The original lineup consisting of Kody Templeman, Zack Rawhauser, Cory Laurence, and Tim (Timmy V) O'Hara as a four-piece only recorded the first 7",I Lost My Marbles, produced by Joe King of The Queers for his More Bounce to the Ounce compilation. The band continued as a three-piece after Zack quit.
Their first full-length album, titled Shit Out of Luck, was released on Clearview Records in 1996. Following the release of their first album the band changed their lyrical focus. In 1999 they went into the studio with producer-engineer Mass Giorgini to record a new LP. This was done with the band's own money, and without the benefit of a record label. The result was Death By Television, an album that took sci-fi movie-themed songs such as War Of The Worlds and Invasion Of The Saucermen and combined them with tracks that made references to other retro themes, such as X-Ray Specs. The recordings instantly created a buzz. Successful label Fat Wreck Chords offered to release the album, but the band had already accepted an offer of Panic Button Records, an imprint of influential punk label Lookout! Records that was overseen by Ben Weasel of Screeching Weasel fame.
The band spent the next two years touring heavily within the punk scene and disbanded after teaming with Giorgini for their final Panic Button/Lookout! release, the spy-themed LP The Backchannel Broadcast, which was released in February, 2001. The album included the song Wait It Out, written by Ben Weasel and later re-recorded by The Riverdales for their record Phase Three.
John Jughead (of Screeching Weasel and Even in Blackouts) filled in as second guitar on many tour stops on the Death by Television and Backchannel tours. Other notable appearances on these tours include Ben Weasel (at The Fireside in Chicago, his first stage appearance since 1995), and Lurch Nobody. Timmy V left the band after Death by Television and was replaced by Austin, Texas drummer Scott.
Red Scare Industries reissued Death By Television (remastered) and Backchannel Broadcast in 2005.
The band split for a few years before reuniting with all original members to release an album, [album artist=the lillingtonsThe Too Late Show in 2006, with no plans on reuniting for a tour to support due to the members' other commitments.
In 2017 they released an album [album artist=the lillingtons]Stella Sapiente.
Frontman Templeman is currently a member of Laramie, Wyoming pop punk band Teenage Bottlerocket.
Drummer Timmy V is currently playing as a hired hand with Albuquerque, New Mexico all girl three-piece The Eyeliners, and plays drums in his own project Stabbed in Back, with a hardcore/punk album entitled A Portrait of Noise.
Black Hole in My Mind
The Lillingtons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to be an astronaut
Put me on a rocket into space
And now I'm lost without a trace
And now I'm really out of sight
And now nothings gonna be alright yeah
My life has been a waste of time
[2x]
In my mind
My life has waste of time
I've got a black hole in mind [4x]
Mind, I've got a black hole in my mind [4x]
The Lillingtons's song "Black Hole in My Mind" is a song that speaks to the disorientation and emptiness that comes from feeling lost and disconnected from what once brought a sense of purpose and direction. The lyrics capture the feelings of regret and disillusionment that come with a life not fully lived, encapsulated in the line, "My life has been a waste of time." The reference to being an astronaut, once a symbol of limitless possibility and adventure, amplifies the sense of lost potential and missed opportunities.
The refrain "I've got a black hole in my mind" captures the sense that something once central to identity or purpose has been irretrievably lost. It's a way of describing a kind of existential void. The repetition of the line hammers home the sense of futility and hopelessness that accompanies feeling trapped in this mental state.
Taken together, the song expresses a sense of resignation, but also a kind of defiant self-awareness. It's an admission that things have gone wrong, but also a recognition of the deep emotional impact of that realization. The song's lyrics convey a clear awareness of the emotional toll that comes from feeling unmoored, disconnected, and alienated from what one once held dear.
Line by Line Meaning
They used to call me Captain Scott
I used to have a sense of purpose and identity, but now I am lost and directionless
I used to be an astronaut
I used to have ambition and dreams of exploring new horizons, but now I feel stagnant and trapped
Put me on a rocket into space
I wish I could escape my mundane life and start anew, but it seems impossible
And now I'm lost without a trace
I feel completely disconnected from myself and others, and I have no idea how to find my way back
And now I'm really out of sight
My struggles are invisible to others, and no one seems to understand the depth of my despair
And now nothings gonna be alright yeah
I have lost all hope and believe that nothing can improve my situation
My life has been a waste of time
I feel like I have no purpose or value in this world, and my existence has been meaningless
I've got a black hole in my mind [4x]
I am consumed by a sense of emptiness and despair that seems to be swallowing me whole
In my mind
These feelings are taking over my thoughts and emotions, and I can't seem to escape them
Mind, I've got a black hole in my mind [4x]
My mental state is deteriorating, and I am constantly struggling to keep my head above water
Contributed by Lucas V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.