The original lineup consisted of Stuart Smith on rhythm guitar and vocals, Tim Collis on lead guitar, Simon Thompson on Drums and Ian Lewis on Bass. Ian and Simon left the band in 2005, to be replaced by Dan Adams (replaced by Jamie Cooper during the recording of Animals in 2008) on bass and Chris Collis (brother of guitarist Tim) on drums in early 2006. In earlier careers, bassist Jamie Cooper had worked as a graphic designer, drummer Chris Collis had been a librarian at the University of Oxford, guitarist Tim Collis was a primary school teacher, and lead vocalist Stuart Smith worked building websites for a publisher. On May 11, 2011, it was announced on This Town Needs Guns' website that lead singer Stuart Smith would be leaving the band to start a family, and that he would be replaced by Pennines' singer and guitarist, Henry Tremain. Bassist Jamie Cooper also left the band in late 2011 to focus on a full-time career in graphic design. Tremain has since taken over on bass guitar duties, converting the band into a power trio.
The band's second and third studio albums, 13.0.0.0.0 and Disappointment Island, were released in January 2013 and July 2016, both via Sargent House.
Chinchilla
This Town Needs Guns Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lets just concentrate on words that could mean everything.
On nights like this,
we drink ourselves dry
and make promises
without intention.
the last time. As I recall,
I can’t hold up your every expectation.
On nights like this,
we drink ourselves dry
and make promises
without intention.
My God, is this what we’ve become?
Living parodies of love and loss,
can we really be all that lost?
So fortunate that this was brought up,
the last time. As I recall,
I can’t hold up your every expectation.
One moment to another I am restless.
Seems making love forever can often risk your heart.
And I cannot remember when I was this messed up.
In service of another I am beautiful.
ba-ba-da-ba-ba
ba-da-da-ba
The lyrics of This Town Needs Guns's song Chinchilla explores the idea of a relationship losing its focus over time. The singer is reflecting on the promises made during a night of drinking, realizing that they were made without any real intention behind them. The song brings up the question of whether they have become a parody of love and loss and whether they can find their way back.
The lines "Lets just concentrate on words that could mean everything," suggests that the singer wants to refocus their relationship and find a way to reconnect. However, the following lines "I can’t hold up your every expectation," implies that the singer is struggling to meet the other person's expectations, which leads to the question of whether they should even try anymore.
The lyrics "One moment to another I am restless. Seems making love forever can often risk your heart," highlight the fear of being vulnerable and the risk of getting hurt. The line "In service of another I am beautiful," suggests that the singer is willing to put in the work to make the relationship work, but it takes a toll on them emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
So far we’ve lost focus.
We’ve been off track for a while.
Lets just concentrate on words that could mean everything.
We need to focus on finding the right words that carry weight.
On nights like this, we drink ourselves dry
During these dark times, we consume alcohol excessively.
and make promises without intention.
We make commitments to each other with no real plan to keep them.
So fortunate that this was brought up, the last time.
Luckily, we talked about this issue the last time we were together.
As I recall, I can’t hold up your every expectation.
I remember realizing that I can’t always meet all of your expectations.
My God, is this what we’ve become?
We’re questioning the state of our relationship and who we’ve turned into.
Living parodies of love and loss, can we really be all that lost?
We feel like we’re just going through the motions of love and heartbreak, but are we truly lost?
One moment to another I am restless.
I feel uneasy and anxious.
Seems making love forever can often risk your heart.
Committing to a lifetime of love can expose you to potential heartbreak.
And I cannot remember when I was this messed up.
I can’t recall a time when I was this emotionally drained.
In service of another I am beautiful.
When I’m doing something for someone else, I feel fulfilled and valued.
ba-ba-da-ba-ba
ba-da-da-ba
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.