Described as "classic UK rock delivered with whiskey vocals", the band have been summarised as possessing a sound akin to the genres of alternative rock and "British traditional rock". Stereophonics' debut album, Word Gets Around, was released in August 1997 and charted at number six in the UK, aided by the singles "Local Boy in the Photograph", "More Life in a Tramps Vest" and "A Thousand Trees". The band reached mainstream success with the release of Performance and Cocktails (and its promotional singles "The Bartender and the Thief", "Just Looking" and "Pick a Part That's New") in 1999 and have achieved a total of ten top-ten singles as well as one number one: "Dakota" (2005). Having sold around 10 million copies worldwide by 2016, Stereophonics are one of the most successful Welsh rock acts. Upon their release of Pull the Pin, they achieved five consecutive UK number one albums.
The band have also been praised for their live performances, which have landed them headlining slots at many of the UK and Ireland's most high-profile music festivals, including Reading and Leeds in 2000, Glastonbury in 2002, V Festival in 2002, the Isle of Wight in 2004 and 2009, Oxegen in 2010, Tramlines Festival and TRNSMT in 2018, and Latitude in 2019. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonics
Studio albums
Word Gets Around (1997)
Performance and Cocktails (1999)
Just Enough Education to Perform (2001)
You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003)
Language. Sex. Violence. Other? (2005)
Pull the Pin (2007)
Keep Calm and Carry On (2009)
Graffiti on the Train (2013)
Keep the Village Alive (2015)
Scream Above the Sounds (2017)
Kind (2019)
Oochya! (2022)
Chris Chambers
Stereophonics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Photograph in front of me, carnation-colored pink
Stand aside and take a drink
Night club, another scene, 31st, it's Halloween
Slave to each new trend, uptown junkies, push again
The lovers and the wannabes
(They don't know how)
(They don't know how)
Newspaper story reads
(They don't know how)
Cheap girl magazine
(They don't know how)
Stand aside and cry, never wonder why
Ask themselves why, the river has dried
Laughter after after three, shaped up to be free
Number one the most missed chart
Must have broke a thousand hearts
Parallel with the scene, tarnished star evergreen
Live life disguised
The lovers and the wannabes
(They don't know how)
The radio and TV
(They don't know how)
Newspaper story reads
(They don't know how)
Cheap girl magazine
(They don't know how)
Stand around and cry, never wonder why
Ask themselves why, the river has dried
The lyrics of Stereophonics’ song Chris Chambers tell a story of the dark side of fame and how it can become overwhelming and destructive. The singer is sickened by the superficiality of the scene he is watching, with people taking pictures and drinking, while the reality of the situation is lost on them. He observes the desperate desire of some people to be part of the scene, to be famous or recognized, but they lack the depth to understand the real price of fame. The song highlights the contrast between the perceived glamour of fame and the reality of the lives of those who make it.
The chorus emphasizes that those chasing fame are unaware of the true cost of their desires. As they listen to the radio and watch TV, they are bombarded by images of fame and success, but they don't understand the reality behind it. The song also references the media coverage of celebrity lives, where a newspaper or a cheap girl magazine might exploit their stories, increasing the pressure and the scrutiny. The line “Stand around and cry, never wonder why, ask themselves why, the river has dried” seems to be a metaphor for the emptiness of the scene, the lack of anything of real value.
Overall, the lyrics of Chris Chambers are a critique of the superficiality of the entertainment industry and how it can trap people in a cycle of desperation and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
It sickens me to see
The singer feels disgusted about something they are witnessing.
Photograph in front of me, carnation-colored pink
There is a photograph in front of the singer, likely with a pink tint.
Stand aside and take a drink
The singer takes a break from the situation they are in to have a drink.
Night club, another scene, 31st, it's Halloween
The action is taking place at a night club on Halloween night.
Slave to each new trend, uptown junkies, push again
The people at the club are eager to follow every new trend.
The lovers and the wannabes
Those in attendance at the club are split between two groups: those in love and those trying to fit in.
(They don't know how)
Neither group understands the reality of their situation.
The radios and TVs
The media is equally detached from the truth.
Newspaper story reads
The newspaper reports on the events happening that night.
Cheap girl magazine
The artist is aware of a magazine that exploits women.
Stand aside and cry, never wonder why
People continue blindly repeating the same behaviors and feeling sorry for themselves.
Ask themselves why, the river has dried
Despite their lack of introspection, people are aware that they contribute to their own problems.
Laughter after after three, shaped up to be free
Despite the negative aspects of the night, people are still able to laugh and feel a sense of freedom.
Number one the most missed chart
The song being referenced could not be heard by many people.
Must have broke a thousand hearts
The song must have resonated with many people who could not hear it.
Parallel with the scene, tarnished star evergreen
A common theme running parallel to the events of Halloween night is the idea of a celebrity who has seen better days.
Live life disguised
Despite putting on a brave face, the celebrity mentioned is unable to be truly genuine.
Stand around and cry, never wonder why
People are still paralyzed to their own problems.
Ask themselves why, the river has dried
People are slowly killing themselves, but refuse to make changes.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Kelly Jones, Richard Mark Jones, Stuart Cable
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind