Since early 2006 when he supported chart toppers The Feeling he has played shows all over the UK taking in the cities of Sheffield, Leeds, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton, London, Oxford and Cambridge and culminating in a 3 night sold-out show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2007. He also played a number of concerts in Copenhagen, Denmark during a six-month stay there between August 2006 and January 2007.
Townsend's songs explore the classic themes of love, life, loss and regret but these now have an added originality with the use of effects pedals, creating drumbeats, bass and lead lines and vocal harmonies live onstage around his acoustic guitar and vocals to create an ethereal and dramatic sound; similar to that of Crowded House, The Verve and Coldplay with further comparisons being drawn from the likes of multi-platinum US artists Gavin Degraw, John Mayer, Howie Day and The Dave Matthews Band.
His independently released What Are You Waiting For EP sold over 2000 copies reaching audiences all over the world thanks to online resources such as Myspace where Chris regularly features in the top UK artists. He has recently just completed a short 6 date tour of the US & Canada in July 2009 and is now back in London writing new material.
“Copenhagen” is OUT NOW and has since received great reviews! You can buy your copy now from the store, Amazon, iTunes, HMV and Napster.
Handle This
Chris Townsend Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you're waiting on the line
For me
Waking up your body's shaking
Didnt know what to say
Can you handle this tonight
Drunk and dreamy
See right through me
So far we've come
Can you walk away
And im standing at your door now
Pictures rushing through my head
Of you
Holding hands means so much more now
Fate is watching you
Can you handle this tonight
Drunk and dreamy
Is love holding up your sight
See right through me now
So far we've come
Can you walk away
And its you in my mirror
And its you staring back at me
And its you in these headlights
And its your face i see
Rpt chorus to end
The lyrics to Chris Townsend's song Handle This depict a late-night phone call from someone who is clearly vulnerable and seeking solace in another person. The singer, who appears to have a romantic interest in this individual, rushes to their side and experiences a sort of introspective crisis along the way. As they drive to this person's location, they can't help but think of all the memories and emotions that have been stirred up by this encounter. The chorus of the song ("Can you handle this tonight? Drunk and dreamy. Is love holding up your sight? See right through me. So far we've come, can you walk away?") speaks to the complexity of the singer's feelings and the potential for both intimacy and heartbreak in this situation.
Line by Line Meaning
3 am my phone is ringing
It's the middle of the night and my phone won't stop ringing, causing a disturbance.
And you're waiting on the line
Someone is on the other end of the phone, waiting for me to answer.
For me
This person is specifically waiting for me to pick up.
Waking up your body's shaking
The phone call has caused this person to wake up, and they're so anxious that their body is shaking.
Didnt know what to say
This person is so overwhelmed that they don't even know how to respond or what to say.
Can you handle this tonight
I'm asking if this person is up for handling whatever is going to happen tonight.
Drunk and dreamy
The state we're in is a mix of being drunk and in a dreamlike state.
Is love holding up your sight
Is this person's love for me blinding them from realizing what's really happening?
See right through me
Can this person see through me and understand what the real issue is?
So far we've come
We've been through a lot together so far.
Can you walk away
Despite what we've been through, can this person still walk away from this situation?
And im standing at your door now
I've arrived at this person's door.
Pictures rushing through my head
I'm remembering past experiences with this person, and these memories are all coming back to me at once.
Of you
These memories specifically involve this person who I'm standing in front of.
Holding hands means so much more now
Simple gestures like holding hands now hold a lot more weight and meaning due to what we've been through.
Fate is watching you
The universe is watching and seeing what this person will do next in this situation.
And its you in my mirror
When I look in the mirror, I see this person's reflection instead of my own.
And its you staring back at me
This person's gaze is intense and they seem to be looking right through me.
And its you in these headlights
I can't escape thinking about this person and seeing their face everywhere I look.
And its your face i see
This person's face is constantly on my mind and I can't seem to escape thinking about them.
Rpt chorus to end
The chorus repeats to end the song, with the same message and questions being asked again.
Contributed by Kaylee E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.