Superchunk is an indie rock band which formed in 1989 in the college town o… Read Full Bio ↴Superchunk is an indie rock band which formed in 1989 in the college town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States. The band consists of Mac McCaughan (vocals, guitar), Laura Ballance (bass), Jim Wilbur (guitar) and Jon Wurster (drums). McCaughan and Ballance founded the indie record label Merge Records mostly to distribute the band's material, but has since grown into one of the largest indie record labels in the United States.

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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She climbs the tower, gun in hand
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

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

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

Overall Meaning

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