On June 2nd, 2010, The Front Bottoms released a 6-track album entitled "Slow Dance to Soft Rock".
On March 8th, 2011, the band announced they have completed work on their forthcoming new mini-album, "Grip 'N' Tie". This EP was cancelled upon signing to Bar/None Records and combined with "Slow Dance to Soft Rock" to make their self titled debut full-length album, which was released on September 6, 2011. Their second album "Talon of the Hawk" was released on May 21, 2013 and led to the addition of two new members, Tom Warren (bass), and Ciaran O’Donnel (keys, trumpet, guitar) to play alongside Brian Sella and Matt Uychich.
Check them out here:
www.thefrontbottoms.com
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Contact:
Management/Press: jonableson@gmail.com
Shows/Band inquiries: TheFrontBottomsMusic@gmail.com
Legit Tattoo Gun
The Front Bottoms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What a ridiculous place to start
She said "Well how about my chest?
Or more specifically my heart"
Whenever I'm alone or feeling lonely
I pretend I can play the drums inside my head
And I am good
They love these songs
But I am not a dirty god
And I don't have a dirty body
And I am alone only half of the time
The other half, I am only hiding
And she was getting high
Yeah, she was smoking pot
I'm pretty sure I am the only guy she's hooked up with tonight
But probably, (oh) probably not
Who did I think I was?
Who did I think that I could be?
Oh, how dare me
Oh, how dare me
And there's a voice in the back of my head
In the back of my head says "Let him be
Just let him be happy"
I'm gonna go crazy
I am the water
In the puddle in the shade of a tree
When I freeze over, you are the sun, you cannot touch me
And the tree feels bad
I can tell by the way that it felt
But it still wont move
So the ice won't melt
No, it still wont move
So the ice won't melt
But I am not a dirty god
I don't have a dirty body
And I am alone only half the time
The other half
I am only hiding
Keep my body alive
Keep my arms reaching out towards anyone
But I am not a dirty god
And I don't have a dirty body
And I am alone only half of the time
The other half I am only hiding
And we were getting (hahahahahaha)high
And I was smoking pot
I'm pretty sure I am the only guy she's hooked up with tonight
But probably, probably not
The lyrics to The Front Bottoms' "Legit Tattoo Gun" capture the inner turmoil of a person struggling to find their place in the world. The opening lines talk about the ridiculousness of starting with thoughts in one's head. This is followed by a conversation about body parts, specifically the chest and heart. The singer is obviously seeking something deeper than superficial interactions.
The second verse talks about the singer pretending to play drums inside their head when they are lonely. This is an effective way of coping with sadness or loneliness. Also, this person is obviously talented, because they state that their songs are loved. The song then transitions to the singer's inner conflicts, including doubts about their self-worth and insecurities about their body. The singer also talks about hiding from the world as a way to avoid the pain of rejection or disappointment.
The song ends with them yearning for someone to keep them alive and to reach out their arms towards anyone who would offer help. This is a plea to be seen and understood, and to find that special someone who will make them feel whole.
Overall, "Legit Tattoo Gun" is a poignant and emotionally honest portrayal of a person trying to make sense of their world and find their place in it.
Line by Line Meaning
My head has thought
The singer is starting to narrate his story by saying that he has certain thoughts in his head.
What a ridiculous place to start
The singer thinks that starting his story from his head is a funny idea.
She said "Well how about my chest?
Or more specifically my heart"
Someone (probably a girl) responds to the singer by stating that she wants to talk about her emotions rather than his.
Whenever I'm alone or feeling lonely
I pretend I can play the drums inside my head
And I am good
They love these songs
They love my songs
When he's alone, he starts playing music in his head which he thinks is very pleasing to others.
But I am not a dirty god
And I don't have a dirty body
And I am alone only half of the time
The other half, I am only hiding
The artist claims that he is not superior in any way and is not dirty. He's not fully alone and spends his time trying to hide from the world.
And she was getting high
Yeah, she was smoking pot
I'm pretty sure I am the only guy she's hooked up with tonight
But probably, (oh) probably not
He thinks that he's the only one she's with, but he's uncertain about it. They were smoking weed together.
Who did I think I was?
Who did I think that I could be?
Oh, how dare me
Oh, how dare me
The singer talks about his self-doubts and questions the image he has of himself.
And there's a voice in the back of my head
In the back of my head says "Let him be
Just let him be happy"
I'm gonna go crazy
A voice inside his head tells him to set things right, and he's afraid he might go insane before he can do something about it.
I am the water
In the puddle in the shade of a tree
When I freeze over, you are the sun, you cannot touch me
And the tree feels bad
I can tell by the way that it felt
But it still won't move
So the ice won't melt
No, it still won't move
So the ice won't melt
The artist explains how he feels when he's in a certain situation where he thinks that he's an outcast and others cannot touch him, even if they want to. He compares himself to water that cannot be touched when it's frozen. The tree symbolizes the environment and the artist's significant other(s) (probably the girl he's with), who feel bad for him but can't do anything.
Keep my body alive
Keep my arms reaching out towards anyone
The artist wants to stay alive and communicate with others but due to his insecurities, he can't do that.
And we were getting (hahahahahaha) high
And I was smoking pot
I'm pretty sure I am the only guy she's hooked up with tonight
But probably, probably not
He reiterates that they were high and smoking weed. He thinks that he's the only one there for her, but he's unsure of it.
Contributed by Alexander A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.