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)
The Lake
The Cooper Temple Clause Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Over there
Won't you help a stranger
That's a sorry sight my friend
It's not me
To make a fuss
It's just that the water's cold
And I can't feel my legs
Help me out
Don't let me drown in here
Can't you see
I'm gonna die in here
Please excuse
That outburst
I'm a little scared
I don't know what came over me
What's wrong
Don't close your eyes
I don't want to hurt you
I just need a little help
Help me out
Don't let me drown in here
Can't you see
I'm gonna die in here
Swim he says
Why do you say these things
One last chance
Just get me out of here
The Cooper Temple Clause's song The Lake is an emotional and desperate cry for help from a drowning man. The song opens with the singer calling out to a stranger, asking for help. He apologizes for causing trouble and explains that he can't feel his legs, making it impossible for him to save himself. He begs the stranger not to let him drown in the cold water, as he fears he will die.
As the song progresses, the singer becomes more panicked and agitated, pleading for help from the stranger who seems hesitant to get involved. He becomes increasingly frustrated and scared, even warning the stranger not to close their eyes or they will be hurt. Ultimately, he begs for one last chance to be saved, as he cannot bear the thought of dying in the lake.
The lyrics of The Lake are a poignant commentary on the isolation and helplessness one might feel when facing a difficult or life-threatening situation. The song embodies the fear of being alone and forgotten, unable to get help when you need it most. The repeated refrain of "help me out" serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of reaching out to others and asking for help when we need it.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey you
Addressing someone for help
Over there
The location of the person being addressed
Won't you help a stranger
Asking for help from someone who is unknown to the singer
That's a sorry sight my friend
The artist is in a bad situation and hopes the person being addressed can provide assistance
It's not me
The artist doesn't like to ask for help, but feels desperate in the current situation
To make a fuss
The singer doesn't want to draw attention to themselves
It's just that the water's cold
An explanation for why the singer is struggling in the water
And I can't feel my legs
The artist is experiencing physical distress due to being in the cold water
Help me out
Reiterating the request for help
Don't let me drown in here
The artist is in danger and needs immediate help
Can't you see
The singer is trying to emphasize the severity of the situation
I'm gonna die in here
The artist believes they will die if they are not rescued soon
Please excuse
The singer apologizes for their behavior, possibly due to the distress they are experiencing
That outburst
Referring to their emotional reaction to the situation
I'm a little scared
Acknowledging their fear of the situation
I don't know what came over me
The artist is unsure of why they reacted the way they did
What's wrong
The artist is questioning why the person being addressed is not offering help
Don't close your eyes
Pleading with the person being addressed to pay attention
I don't want to hurt you
The singer is not trying to harm the person being addressed, but needs their assistance
I just need a little help
Reiterating the request for help in a calm manner
Swim he says
The person being addressed is offering advice on how to get out of the water
Why do you say these things
The artist is unsure of why the person being addressed is not providing more substantial help
One last chance
The singer is running out of time and needs immediate assistance
Just get me out of here
The artist's ultimate goal is to be rescued from the dangerous situation they are in
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Benedict Gautrey, Daniel Fisher, David Hammond, Jonathan Harper, Kieran Mahon, Thomas Bellamy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind