Turin Brakes has been compared to many of the New Acoustic Movement's bands spawned in the late 90s such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot (who were a support band for Turin Brakes on their Ether Song tour) and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience.
Their debut album "The Optimist LP" (2001) was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. In 2003 "Ether Song" got to #3 in the UK album charts and spawned a Top 5 single "Pain Killer". Further commercial success was not achieved. In 2005 "JackInABox" meant some sort of return to the first album, but this time with more production and a more diverse sound. Again the critics loved it, but the buying public seemed not to. It got to no. 9 in its first week (without a hit single - "Fishing For A Dream" got to #35), but had no further commercial success. This might have been the effect of the decision by the band and the record company to take the slow path (doing just a short UK tour and not doing as much promotion as they used to), so that Olly Knights (the singer) could also focus on his new family life.
In the summer of 2005 the boys toured the USA and Canada, followed by an acoustic tour taking the band to Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 2005 ended with a longer acoustic UK tour, of which the closing night in the Palladium in London was recorded and released as a download only live album the day after. The album sold quite well on iTunes, riding the top of the download charts in several countries.
The band spent the first half of 2006 writing new songs, occasionally performing both new and old work at small gigs across the UK. The band did an intimate tour in November 2006 to try out new material. In January 2007 the band entered a small studio in London to record their 4th album with producer Ethan Johns. After three weeks the band took a break (on January 29th Gale's wife gave birth to a daughter), but the sessions were resumed several weeks later in a bigger studio (also in London). On the last day of March 2007 the band announced that they had finished the recording sessions, and recorded 17 songs.
Their 2007 album, "Dark on Fire", was preceded by a download-only single "Stalker".
The band released their 5th studio album in March 2010 titled "Outbursts".
Their sixth album, We Were Here, was released 30 September 2013, and their seventh album Lost Property (recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton) was released on 29 January 2016.
On 26 January 2018 the band released their eighth album Invisible Storm.
State Of Things
Turin Brakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep your ears close to the ground
Listen to me but don't die laughing
And all things must end yeah
But I can see my fate in your eyes
As I'm stitched up by my friends again
They just can't defend the state of things between
Used to be on fire
So slip off your shackles
Cause you don't need them where we're going
See what happens just happens
There ain't no straight lines in the state of things
So try to cling on for dear life
And don't forget the world keeps on turning round despite
You and me
Used to be on fire
Now look now
See when we're going
I don't know where I'm going
I don't know
The lyrics to Turin Brakes's song State Of Things are filled with powerful imagery and emotion. The singer is willing to be blindfolded and tied up, as long as they can escape the current state of things. They want to go where there are no straight lines, where things just happen, and where life is unpredictable. The singer acknowledges that all things must end, and they can see their fate in another's eyes. They feel like they are being stitched up by their friends, who cannot defend the state of things between them.
Despite the chaos and uncertainty, they cling on for dear life and try to make sense of the world that keeps on turning round. The singer realizes they don't know where they are going and what will happen, but they are ready to face it. The line "You and me used to be on fire" hints at a past passionate relationship that has now fizzled out or been corrupted by outside influences. The ending is ambiguous; we don't know where they are going or what is happening. The listener is left with a sense of longing for something that has been lost and a desire for the unknown.
Overall, the lyrics to State Of Things are open to interpretation, but they evoke a sense of restlessness, a longing for freedom and a desire to escape from the mundane.
Line by Line Meaning
Blindfold me tie me up or tie me down yeah take me anywhere
I am willing to let go of control and surrender to the uncertainty of life.
Keep your ears close to the ground
Be attentive to the signs and signals around us.
Listen to me but don't die laughing
Take me seriously, but don't let the seriousness of life consume us to the point of losing our sense of humor.
And all things must end yeah
Everything in life is temporary and will eventually come to an end.
But I can see my fate in your eyes
I am entrusting my future to someone else and can see the reflection of my destiny in their eyes.
As I'm stitched up by my friends again
My close friends are the ones who are helping me through a difficult time.
They just can't defend the state of things between
Even my friends are struggling to cope with the current state of things between us.
You and me
Referring to the relationship between two individuals.
Used to be on fire
The relationship was once passionate and exciting.
So slip off your shackles
Let go of any burdens or constraints that are holding us back.
Cause you don't need them where we're going
The future holds promise and potential that doesn't require us to hold onto our past struggles.
See what happens just happens
We need to let life unfold and not try to control everything.
There ain't no straight lines in the state of things
Life is unpredictable and full of twists and turns.
So try to cling on for dear life
Hold onto what's important and meaningful in life.
And don't forget the world keeps on turning round despite
Life goes on despite all the challenges and obstacles we may face.
Now look now
Take a moment and reflect on the present.
See when we're going
Take a glimpse into the future and anticipate where it may lead us.
I don't know where I'm going
Uncertainty and unknown outcomes are inevitable in life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GALE PARIDJANIAN, OLIVER KNIGHTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind