After a pair of well-received singles, Superchunk released Superchunk in 1990, a critically-lauded LP. In spite of the ensuing interest from major labels, Superchunk decided to stay independent, going with Matador Records for their second, just as critically-lauded LP, No Pocky for Kitty, followed by a collection of singles, Tossing Seeds and another pair of well-reviewed LP's, On the Mouth and Foolish.
Superchunk singer Mac McCaughan and bassist Laura Ballance decided to release future albums on their own Merge Records, which they had started in 1989. The band continued touring and recording, appearing on Lollapalooza and backing a minor hit in "Hyper Enough" (from Here's Where the Strings Come In). In 1999, Superchunk released Come Pick Me Up.
McCaughan was a member of Seam and has also recorded several albums as Portastatic. Initially a solo project, Portastatic has evolved into a full band, which currently includes Superchunk's Jim Wilbur as a member. Before forming Superchunk, McCaughan was a member of the Slushpuppies, Wwax, and Bricks.
In 2008, the band announced they would be performing live shows and working on new material. That new material manifested itself as 2009's Leaves in the Gutter EP, which was followed by a full-length in 2010.
In 2013 bassist Laura Ballance announced that she would no longer tour, due to a worsening hearing condition (hyperacusis). However, the band continues to release new material, including the 2018 album "What a Time to be Alive."
Tower
Superchunk Lyrics
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Everyday at 5 PM
She has a bomb, she has a plan
She kills imaginary men
Kills them with her lipstick head
But she's safe from them
Cause they don't understand
I'll live without them
I have my days for sure
But I don't count them
When everything's just right
I'll come down off my mountain
I'm out of sorts right now
By then I will have found them
Don't call me the weird one
I watch them come and go all night
I serve them, listen to their shit
These people just aren't right
My guts fell out the top of my head
I'll live without them
I have my days for sure
But I don't count them
The song "Tower" by Superchunk is about a woman who climbs a tower every day at 5 PM with a gun in hand and a bomb with a plan to kill imaginary men. The woman seems to be described as delusional with her actions and kills these men with her lipstick head. The statement "she's safe from them. Cause they don't understand" suggests that these imaginary men are not aware of her actions, and therefore, she's safe from any consequences. However, the fact that she has to climb a tower daily with a gun and a bomb indicates that she's suffering from mental instability and paranoia. The violent nature of her actions might be her way of coping with her inner demons and trauma, which we can only assume.
The second part of the song describes the singer who is also going through some struggles. He says "My guts fell out the top of my head, but I'll live without them." This statement can be interpreted as him admitting to feeling empty or hopeless after experiencing something traumatic. Despite everything, he's decided to keep moving forward and "live without them." However, he also mentions "I have my days for sure, but I don't count them." This suggests that even though he's trying to move on from the traumatic experience, he still has bad days where his emotions overwhelm him. He doesn't count those days, perhaps indicating that he doesn't want to focus on negativity and instead tries to maintain a positive mindset.
Overall, the song "Tower'" by Superchunk talks about two individuals who are struggling with their inner demons in different ways. One of them is violent and delusional, while the other is trying to move forward from a traumatic experience.
Line by Line Meaning
She climbs the tower, gun in hand
She goes up the tower with a gun in her hand
Everyday at 5 PM
She does it every day at 5 o'clock in the evening
She has a bomb, she has a plan
She carries a bomb and has a plan
She kills imaginary men
She kills imaginary men in her mind
Kills them with her lipstick head
She eliminates them with her wits
But she's safe from them
She's safe from imaginary men
Cause they don't understand
Because they are only in her mind
My guts fell out the top of my head
I'm feeling sick and overwhelmed
I'll live without them
I'll carry on without my guts
I have my days for sure
I have my good and bad days
But I don't count them
But I don't keep track of them
When everything's just right
When everything is in place
I'll come down off my mountain
I'll come down from my isolation
I'm out of sorts right now
I'm feeling disoriented now
By then I will have found them
By then I'll have figured things out
Don't call me the weird one
Don't label me as strange
I watch them come and go all night
I see them arrive and leave all night
I serve them, listen to their shit
I serve them and listen to their problems
These people just aren't right
These people are behaving oddly
Contributed by Isabella L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.