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.
Sanctuary
The Chills Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To a man who hits her when he′s wild
Overbearing, undercaring
Keeps her like a frightened child
She's made a man inside her head
Who′s gentle, good and strong
And he can take her far from the carnivore
How far?
I need you near (get out of there)
Sanctuary (get out of there)
No one comes here (get out of there)
We live alone in nowhere (get out of there)
Stands in the kitchen wishing hard
Staring out at distant stars
Raise the baby, change the other one
Pray her man unveils his heart
She says this and consoles herself
It's just an empty stage
It's just an empty stage I′m gone thought
How far could it stretch?
How far could it go?
I need you near (get out of there)
Sanctuary (get out of there)
No one comes here (get out of there)
We live alone in nowhere
He won′t find you (get out of there)
And I'll unwind you (get out of there)
′Cause I really do care (get out of there)
You trapped in fear and you have to get out of there
Get out of there, get out of there
Get out of there
Get out of there
Half an hour passes
She moves, takes the phone receiver from the wall
Dials a number, dials another one
No one seems to hear her call
She's tried her friends, they can′t help with her private hell
Slowly she drifts further away from him
How far?
Well, see that star?
That's how far she could go
How far?
See that star?
How far could she go?
I need you near me
Sanctuary
No one comes here
We′ll live alone in nowhere
Get out of there
Get out of there
Get out of there
The Chills's song "Sanctuary" speaks about a woman stuck in an emotionally and physically abusive marriage. The woman has created an imaginary man in her head who is powerful enough to save her from the torment of her reality. The song describes her daily chores of taking care of her two children while hoping for her husband to change. She stands in the kitchen, staring out at the stars wishing for freedom. Despite her efforts to seek help from her friends, nobody seems to be able to get her out of this mess. She is trapped in fear and living in nowhere. The song conveys a message of empathy, hope, and the need for change.
Line by Line Meaning
Married with children, and a dog
The woman is married with children and has a dog.
To a man who hits her when he′s wild
Her husband becomes violent when he is wild.
Overbearing, undercaring
He is controlling and neglectful.
Keeps her like a frightened child
He treats her like a scared and powerless child.
She's made a man inside her head
She imagines a man within herself.
Who′s gentle, good and strong
This man is loving, kind and powerful in her mind.
And he can take her far from the carnivore
In her mind, he can take her away from her abusive husband.
How far?
She wonders how far she could escape.
Shangri-La far, there she will belong
In her mind, she belongs in a perfect paradise far away.
I need you near (get out of there)
She needs someone to help her escape from her situation.
Sanctuary (get out of there)
She needs a place of safety to escape to.
No one comes here (get out of there)
She needs a place where her abuser won't find her.
We live alone in nowhere (get out of there)
She needs to get out of her current situation.
Stands in the kitchen wishing hard
She feels hopeless and wishes for a way out.
Staring out at distant stars
She dreams of escape by looking at the stars.
Raise the baby, change the other one
She has to take care of her children despite her difficult situation.
Pray her man unveils his heart
She hopes her husband will reveal his true feelings and stop being violent.
She says this and consoles herself
She tells herself things to make herself feel better.
It's just an empty stage
She feels like nothing is happening to change her situation.
It's just an empty stage I′m gone thought
She feels lost and hopeless.
How far could it stretch?
She wonders how much longer she can cope with her situation.
How far could it go?
She wonders how much worse things could get.
He won′t find you (get out of there)
She needs to escape so that her abusive husband cannot find her.
And I'll unwind you (get out of there)
Someone is willing to help her escape and heal.
′Cause I really do care (get out of there)
This person cares for her and wants to help her.
You trapped in fear and you have to get out of there
She is stuck in a situation that causes her fear and needs to escape.
Get out of there, get out of there
She needs to escape her situation as soon as possible.
Half an hour passes
Time passes as she tries to escape.
She moves, takes the phone receiver from the wall
She takes action to try and escape.
Dials a number, dials another one
She tries calling for help.
No one seems to hear her call
She feels unheard and helpless.
She's tried her friends, they can′t help with her private hell
She has tried to get help from her friends, but they cannot help her escape her situation.
Slowly she drifts further away from him
She tries to distance herself from her abusive husband.
How far?
She is unsure how far she can go to escape.
Well, see that star?
The star represents how far she could escape.
That's how far she could go
She could only go so far to escape her situation.
I need you near me
She needs someone to help her escape her situation.
Sanctuary
She needs a safe place to escape to.
No one comes here
She needs a place where her abuser cannot find her.
We′ll live alone in nowhere
She needs to escape her situation completely.
Get out of there
She needs to escape her situation as soon as possible.
Get out of there
She needs to escape her situation as soon as possible.
Get out of there
She needs to escape her situation as soon as possible.
Writer(s): Martin Phillips
Contributed by Brody G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.