last chance to do so.
And I'm gonna run
I am going to move forward with my life, free from the things that held me back before.
Like I've been set free
I will live my life freely, without fear or limitations, thanks to God's saving grace.
I'm gonna live
I'm going to actively pursue a life devoted to God.
All for You, my King
Everything I do will be to honor God and to show my love for Him.
Here it is, inside out
I am showing my true self, without pretense.
All will know what I'm about
Everyone will know that my faith in God is central to who I am as a person.
I won't deny what You have done
I will not overlook or disregard what God has done for me, but rather, will acknowledge and give thanks for His blessings.
You are my saving one
I recognize that God is my savior and has saved me from my troubles.
I will not be silent
I will continue to openly talk about my faith and share my experiences with others.
I'll become even more Dignified than this, oh
I will continue to grow in my faith and mature, becoming a better version of myself.
Oh, I'm gonna sing
I will never stop praising God and expressing my gratitude towards Him.
I'm gonna sing
I am committed to worshiping and praising God for as long as I live.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Chris Entzminger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
yawn yawn yap yap
I love "fight the power, but not too hard"
Beth Hewitt
It's funny when he says it's beautiful timing when the police car goes past lol.
Currie Dobson
Excellent!
frflinstone
Chris nails it again, he has the English down to a tee !