The band has released five studio albums: "Brave Worlds" (1987), "Submarine Bells" (1990), "Soft Bomb" (1992), "Sunburnt" (1996), "Silver Bullets" (2015) and "Snow Bound" (2018). The compilation "Kaleidoscope World" (1986) collects most of their single releases and EPs between 1980 and 1986.
The band is best known as apart of the Dunedin Sound style of indie pop music, which coalesced around the Auckland-based label Flying Nun Records. The band originally formed with the lineup of Martin Phillips (vocals, guitar), his sister Rachel Phillips (keyboards), Peter Gutteridge (guitar), Jane Dodd (bass) and Alan Haig (drums). By the time the band released their debut single "Rolling Moon" in 1982, the lineup had changed to Martin Phillips, Rachel Phillips, Terry Moore (bass), and Martyn Bull. The band disbanded when Bull died of leukemia in 1983.
After Martin Phillips reformed The Chills in 1984, the band never again had a constant lineup, with the only two members to last for more than two albums being bassist Justin Harwood and keyboardist Andrew Todd, who were both members of the group from 1986 to 1990. Terry Moore also rejoined the band sporadically between 1984 and 1992. The Chills disbanded in 1993, but reformed once more in 1995. Since then the band has sporadically toured and recorded.
Familiarity Breeds Contempt
The Chills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hared it the first time time time
Well, you won't stop by
And tell me what the trouble is
I couldn't care less, ha ha, but my double does
And he told me we're both superseded
So why not drop by, burst my bubble for me
So simple to be cynical
Respond to things with ease
Once an attitudes selected
Then behavior is a breeze
They think they've got it covered
But they've got it all wrong
Hard people make hard times far worse
Not the reverse
It's the contemporary trap
They want to tell you where it's at
When the past is thought irrelevant
Our destiny's black
For they've limited themselves
To an urbanite perspective
And the build-up, rear-down
Press-gang acid attack
Familiarity breeds contempt
And suppresses attempts
Familiarity breeds contempt
Sour seeds grown into stifling creepers
Bitterness feeds on a drive alive
And now my heart bleeds
Familiarity breeds contempt
And a row of resentments
Familiarity breeds contempt
And I'm not exempt
The Chills's song "Familiarity Breeds Contempt" is about disillusionment and the pitfalls of cynicism. The first verse speaks to the idea that often our instincts and first impressions about a situation or person are correct, and repetition only reinforces our initial beliefs. The second verse is a jab at those who refuse to share their troubles, instead hiding behind a cynical facade. The singer acknowledges that it's easy to be cynical, but it's ultimately a trap that limits your perspective and breeds contempt. The chorus repeats the title phrase, emphasizing the corrosive effect that familiarity and bitterness can have on relationships and one's own psyche.
The third verse expands on the theme, painting a picture of a society obsessed with modernity and progress, but ignoring the lessons of the past. The "urbanite perspective" is criticized for its narrowness and inability to connect with the natural world. The final two lines of the verse allude to the violent and destructive tendencies that can arise from this myopic view. The final chorus concludes with a statement of personal culpability, acknowledging that even the singer is not immune to the negative effects of familiarity and contempt.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't need to repeat it, repeat it
I heard you the first time and I don't need you to say it again
I heard it the first time time time
You're repeating yourself unnecessarily and annoying me
Well, you won't stop by
You're avoiding me and not being open about your problems
And tell me what the trouble is
You're not willing to share your issues with me
I couldn't care less, ha ha, but my double does
I don't care about your problems but my alter ego does
And he told me we're both superseded
My alter ego told me we're both outdated and replaced by something newer
So why not drop by, burst my bubble for me
Why not come over and shatter my illusions?
So simple to be cynical
It's easy to be negative and critical
Respond to things with ease
Reacting with a negative attitude is effortless
Once an attitudes selected
Once you choose to be negative, it becomes a habit
Then behavior is a breeze
Then behaving poorly becomes effortless
They think they've got it covered
They believe they understand everything
But they've got it all wrong
But they're mistaken
Hard people make hard times far worse
Difficult people exacerbate difficult situations
Not the reverse
It's not the other way around
It's the contemporary trap
We're caught in a modern dilemma
They want to tell you where it's at
They want to claim they know what's going on
When the past is thought irrelevant
When people believe the past is unimportant
Our destiny's black
Our future is bleak
For they've limited themselves
They've restricted their outlook
To an urbanite perspective
To a viewpoint only relevant to city dwellers
And the build-up, rear-down
Referring to urban construction and urban decay
Press-gang acid attack
A reference to a violent act common in urban areas
Familiarity breeds contempt
The more familiar people are, the more they tend to dislike each other
And suppresses attempts
This phenomenon hinders efforts to improve the relationship
Sour seeds grown into stifling creepers
Negative attitudes that grow and consume everything
Bitterness feeds on a drive alive
Negative emotions consume and fuel a person's motivation
And now my heart bleeds
I'm hurt by the negative behavior of others
And a row of resentments
I have multiple reasons to be angry with others
And I'm not exempt
And I'm not free from this negative cycle
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: MARTIN JOHN JAMES PHILLIPPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind