Gomez completed an inaugural U.S. tour opening for Eagle-Eye Cherry in October 1998, while the press still offered praise (Spin magazine called Bring It On "a damn beautiful album," giving it an eight out of ten rating). Liquid Skin followed one year later and went platinum in England, and the rarities/B-sides compilation Abandoned Shopping Trolley Hotline appeared in 2000. A third studio album, In Our Gun, was released in spring 2002. Another hiatus saw Ian Ball relocating to Los Angeles while still working with the band at its new studio in Portslade, England. The dozens of tracks recorded during this time were whittled down and fashioned into Split the Difference, released in May of 2004. By that time, Hut, the group's original label, had gone under, leaving Gomez signed to Virgin (Hut's distributor). Despite all the critical acclaim, the band's album sales never seemed to match Virgin's expectations, and the two sides parted ways later that year.
In 2005, Gomez signed with ATO Records and released Out West, the group's first live album. How We Operate arrived in May 2006, and the band rounded out the year by assembling a retrospective collection of singles, rarities, and unreleased tracks entitled Five Men in a Hut: Singles 1998-2004. Gomez's members were spread across two continents by this point, leading to a three-year gap between How We Operate and the band's sixth studio release, A New Tide, parts of which were recorded individually by the various bandmates and then merged online. Ben Ottewell took some time after its release to launch a solo career, with 2011's Shapes & Shadows marking his first major release outside of the band. Months later, the band released another studio album, Whatever's on Your Mind, with Phantom Planet's Sam Farrar sharing production duties with the bandmates themselves.
Biography by Greg Prato
In Our Gun
Gomez Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You must be hungry or tired or frozen
So put up your feet, throw some coal on the fire
And weave us a tale of delight
So we sit in our gun and we wait for our turn
We'll be waiting all of the night
So we sit in our gun and we wait for our turn
We're all to blame
We hide away
Let's take the sand from this bottomless pit
It's hell to pay
So run away
Destroy on command all who came and then quit
It's been carefully planned by the ones you won't see
Send out the monkeys, they come out of the bushes
To piss in the punch and then smash up the decks
It's your party, we're all obliged
So we sit in our gun and we wait for our turn
I think you hurt him, there's blood on the floor
So we sit in our gun, can I ask what you're on?
If you made it there's hope for us all
We're all to blame
We hide away
Let's take the sand from this bottomless pit
There's hell to pay
So run away
Destroy on command all who came and then quit
You're all the same
So hide away
Let's steal the sand from this bottomless pit
"In Our Gun" by Gomez is a track that is loaded with metaphorical language, political themes, and social commentary. The first verse's lyrics establish an atmosphere of tension and anticipation, the sense of waiting for something impending while seeking refuge in storytelling. The words, "The first words that came could've been more inspired, You must be hungry or tired or frozen" can be interpreted as a critique of political leaders who fail to inspire and lead their people. In the next line, "So put up your feet, throw some coal on the fire, And weave us a tale of delight," the singer is asking for a distraction or an escape from the current state of affairs.
The chorus, "So we sit in our gun and we wait for our turn, We'll be waiting all of the night, So we sit in our gun and we wait for our turn, We'll be waiting all of our lives," suggests that humanity is waiting for a transformative moment that never seems to come. Instead, people continue to hide and wait for "something" to happen while the world remains a dangerous and unpredictable place. The line "We're all to blame, We hide away, Let's take the sand from this bottomless pit," acknowledges that everyone is culpable in the creation and continuation of the status quo.
The bridge states, "It's been carefully planned by the ones you won't see, Send out the monkeys, they come out of the bushes, To piss in the punch and then smash up the decks, It's your party, we're all obliged." This section is making a statement about how the world is controlled by the unseen elite, who manipulate the masses into thinking that they have control. The "monkeys" symbolize individuals who have little power and are used to carry out the agendas of the powerful. The song concludes with the repeated chorus, driving home the theme of waiting for change. The imagery of sand from a bottomless pit being stolen by people can be interpreted as a metaphor for taking action even when it seems hopeless.
Line by Line Meaning
The first words that came could've been more inspired
The beginning of the story could have been more creative and original.
You must be hungry or tired or frozen
You seem exhausted and in need of rest and warmth.
So put up your feet, throw some coal on the fire
Relax and warm up by the fire while you tell us a delightful story.
And weave us a tale of delight
Tell us an entertaining and enjoyable story.
So we sit in our gun and we wait for our turn
We are waiting patiently for our chance to act, but it may never come.
We'll be waiting all of the night
We will continue waiting for as long as it takes, even if it means all night.
We're all to blame
No one is exempt from responsibility for the current situation.
We hide away
We try to avoid facing the consequences of our actions.
Let's take the sand from this bottomless pit
Let's find a solution to the seemingly endless and insurmountable problem.
It's hell to pay
There will be severe consequences for inaction or failure.
So run away
Avoiding responsibility is not a viable solution.
Destroy on command all who came and then quit
Get rid of anyone who is not fully committed to the cause or who abandons it.
It's been carefully planned by the ones you won't see
Unknown individuals have planned and orchestrated events that affect everyone.
Send out the monkeys, they come out of the bushes
Those who will cause chaos and destruction are sent out to do so.
To piss in the punch and then smash up the decks
To ruin the fun and cause damage to the environment.
It's your party, we're all obliged
You are in charge and responsible for what happens, and we are obligated to follow your lead.
I think you hurt him, there's blood on the floor
Someone has been physically harmed or injured as a result of our actions.
So we sit in our gun, can I ask what you're on?
We continue to wait for something to happen, but it seems unlikely. We question if someone is under the influence of something.
If you made it there's hope for us all
If someone has succeeded in a difficult situation, it gives us all hope for similar success.
You're all the same
Everyone is identical in their lack of action.
So hide away
Avoiding responsibility is not an effective solution.
Let's steal the sand from this bottomless pit
Let's find a creative and unconventional solution to the problem.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BEN OTTEWELL, IAN THOMAS BALL, OLIVER JAMES PEACOCK, PAUL BLACKBURN, THOMAS WILLIAM GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind