The Chills are an indie pop band which formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 19… Read Full Bio ↴The Chills are an indie pop band which formed in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1980. The band's only constant member has been singer/songwriter Martin Phillips (vocals, guitar). The current members of the group aside from Phillips are Erica Scally (guitar, keyboards, vocals), James Dickson (bass, vocals), and Todd Knudson (drums).

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.

I Love My Leather Jacket
The Chills Lyrics

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I wear my leather jacket like a great big hug
Radiating charm - a living cloak of luck
It's the only concrete link with an absent friend
It's a symbol I can wear 'till we meet again
Or it's a weight around my neck while the owner's free
Both protector and reminder of mortality
It's a curse - I cannot shirk responsibilities
From the teacher to the pupil it's a gift to me

So I love my leather jacket and I wear it all the time

I love my leather jacket

Overall Meaning

The Chills's song "I Love My Leather Jacket" is a nostalgic anthem about the significance of a leather jacket to the singer's life. The title phrase is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of this piece of clothing. The first line, "I wear my leather jacket like a great big hug," conveys a sense of comfort and protection, as if the jacket provides a warm embrace. The jacket is described as "radiating charm - a living cloak of luck," suggesting that it has a magical quality that brings good fortune to the wearer.

The second stanza shifts to a more melancholic tone, as the singer reflects on the jacket's role as a reminder of someone who is no longer present. The jacket is a "concrete link with an absent friend," suggesting that it carries memories and emotions associated with that person. The jacket is also described as a "weight around my neck while the owner's free," highlighting a sense of responsibility or burden that comes with it. However, despite these heavier associations, the jacket is still cherished as a gift: "From the teacher to the pupil it's a gift to me."

Line by Line Meaning

I wear my leather jacket like a great big hug
I feel comforted and embraced by my leather jacket.

Radiating charm - a living cloak of luck
My leather jacket gives me a charismatic and fortunate aura.

It's the only concrete link with an absent friend
My leather jacket is the only tangible connection I have to a missing friend.

It's a symbol I can wear 'till we meet again
I can wear my leather jacket as a representation of my hope for the reunion with my friend.

Or it's a weight around my neck while the owner's free
Although I possess my leather jacket, it can also be a burden compared to the freedom its actual owner has.

Both protector and reminder of mortality
My leather jacket provides protection and at the same time reminds me of my mortality.

It's a curse - I cannot shirk responsibilities
Along with the benefits of my leather jacket, it also brings along the responsibilities I cannot deny.

From the teacher to the pupil it's a gift to me
My leather jacket is a present passed down from my superior.

So I love my leather jacket and I wear it all the time
I am deeply fond of my leather jacket and frequently wear it because of its meaning and benefits.

I love my leather jacket
I cherish and adulate my leather jacket.

Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: MARTIN JOHN JAMES PHILLIPPS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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