Tom, Kieran, 'Fish', Ben, Jon and Didz released 3 studio albums and a number of EPs and singles during their 9 year existence, of which 'Blind Pilots' was the most successful charting. with members going on to join Dirty Pretty Things, Rhysmix, and other projects.
The band first got together in 1998. Using a farmhouse turned into a studio on the outskirts of Wokingham, United Kingdom, it took the Cooper Temple Clause almost two years to record their debut album ‘See This Through And Leave’. An intense rock record, unafraid of challenging listeners and genres, it ignored scenes and fashion.
By the release of second album ‘Kick Up The Fire, Let The Flames Break Loose’ in 2003 - named after a Philip Larkin poem, again recorded reclusively in Reading, and with the minimum of record company interference - Team Cooper had become an army capable of breaking into the Top Twenty without the need for crossover radio support or heavy rotation videos. Gigs were riotous devotionals, particularly those on the UK tour with The Libertines. They played one triumphant US headline tour and a second set of arena dates in support of The Cure.
Then 2004 saw a shake-up at RCA leaving TCTC without an A&R man and with a new, unfamiliar set of faces and ears in charge who hadn’t grown up with, and therefore didn’t quite ‘get’, their isolationist methods and slash and burn musical direction. So, as the ‘Kick Up The Fire…’ campaign wound to a close there began a period of uncertainty and miscommunication between band and label. The Coopers once more holed up in their Reading pig farm to record demos for third album ‘Make This Your Own’ with long-term producer Dan Austin. After 12 uncertain months, eventually RCA re-signed the band and sent TCTC into the studio with ex-Adam & The Ants man Chris Hughes at the desk. He encouraged the band to return to their roots, when all six would swap instruments for each song and also share singing duties.
The final result 'Make This Your Own' was intended as both a commercial hit and a chance to bring ideas touched on in early B-sides and demos to fruition. Opening in familiar dancefloor rock territory with the anti-music industry rant ‘Damage’, it soon swerves into unmapped musical sectors often utterly unrecognisable as a Cooper Temple Clause record.
Gone was the majority of the electronic bells and whistles in the background, relegated to B-sides. There’s radio-friendly emo pop (mostly Fisher-sung songs ‘What Have You Gone And Done’ and ‘Waiting Game’), soulful Dears-gone-Erasure tunes (mostly Tom-sung tracks ‘Connect’ and ‘Isn’t It Strange’), Lilac Time cool folk (‘Take Comfort’), laptop blip-rock (‘Once More With Feeling’) and dark 80s krautonica (‘Head’) on here. Inevitably, many fans and indeed RCA were not quite sure what to make of the Nu Coopers realm. At the same time TCTC were still reeling from the unexpected departure of bassist, new dad and mental crowd-surfing nutjob Didz Hammond to join Carl Barât’s new band Dirty Pretty Things, whose contributions to 'Damage', 'Homo Sapiens', and 'Once More With Feeling' were still used 2 years after his departure.
After two years with no new material, the fanbase were enthusiastic for an internet-only release of ‘Damage’ in summer 2005. Some months later the band were signed to Sanctuary Records; 'Make This Your Own' finally appeared 2 years late in early 2007, preceded by Homo Sapiens and nearly a year after it had leaked to fans. The album and its singles flopped in comparison to the chart storming and arguably more challengingly creative KUTFALTFBL.
The band announced they would be going their separate ways on 24th April 2007, with Tom continuing his DJing side projects Rhysmix and Losers.
Tom Bellamy - Guitar, Bass, Synthesizer, Keyboard, Trumpet, Programming, Samples, Melodica, Harmonica, Percussion, Toy Piano, Bow, Decks, FX/Beats, Vocals & Lyrics.
Daniel Fisher - Guitar, Bass, Vocals & Lyrics.
Ben Gautrey - Guitar, Bass, Keyboards & Vocals.
Jon Harper - Drums, Gretsch Drums, DW Snares, Sabian Cymbals, Percussion & Backing vocals.
Kieran Mahon - Keyboard, Piano, Synthesizer, Organ, Hammond Organ, Farfisa, Guitar, Bass & Backing vocals.
Didz Hammond - Bass, Synthesizer, Samples, Vocoder, Guitar & Vocals. (Left 2005)
Did You Miss Me?
The Cooper Temple Clause Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I bet you did?
Did you miss me?
And what I did?
How's it going kid?
how's the love life?
Not good?
Good
I'm back now
Back with what I got
But its not for sale
Its for someone else
Someone beautiful
Someone who loves
Not you
She screams my name
Yeah she makes me rise
With the look in her eyes that you will never give
And she knows just how to hit the spot
She gives it all she's got
Then
Shit I blow my top
And we kiss
And we writhe
And this is everything I miss with you
And no matter how hard you try
With each and every lie
You'll never scream my name
She can scream my name
The lyrics of The Cooper Temple Clause's "Did You Miss Me?" portray a sense of brutal honesty and confidence in the aftermath of a break-up. The song speaks to the idea of moving on and finding someone who appreciates and satisfies one's needs. The opening lines, "Did you miss me? I bet you did, Did you miss me? And what I did?" suggest that the singer is comfortable in the knowledge that they were missed, but they have moved past that and onto something better.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more explicit and bold. The singer asks about the person's current situation, specifically their love life, and then reveals that they have found someone else who is "beautiful" and "loves" them. The chorus emphasizes the singer's satisfaction and happiness with this new relationship, with the repetition of "She screams my name" and the comparisons between the new and old partners.
Overall, the lyrics suggest a sense of self-assuredness and confidence that comes from moving on and finding something better. The language is direct and explicit, but also emphasizes the power of finding someone who fulfills one's needs emotionally and physically.
Line by Line Meaning
Did you miss me?
Asking if the person missed them while they were gone.
I bet you did?
Assuming that the person missed them and looking for confirmation.
And what I did?
Asking if the person missed not only their presence, but their actions as well.
How's it going kid?
Asking how the person is doing, inquiring about their well-being.
How's the love life?
Asking about the person's romantic endeavors and relationships.
Not good?
Assuming that the person's love life is not going well and looking for confirmation.
Good
Accepting the person's response and moving on.
I'm back now
Announcing that they have returned.
Back with what I got
Returning with something new or different.
But its not for sale
Clarifying that what they have brought back is not for profit or exchange.
Its for someone else
Stating that what they have is intended for another person.
Someone beautiful
Describing the intended recipient of what they have brought back.
Someone who loves
Emphasizing that the intended recipient is someone who cares deeply for the singer.
Not you
Making it clear that the intended recipient is not the person they are speaking to.
She screams my name
Describing another person who has a passionate relationship with the singer.
Yeah she makes me rise
Expressing that the other person is able to arouse the artist.
With the look in her eyes that you will never give
Comparing the passion felt with the other person to the lack of connection with the person they are speaking to.
And she knows just how to hit the spot
Describing how the other person is able to please the singer intimately.
She gives it all she's got
Emphasizing that the other person is completely invested in their relationship.
Then
Transitioning to the next part of the story.
Shit I blow my top
Describing the artist reaching the height of passion with the other person.
And we kiss
Describing the physical intimacy between the artist and the other person.
And we writhe
Describing the intense and passionate nature of their physical relationship.
And this is everything I miss with you
Comparing the passion felt with the other person to the lack of connection with the person they are speaking to.
And no matter how hard you try
Emphasizing that the person they are speaking to will never be able to please them like the other person can.
With each and every lie
Implying that the person they are speaking to has been deceptive or insincere in the past.
You'll never scream my name
Asserting that the passionate connection felt with the other person will never be felt with the person they are speaking to.
She can scream my name
Emphasizing that the other person is able to please the artist in a way that the person they are speaking to cannot.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BOBBY LORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gabby
YES! Saw them live back in 2004
25 MAR 2004 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Rolling into San Francisco on a soggy day wasn't their idea of warm,
sunny California weather. When they took the stage, they appeared a
bit waterlogged but their performance meant business and the audience
members were eager customers. Blind Pilots was fierce and when Who Needs
Enemies? came around, the half-filled Independent club crowd was digging
each song more than the previous. Didz on keyboards, Dan on bass, and
lots of screaming - must be the beast that is Panzer Attack. Jon kept
the enormous beat behind his kooky white-rimmed glasses. From there,
it's the perfect pairing of Promises Promises and Let's Kill Music to
close the set. SF was taken for a ride tonite and most people were floored
by the Cooper's set.
diabloinferno
The most under rated band to date.
Gabby
Did you ever hear of the 22-20's? Also underrated! Too bad they broke up but just happy I got to see them live!
Gabby
YES! Saw them live back in 2004
25 MAR 2004 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
Rolling into San Francisco on a soggy day wasn't their idea of warm,
sunny California weather. When they took the stage, they appeared a
bit waterlogged but their performance meant business and the audience
members were eager customers. Blind Pilots was fierce and when Who Needs
Enemies? came around, the half-filled Independent club crowd was digging
each song more than the previous. Didz on keyboards, Dan on bass, and
lots of screaming - must be the beast that is Panzer Attack. Jon kept
the enormous beat behind his kooky white-rimmed glasses. From there,
it's the perfect pairing of Promises Promises and Let's Kill Music to
close the set. SF was taken for a ride tonite and most people were floored
by the Cooper's set.
hugh martin
Got this album when it came out on the strength of this song.Brilliant band.
Jaysthename
Thanks for beaming this up to YT. This song is just as dynamic and ear-grabbing as it was the first time I heard it 10 or 12 years ago.
Monk Cat
Instant Eargasms. Saw them live in some small venues and they were brilliant.
Darren Mason
Holy fuck... I completely forgot just how amazing this band are, and how much I love this track! Thanks for the upload!
TheLamech777
Check out Red kite Ex coopers member
Pete Owen
Those opening bass notes though.
63 Lugga Luke
the greatest band of my generation. It's as simple as that.