Originally hailing from Cape Town, South Africa, Civil Twilight is a power trio that draws parallels with Pilot Speed and is especially known for their similar sound to early U2, Muse, Jeff Buckley, and Radiohead. Their music has been described as having impassioned vocals and stirring, alt-rock songcraft. Brothers Andrew and Steven McKellar were raised in a musical household, having explored their father's jazz collection at a young age while listening to their classically trained mother play piano. In November 1996, Andrew launched a teenaged band with help from his high school classmate, guitarist Richard Wouters. The two scheduled an inaugural rehearsal for the following month; in the interim, Andrew discovered that his younger brother, Steven, could sing and write songs. The three musicians subsequently banded together, with Steven agreeing to master the bass and Wouters giving up the guitar (which Andrew also played) to learn drums.
Their songs have been featured in many TV spots, including One Tree Hill and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. "Quiet In My Town" was prominently featured at the end of Season 6 Episode 3 Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly. of One Tree Hill on The CW Network. It played for 6 minutes during the coda – the scene of Quentin's funeral. They have also had songs on Vampire Diaries and the movie, "Underworld: Awakening". "Letters From The Sky" was featured at the end of Episode 11 of Harper's Island, after Wakefield kills Cal and Chloe commits suicide. In addition to this, the song was also featured on Season 7 of One Tree Hill, in the opening scene of the episode, You Are a Runner and I Am My Father's Son. The song has also featured at the end of the film I Am Number Four.
www.civiltwilightband.com
Trouble
Civil Twilight Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh no
So I went down to the water
Tried to figure it out
Oh no
Everybody was looking down at the empty ground
Except you baby
And you turned to me with a strange look in your eye
You said oh, ooh, everybody's got a trouble
You said oh, ooh, everybody's got a trouble
Just like me
There I met a man scorched by the sun
He had a ring above his head
And with eyes of chrome
And a voice of steel
He drew his breath, and he said
Oh, ooh, everybody's got a trouble
He said
Oh, ooh, everybody's got a trouble
Just like me
Just like me
He said I should just go home
Oh, he said I should just go home
Ooh
Everybody's got a trouble
He said oh, ooh, everybody's got a trouble
It's what he said
Everybody's got a trouble
Just like me
Just like me
Just like me
Just like me
He said I should just go home
He said I should just go home
He said I should just go home
Oh he said, he said, he said
Yeah, he said I should just go home
Oh he said I should just go home
Oh and he said I should just go home
The lyrics of Civil Twilight's "Trouble" seem to be about a person who is trying to figure out what everyone is talking about when they say "trouble". The singer goes down to the water to think about it and sees that everyone is looking at the ground, except for one person, the addressee of the song. The addressee turns to the singer and whispers in their ear that everybody's got a trouble just like them. This seems to be an observation that everybody has difficulties or challenges in life, but it's not entirely clear how this helps the singer understand what "trouble" means.
Later in the song, the singer meets a man who has a ring above his head and eyes of chrome. This man tells the singer that everyone has a trouble, just like him, and then tells the singer that they should go home. It is unclear why the man thinks this or how it relates to the idea of trouble. Overall, the song seems to be exploring the universality of human struggles and difficulties but leaves a lot of room for interpretation.
Some possible interpretations of the song include that "trouble" could represent anything from personal problems to a broader sense of societal unrest. The man with the ring and chrome eyes could be interpreted as a figure of authority or wisdom, but his message is ultimately somewhat ambiguous. The song's chorus, with its repeated refrain about everyone having trouble, seems to offer some kind of insight or comfort, but ultimately adds to the sense of confusion and uncertainty that the song evokes.
Overall, "Trouble" is a thought-provoking and lyrically rich song that explores themes of struggle and resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't know what everybody was talking about
The singer is confused and doesn't understand the topic that people are discussing.
So I went down to the water
To clear his mind and try to figure out what people were saying, the singer went to a body of water.
Tried to figure it out
The singer attempted to understand the topic.
Everybody was looking down at the empty ground
People were looking dejected and hopeless.
Except you baby
One person wasn't looking down and was standing out from the crowd.
And you turned to me with a strange look in your eye
This individual looks at the singer in a distinctive and possibly concerning way.
And whispered in my ear
They spoke very softly and privately to the singer.
You said oh, ooh, everybody's got a trouble
This person whispered that everyone is dealing with their own unique difficulties.
There I met a man scorched by the sun
The artist encounters a man with sunburnt skin.
He had a ring above his head
The man wore a halo-like ring around his head.
And with eyes of chrome
The man's eyes glistened like they were made of shiny metal or chrome.
And a voice of steel
The man spoke with a powerful and unyielding voice.
He drew his breath, and he said
The man took a deep breath and began to speak.
He said I should just go home
The man advised the singer to simply return home.
Oh he said, he said, he said
The man repeats his advice several times.
Yeah, he said I should just go home
The man reiterates his suggestion that the artist should go home.
Oh and he said I should just go home
The man repeats his recommendation once again.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANDREW MCKELLAR, RICHARD WOUTERS, STEVE MCKELLAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind