Chad Petree and Jeremy Dawson grew up in Oklahoma and were involved in previous music projects together, including the soundtrack for the videogame Grand Theft Auto III in 2000 and Cloud2Ground. After relocating to Los Angeles, California in 2004, the two recruited vocalist Carah Faye Charnow and drummer Mikey Martin.
Their debut album, We Are Pilots was originally released in January 2005, though versions of the album featuring different cover art and tracklisting would be released later the following year. Three singles were issued: "Le Disko", "You Are the One" and "Rainy Monday". We Are Pilots received a Grammy Award nomination on 6 December 2007 in the category of Best Electronic/Dance Album, but lost to The Chemical Brothers.
The band's second studio album, Season of Poison, was released on 4th November 2008, with Sisely Treasure as vocalist. They have released two singles from their second album: "Ghost Town" and "Ricochet!".
In 2009, Shiny Toy Guns released "Major Tom", a Peter Schilling cover.
In 2011, Carah Faye Charnow returned to Shiny Toy Guns. In addition, Daniel Johansson also joined the band on guitar, synth and bass. In March 2011, the band released a new single "The Sun", available to download for free.
In May 2012 the band announced that Daniel Johansson left the band.
Band Members:
Current members
Carah Faye Charnow – vocals, synth (2004–2008, 2011–present)
Gregori Chad Petree – vocals, guitar (2002–present)
Jeremy Dawson – synths, bass (2002–present)
Mikey Martin – drums (2004–present)
Former members
Daniel Johansson – guitar, synth, bass (2011–2012)
Sisely Treasure – vocals (2008–2010)
Ursula Vari – vocals (2004)
Official site: http://www.shinytoyguns.com
Photograph
Shiny Toy Guns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night and day
When you can't stop turning
Where'd you go, mysterious?
So ashamed...
You've lost the way again
(Chorus:)
Living a world in a photograph?
Where I'll find you
Waiting for something
Hiding in places the shapes of the faces
In photographs
When the dreams are done
Look how the tears run...
Through my eyes
You danced upon the mirror glass
On the floor...
When the sky was falling
Where'd you go, my curious?
Insecure....
You've lost my way again
I tried so hard
To reflect their hearts
And show them that I'm stronger
And now I run...
Once went through my head
Once was in my head
I'm waiting
I'm waiting to go again
Once went through my head
What once was in my head
Is through my eyes
The song "Photograph" by Shiny Toy Guns talks about the struggle of keeping up with the standard of society and feeling lost in it. The lyrics paint a picture of being lost, insecure and unsure of oneself. It talks about the feeling of being watched by the world, both day and night, and the pressure that comes with it. The lyrics also hint at the difficulty of accepting oneself in a society that expects everyone to fit into a certain mold.
The chorus, "When did we all start living in a world of a photograph?" implies that society has become more focused on appearances and images rather than genuine feelings and emotions. The lyrics suggest that people are hiding behind their perfect photos and appearances, masking their true selves.
The verses show a struggle to find oneself, with lines such as "You've lost the way again" and "You've lost my way again." The repetition of "lost the way" emphasizes the feeling of confusion and the difficulty of finding one's path. It also suggests that the struggle is ongoing and constant.
Overall, "Photograph" is a song that captures the struggles of trying to navigate society's standards while maintaining one's true self. It is about feeling lost, insecure and uncertain, but also about the desire to find a way back to oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
All the stars watch over you
You feel like you have the attention of the universe
Night and day
It feels like you're being watched constantly
When you can't stop turning
You're restless and can't seem to calm down
Where'd you go, mysterious?
You feel like you're losing touch with yourself
So ashamed...
You're unhappy with yourself for losing your way
You've lost the way again
You've lost the path you were on
When did we all start
Reflecting on the past
Living a world in a photograph?
Feeling like life is passing you by and your memories are all you have
Where I'll find you
Looking for a way to reconnect with yourself
Waiting for something
Hoping for change or inspiration
Hiding in places the shapes of the faces
Feeling like you're hiding from yourself and your own identity
In photographs
Memories that are frozen in time
When the dreams are done
When reality doesn't match up to what you hoped for
Look how the tears run...
Showing how frustrated you are
Through my eyes
Showing your own perspective
You danced upon the mirror glass
Feeling fragile and like you're about to shatter
On the floor...
Hitting rock bottom
When the sky was falling
Feeling like everything is falling apart
Where'd you go, my curious?
Feeling like you've lost your sense of wonder and curiosity
Insecure....
Feeling vulnerable and uncertain
You've lost my way again
Feeling like you've lost your path and direction
I tried so hard
Putting in a lot of effort
To reflect their hearts
Trying to connect with others on a deeper level
And show them that I'm stronger
Wanting to prove your strength to others
And now I run...
Feeling like escaping from everything
Once went through my head
Reflecting on memories and thoughts from the past
Once was in my head
Reminiscing on how things used to be
I'm waiting
Hoping for something better in the future
I'm waiting to go again
Ready to move forward and start over
What once was in my head
Memories and thoughts from the past
Is through my eyes
Shaping your perspective on things in the present
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Melanie Safka
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
IYR Music
All the stars watch over you
Night and day
When you can't stop turning
Where'd you go, mysterious?
So ashamed...
You've lost the way again
When did we all start
Living a world in a photograph?
Where I'll find you
Waiting for something
Hiding in places, the shapes of the faces
In photographs
When the dreams are done
Look how your tears run...
Through my eyes
You danced upon the mirror glass
On the floor...
When the sky was falling
Where'd you go, my curious?
Insecure...
You've lost my way again
I tried so hard
To reflect their hearts
And show them that I'm stronger
And now I run...
Once went through my head
Once was in my head
I'm waiting
I'm waiting to go again
Once went through my head
What once was in my head
Is through my eyes
IYR Music
All the stars watch over you
Night and day
When you can't stop turning
Where'd you go, mysterious?
So ashamed...
You've lost the way again
When did we all start
Living a world in a photograph?
Where I'll find you
Waiting for something
Hiding in places, the shapes of the faces
In photographs
When the dreams are done
Look how your tears run...
Through my eyes
You danced upon the mirror glass
On the floor...
When the sky was falling
Where'd you go, my curious?
Insecure...
You've lost my way again
I tried so hard
To reflect their hearts
And show them that I'm stronger
And now I run...
Once went through my head
Once was in my head
I'm waiting
I'm waiting to go again
Once went through my head
What once was in my head
Is through my eyes
Scott Beckstead
An all time favorite of mine. :D
The Way In
This song... totally 80s! 'specially the chorus. <3 STG
Olivier Rivest
Best song of the early 2000's
Maggie B
Wow, takes me back to 1984......hard to believe it was done in the early 2000's.
Teresa Jimenez Jimenez
2020 anyone? Does anybody know why its not available on itunes?
Sasha
Now that you mention it, I do hear some similarities.
Octavian
Nice Song xD
HighMonkeyMonk
V1 of this album was much better. Love this version of this song though too
Area609Joe
version 1 was supposed to be a remix of gosteffects through my eyes