In 2006, Number One Gun decided to move on to different projects despite their growing success. A recently posted Myspace bulletin cleared up the state of the band, stating that Schneeweis has a new band called The North Pole Project, Keene and Mallory formed Surrogate, and Sellers plays bass in Armed for Apocalypse.
However, when Schneeweis approached Tooth and Nail about signing his solo project, The North Pole Project, they wanted him to release the album under Number One Gun. So The North Pole Project became the album name instead. It was released on Tooth and Nail on January 15, 2008.
The band's following release, To The Secrets And Knowledge, was a continuation of the one-man project.
In June 2012, Jeff Schneeweis announced on his Twitter that he was developing a new song under the Number One Gun band name. Further posts on Twitter and Facebook revealed that the original lineup would be reuniting to write and record a new full-length album. In July 2012, the band launched a Kickstarter page to help fund their new album and subsequent tour. In addition, the band announced that Stephen Christian, lead singer of the band Anberlin, would collaborate and contribute vocals for at least one song on the album. The album, This Is All We Know, was made available on November 27, 2013, to fans who backed the Kickstarter project, and officially released on January 14, 2014, on Tooth & Nail Records.
Discography:
2014 - This Is All We Know
2010 - To The Secrets And Knowledge
2008 - The North Pole Project
2005 - Promises For The Imperfect
2003 - Celebrate Mistakes
2002 - Forever
2000 - Look Left
Bad Habits
Number One Gun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With your white-washed eyes underneath.
And the colors created by scabs that bleed.
Scrub away at your face.
Do what you can.
But in the end it's up to Him.
Run where you came from.
We're doing this.
I guess bad habits are not enough.
Give what you've taken.
Give yourself to what you hate.
Guided by hope.
Oh God, where were you,
When I needed you the most?
And I've been so alone.
Back and forth,
From end to beginning,
I know, I know
That it's time to give in.
We'll do this together.
Now that
I am ready.
Run where you came from.
Guessing pending on your life.
We're doing this.
I guess bad habits are not enough.
Give what you've taken.
Give yourself to what you hate.
Guided by hope.
Get me out of,
Get me out of this
Before I get myself too deep.
Those bad habits are not enough.
I guess bad habits are not enough.
Banking on my selfish ways
Of thinking as they lead me to believe.
Those bad habits are not enough.
I guess bad habits are not enough.
Run where you came from.
Guessing pending on your life.
I guess bad habits are not enough.
Give what you've taken.
Give yourself to what you hate.
Guided by hope.
Run where you came from.
Guessing pending on your life.
We're guided by hope
The lyrics to Number One Gun's song Bad Habits depict a struggle within oneself to overcome negative behaviors and thoughts. The opening lines describe a person who responds to hurtful behavior with a kiss, but has a haunted and wounded look in their eyes. The scabs that they have bled have created colors that demonstrate their pain. The ritual of scrubbing one's face is symbolic of attempting to wash away sins or wrongdoing, with the understanding that ultimately redemption can only come from a higher power.
The chorus talks about running from one's past mistakes and being uncertain about the future; it acknowledges that bad habits alone are not enough to secure a good outcome. In order to move forward, one must give back what they have taken and relinquish themselves to the things they hate in order to be guided by hope. The bridge reveals a conversation with God where the singer questions why they were not present when help was needed but also acknowledges their own isolation.
In all, the song conveys the theme of recognizing one's mistakes and taking action to adjust their habits in order to live a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
You give it back with a kiss,
You pretend to offer love in return, with your eyes hidden behind a façade of innocence, while your past wounds still remain prominent and painful.
With your white-washed eyes underneath.
You try to hide your true self behind a superficial veneer of purity and goodness, but your eyes betray your true intentions.
And the colors created by scabs that bleed.
Your past traumas and hurts have left scars that run deep and still bleed, creating a vivid, painful reminder of what you have gone through.
Scrub away at your face.
You try to cleanse yourself of your sins and mistakes, hoping to start anew, but the physical act of scrubbing only masks what lies beneath the surface.
Do what you can.
You try your hardest to change and be better, but some things are out of your control.
But in the end it's up to Him.
Ultimately, you cannot change who you are without outside help, and you turn to a higher power to guide you on the path to redemption.
Run where you came from.
You try to escape your past and your mistakes, but you cannot outrun the consequences of your actions.
Guessing pending on your life.
Your future is uncertain and dependent on the choices you make.
We're doing this.
We are all trying to navigate our way through life and its ups and downs.
I guess bad habits are not enough.
You realize that your old ways and habits will not be enough to carry you forward and that change is necessary for growth.
Give what you've taken.
You try to make amends for the harm you have caused in the past by giving back and doing better in the present and future.
Give yourself to what you hate.
You offer up parts of yourself to things and people you previously disliked or avoided, embracing change and new experiences.
Guided by hope.
You turn to a hopeful outlook as you begin to shed your old self and embrace new beginnings.
Oh God, where were you,
You express feelings of abandonment, questioning where a higher power was during your hardest moments.
When I needed you the most?
You long for guidance and support during the times when you felt most isolated and lost.
And I've been so alone.
You express the pain of feeling isolated and disconnected from others during your struggles.
Back and forth,
You feel stuck, unable to move forward or backwards and unsure of what direction to take.
From end to beginning,
You question the cycle of life and the struggle to find meaning and purpose within it.
I know, I know
You repeat a phrase as if trying to convince yourself or others of its truth.
That it's time to give in.
You recognize that fighting against your past ways and habits is necessary and that it is time to let go and start anew.
We'll do this together.
You find comfort and support in the idea of not being alone and that others are struggling alongside you.
Now that I am ready.
You recognize that true change can only happen when you are fully prepared and willing to let go of your old self.
Get me out of,
You express a desire to escape from the negative aspects of your life and past self.
Before I get myself too deep.
You recognize the potential harm and danger that can come from falling back into your old ways and seek to avoid it.
Banking on my selfish ways
You admit to relying on your previous harmful actions to get what you want or need.
Of thinking as they lead me to believe.
Your past self and actions have influenced your thinking and beliefs, making it difficult to break out of harmful patterns.
Run where you came from.
You continue to try and escape your past and the things that haunt you.
We're guided by hope.
Hope remains the guiding light towards redemption and a new beginning.
Contributed by Dylan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.