The Chap are a modern pop group based in North London and feature five nationalities in four band members. They are named after a wonderful little magazine on how to be the perfect modern gentleman. Past and present occupations of the band members include teaching modern composition, market research interviewing, tour managing, music therapy, music journalism, java script programming, jingle writing, teaching piano and making cocktails.
The Chap record and produce their own records at home. Their music is influenced by film structure, Dadaism, computer magazines, free improv and the entire pop canon. They make pop-improv-disco-rock. They’re actually pretty OK musicians. Some of them have had real training. Starting out with very limited equipment (one single mic, for example), they came up with first album “The Horse”, a surreal lo-fi classic with deliberately pompous compositional ambitions. “Ham”, the follow–up, was recorded with four microphones instead of one and (partially) journeys into more melancholy territory, earning considerable acclaim and legendary cult status. Their third album “Mega Breakfast” saw the band venture deeper into the studio, using all kinds of proper mics, rewarding the listener with a slicker pop-production - a direction followed through to the next and currect album “Well Done Europe” to great result.
But of course it’s the songs that are most notable about The Chap. Ever surprising, imaginative and off-kilter, The Chap’s direct influences are impossible to trace and yet the songs are as catchy as hell.
The band started when Johannes, previously of post rock icons Karamasov (which featured Berit on Drums and Vibraphone), persuaded Panos and Claire to play live gigs with him for his solo project. This soon developed into a full band, writing all the music together.
t wasn’t long before they attracted the sharply tuned and eclectic ears of Lo Recordings (Cursor Miner, Red Snapper, et al) and this gave birth to a series of releases and earned The Chap a reputation that saw them remixing the likes of Bloc Party and Beck among others.
After some sporadic and rather chaotic live appearances featuring Panos attempting to play bass guitar and drums at the same time whilst Johannes struggled to cue up the correct backing tracks on a dysfunctional four track machine, Keith, the drummer joined. Keith had played in a band with Claire and brought an element of calm and structure to Chap rehearsals. In return, the other three teased him into revealing his innermost rock animal instincts and thus transforming his initially polite rhythm work into something truly bewildering, flamboyant and deafening. They followed suit, planting the multilayered detachment of their recordings into the realms of hard rock n’ aroll immediacy: The utterly unique Chap live experience was born. Ever since, their releases have been accompanied by numerous gigs and tours through the UK, Europe and USA, commanding bafflement and ecstasy in equal measure. Kids at gigs have frequently said the Chap “are amazing”, “are really out there” and “look like teachers”.
The Chap are and always have been about the psychological unease of despising and loving things at the same time. Those things, in particular, may be pop culture, the media world and their interactions; yet the Chap wish to convey a more general, deliciously terrifying sense of destabilisation, surprise and wonder.
Arizona
The Chap Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Brixton, Massachusetts
I love it out here
I really do
I am never coming home
I won't even write
Seven thousand miles
Camden, Ontario
Heidelberg, Sweden
Where was it that we went?
And where did our trip end?
The lyrics to The Chap's song "Arizona" convey a sense of detachment and longing for a faraway place. The singer expresses his love for the state of Arizona and compares it to his hometown in Brixton, Massachusetts. He declares that he will never come back and won't even write back, emphasizing the emotional distance from his previous life. The distance is reinforced by the mention of other far-off places like Camden, Ontario and Heidelberg, Sweden. The chorus begs the question of where the singer's journey ends and where he went along the way. The song leaves open the possibility that the trip may still continue, creating a sense of uncertainty and freedom.
The song's lyrics are simple yet thought-provoking. They speak to the universal desire to escape and find a place of belonging. The melody and instrumentation are upbeat and catchy, creating a contrast with the melancholy lyrics. "Arizona" is a tribute to the American West and embodies the spirit of adventure and exploration. The song's appeal lies in its ability to evoke a range of emotions and to spark the listener's imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Arizona
I find comfort and happiness in being in Arizona
Brixton, Massachusetts
I have traveled to many different places, but my love for Arizona remains constant
I love it out here
Arizona has captured my heart and I feel at home in this place
I really do
My love for Arizona is genuine and sincere
I am never coming home
Arizona has become my new home and I have no desire to leave
I won't even write
I am so content in Arizona, that I won't even bother to keep in touch with those from my past life
Seven thousand miles
The distance between Arizona and my previous life is significant and I feel disconnected from that world
Camden, Ontario
I have traveled to many different places, including Camden, Ontario
Heidelberg, Sweden
I have traveled to many different places, including Heidelberg, Sweden
Where was it that we went?
I have been on many trips and sometimes forget the specific details of each one
And where did our trip end?
My love for Arizona runs so deep, that each trip I take seems to end back in Arizona
Contributed by Michael F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.