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)
Panzer Attack
The Cooper Temple Clause Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lining me up
It's all over their face
Here's a new chicken shit angel eyed boy
With a face to rip open all night
Step up to the line boys
Cover your eyes as they fire their guns
The Friday night abattoir spills out into
Here comes the panzer attack
This boy's taking the easy way out
Cause there's nothing like a midnight run
Don't you tell me not to hide
You've got to grit your teeth
And try to keep them too
Curled up in a can
They don't know where I am
I'll spend the night in here
Cowered in the trash till 4 am
You missed another one
Here comes the panzer attack
Panzer attack
The lyrics in The Cooper Temple Clause's song Panzer Attack use intense, visceral language to paint a picture of violent chaos. The song seems to be about a young, easily frightened boy who is caught up in a world of danger and violence. The "short sleeved shitkicking animals" are likely tough, aggressive people who are associated with violence. It's unclear who is "lining me up," but it's possible that the boy is being targeted by someone for violence or intimidation. The "chicken shit angel eyed boy" suggests that the boy is afraid and perhaps a bit naive. His "face to rip open all night" implies that he is in danger of being hurt. The chorus, which repeatedly states "here comes the panzer attack," indicates that the violence is about to escalate and that something terrible is about to happen.
As the lyrics continue, they describe the boy's attempts to hide and run from the violence that surrounds him. He talks about "spending the night" cowered in the trash until dawn, suggesting that he is willing to do whatever it takes to stay safe. The line "you missed another one" implies that there have been other victims of violence, and that the boy is trying to avoid being next. The song ends with another chorus of "here comes the panzer attack," suggesting that the violence is ongoing and that there is no escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Short sleeved shitkicking animals
People who are aggressive and violent, showing it through their clothing
Lining me up
They are preparing to attack me
It's all over their face
Their expressions reveal their intentions
Here's a new chicken shit angel eyed boy
A new person who appears innocent, but is actually cowardly
With a face to rip open all night
This person's face is very punchable and deserving of violence
Step up to the line boys
Challenging the attackers to fight
Cover your eyes as they fire their guns
The attackers are shooting weapons and it is dangerous to watch
The Friday night abattoir spills out into The streets
The violence from the animal slaughterhouse is now occurring on the streets
Here comes the panzer attack
The attackers are coming with overwhelming force
This boy's taking the easy way out
The singer is avoiding a physical confrontation
Cause there's nothing like a midnight run
Escaping is easier at night
Don't you tell me not to hide
The singer is defensive and doesn't want to be judged for hiding
You've got to grit your teeth
Enduring a difficult situation with determination
And try to keep them too
Trying to keep the attackers at bay
Curled up in a can
Hiding in a cramped space
They don't know where I am
The attackers do not know the singer's location
I'll spend the night in here
The singer will stay hidden until morning
Cowered in the trash till 4 am
The singer is hiding amongst garbage until early morning
You missed another one
The attackers have failed to catch the singer
Here comes the panzer attack
The attackers are once again approaching with great force
Panzer attack
The title of the song, repeating the idea of approaching violence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BENEDICT GAUNTRY, DANIEL FISHER, DAVID HAMMOND, JONATHAN HARPER, KIERAN MAHON, THOMAS BELLAMY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind