Yan (Jan Scott Wilkinson) - Vocals, guitar
Noble (Martin Noble) - Guitar
Hamilton (Neil Hamilton Wilkinson) - Bass, vocals, guitar
Wood (Matthew Wood) - Drum
Phil Sumner - Cornet, Keyboards
Abi Fry - Viola
Yan, Hamilton and Wood are school friends from Kendal in Cumbria. They were in a number of bands together while at school, but after finishing his exams Yan moved to study at Reading University, where he met guitarist Noble. A few years later Hamilton and Wood moved down to join them and form a band.
They played some gigs and produced a 4 track demo in Reading as British Air Powers, before relocating to Brighton in search of a more vibrant music scene. "British Sea Power" was actually the name of one of these demo tracks, and was eventually reworked into Carrion. In Brighton, BSP amassed a strong local following, due mainly to their own club night called "Club Sea Power". The club nights featured many different support bands, and other forms of entertainment such as a 1930s fashion show, and were most frequently hosted at the Freebutt and the Lift (the latter has now closed down).
Their debut single, Fear of Drowning, was issued in limited numbers of their own Golden Chariot label. The artwork for the B side "A Wooden Horse" borrows heavily from the dust cover of the 1950 book "The Wooden Horse" that details the escape of Allied POWs during WWII. Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records saw the band live and in September 2001 signed them to his label. A number of singles were issued on the label, and Eamon (Eamon Hamilton) was recruited to play live keyboards in autumn 2002.
The Decline of British Sea Power, the band's debut album, was released in June 2003 to critical acclaim. A single from the album, "Carrion", became the band's first Top 40 single. The album only charted in the lower reaches of the UK Album Chart, but turned out to be a word of mouth success, shipping well over 60,000 copies over the following two years and allowing them to play sell-out UK tours to venues of over 1,000 people.
The follow-up, Open Season, was released in early April 2005, and also enjoyed wide critical praise. It showcased a more accessible, produced sound and charted at #13 in the UK Albums Chart. Lead single It Ended on an Oily Stage charted at #18 in the UK Singles Chart a week earlier.
British Sea Power have a reputation for elaborate and well-thought out live shows and won the 2004 Time Out London Live Band of the Year award. The stage is often decorated with foliage and plastic birds and sets generally finish with a semi-improvised song called "Rock in A", which sometimes lasts for over 20 minutes. Various members often climb riggings and tear down the foliage, Eamon walks around the audience beating his marching drum, and a ten-foot bear, Ursine Ultra, occasionally makes an appearance - often taking a beating from various band members. This has become one of the signatures of the band. Their tours often include unusual venues such as the Scillonian Club on the Isles of Scilly, Grasmere Village Hall, the St. John Boste Social Club in Kendal, Cumbria and Carnglaze Caverns in Cornwall.
The band have built up an eccentric image in interviews and press releases; some of which is based on fact, other times merely whimsical building of outward personas. This has included giving journalists grid references at which to meet them, and expressing obsessions with Field Marshal Montgomery and bird watching.
The band has a fiercely loyal and devoted hardcore fanbase, sometimes referred to as the Third Battalion.
At the beginning of 2006, it was announced that Eamon had left British Sea Power to concentrate on his own band Brakes. The group spent part of late 2006 working on new material in Montréal, and are preparing a DVD.
In 2007, American Laundromat Records announced that British Sea Power would record a version of the Pixies' "Caribou" for an album called "Dig For Fire - A Tribute To Pixies."
In October 2007, the band went on tour throughout the east coast of America to showcase their new 5-track EP, Krankenhaus EP. In November 2007, they toured a variety of unusual locations in the UK including a seaside cafe in Saltdean, East Sussex; a ferry across the River Mersey, Liverpool; the Tan Hill Inn, the UK's highest inn; All Saints Church in Newcastle-upon-Tyne; and White Mischief, an indoor festival mixing live bands with unusual vaudeville acts.
Their Krankenhaus? EP was released digitally for purchasable download in October 2007 and was released on CD and vinyl on November the 20th. Their third album, Do You Like Rock Music? was released on 14th January 2008 in the U.K. and scheduled for release on 12th February 2008 in the U.S. Prior to their tour in support of Do You Like Rock Music? (visiting Ireland, UK, Belgium, Holland, Germany and US), Wood injured his back and had to be temporarily replaced by Tom White of Electric Soft Parade and Brakes fame.
In January 2008 the keyboard and cornet player ended up in hospital after being knocked unconscious when he attempted a stage dive. The crowd at Leeds Irish Centre failed to catch Phil Sumner, who jumped off a 12-foot PA system landing head first. The press department at Rough Trade Records reported "The impact knocked him out. Thankfully an ambulance was quickly summoned and he was whisked away, bloody and unconscious and despite a concussion, a broken molar and a maze of stitches in his chin, a very groggy Phil is expected to make a full recovery." In spite of this, he returned to the stage with the rest of the band a day later in Kendal.
In February 2008, the band appeared on Later with Jools Holland, playing Waving Flags, Canvey Island and No Lucifer. They were ably accompanied by a small number of the London Bulgarian Choir and a display of Cumbrian wrestling. The band are also scheduled to play at Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, Latitude, T in the Park and Bestival.
In May 2009, British Sea Power released their fourth album, Man of Aran. Several tracks on this album are remakes of older songs, such as the main riff from North Hanging Rock which features in the new track Boy Vertiginous. The album comes paired with a DVD containing the Robert J. Flaherty film 'Man of Aran', a silent film with music from the album dubbed in.
In October 2010, British Sea Power released the seven track 'Zeus' ep and announced the release of their next album, 'Valhalla Dancehall' in January 2011.
In November 2011, the band started hosting a regular club evening in Brighton called "Krankenhaus" that recalled some of their Club British Sea Power events. DJ sets, friends of the band and general BSP hijinx.
On 9 August 2021, British Sea Power announced they were changing their name to Sea Power. In a statement the band explained:
"In recent times there’s been a rise in a certain kind of nationalism in this world – an isolationist, antagonistic nationalism that we don’t want to run any risk of being confused with. It’s become apparent that it’s possible to misapprehend the name British Sea Power, particularly if someone isn’t familiar with the band or their recordings. We’ve always been internationalist in our mindset, something made clear in songs like Waving Flags, an anthem to pan-European idealism. We always wanted to be an internationalist band but maybe having a specific nation state in our name wasn’t the cleverest way to demonstrate that. We very much hope the band’s audience won’t be affronted by this adjustment to the name. We’d like to make it clear that removing the word “British” does NOT indicate any aversion to the British Isles whatsoever. We all feel immensely fortunate to have grown up in these islands. Several or our songs are filled with love and awe for this place. We do love these lands. We all still live within the British Isles, but we are now just Sea Power. We feel the name change comes in part from the band’s audience – who at a good show will shout out, “Sea Power! Sea Power!” Maybe this name change has been there for years, shouted in our ears. It’s just taken us this long to realise – to hear what was there in front of us… "
Down On The Ground
British Sea Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Diamond on leaf, can't you see it?
Why did I leave?
The clipping of wings
The draping of kings
I was here long before you
Now kindly leave
This was far far away
And I knew I would not stay
Down on the ground
I'll be found
I opened up my mouth
I didn't make a sound
I could not cut you down, down, down
I was a girl and you were a boy
With innocent thoughts getting colder
Than it was before
This was long long ago
And I knew we'd never know
Down on the ground
I'll be found
I opened up my mouth
I didn't make a sound
I could not cut you down, down, down
Down, down, down
Could not cut you down
The lyrics of British Sea Power's song, Down on the Ground are poetic and enigmatic, leaving room for interpretation. The song revolves around the theme of leaving and the longing for what has been lost. The opening line, "Where I come from, silvery trees, diamond on leaf, can't you see it?" paints an image of a serene and natural world, yet the next line "why did I leave?" indicates a sense of loss and regret for leaving such a place behind.
The following lines "the clipping of wings, the draping of kings, I was here long before you, now kindly leave" create a sense of power and hierarchy. These lines indicate that the singer of the song was once powerful and influential, but now their power has been clipped, and they are no longer important. The lyrics "this was far far away, and I knew I would not stay" further elaborates on the sense of leaving and the choice to move away from the place where the singer once belonged. The phrase "down on the ground, I'll be found" may signify the realization that the singer has come to in their return to the ground - the place where everyone is equal.
The lyrics take a shift when the lines, "I was a girl, and you were a boy, with innocent thoughts getting colder than it was before" reference the loss of innocence and a change in thought patterns. The lyrics, "this was long long ago, and I knew we'd never know" suggest that the event is in the past and is something that the singer cannot go back to. The phrase "I could not cut you down, down, down" indicates that although the singer cannot go back to the past or change anything that has happened, they are not seeking to hurt anyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Where I come from, silvery trees
In my hometown, there are trees with silvery leaves
Diamond on leaf, can't you see it?
The reflection of diamonds can be seen on the leaves of these trees
Why did I leave?
I left this place for a reason
The clipping of wings
The act of restraining freedom
The draping of kings
The adornment of rulers with excessive luxury
I was here long before you
I existed in this world before you arrived
Now kindly leave
Please go away from my sight
This was far far away
This incident happened a long time ago
And I knew I would not stay
I was aware that I cannot remain here forever
Down on the ground
At the lowest point of life
I'll be found
I will be discovered in this low state of life
I opened up my mouth
I spoke up my mind
I didn't make a sound
But unfortunately nobody listened to me
I could not cut you down, down, down
I could not bring you down from your high status
I was a girl and you were a boy
In our past relationship, I was the girl and you were the boy
With innocent thoughts getting colder
As days passed by, our pure thoughts were fading away
Than it was before
Memories of the past seems to be less vibrant than present
This was long long ago
This event happened a very long time ago
I knew we'd never know
There is no way to uncover the true essence of the situation
Down, down, down
Taking a dip towards complete despair
Could not cut you down
I failed to bring you down from your high pedestal
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAN WILKINSON, JAN SCOTT WILKINSON, MARTIN NOBLE, MATTHEW WOOD, MATTHEW JAMES WOOD, NEIL WILKINSON, NEIL HAMILTON WILKINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind