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… "
To Get to Sleep
British Sea Power Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put me on my back, not on my feet
Propylene across your eyes
To take me to the land of sighs
Had a drink last night, just to get to sleep
Put me on my back, knocked me off my feet
Filled my skin with ethylnol
Eight hours a day - call it twenty years
There's a place you can go
Free of lust, cupidity and fear
Oh it left my heart broken
It took my breath away
A lesson open
A little more each day
A little eyesore
A little Nytol
A little heartache
A little soothe-all
Melatonin, a little dose, takes things to a peaceful close
Commerce runs through your veins
And takes you from this waking plane
Industry on your side
To do what you do, when you get tired
Eight hours a day - call it twenty years
There's a place you can go
Free of lust, cupidity and fear
Oh it left my heart broken
It took my breath away
A little lesson open
A little more each day
A little eyesore
A little Nytol
A little heartache
A little soothe-all
A little eyesore
A little Nytol
A little heartache
A little soothe-all
The lyrics of "To Get to Sleep" by British Sea Power tell a story of a person who is struggling to fall asleep and resorts to taking pills and alcohol to find some peace. The song starts with the singer taking a pill to get some rest. The pill is so strong that it puts the person on their back and takes them to a state of unconsciousness. The reference to "propylene" suggests that the singer is taking a chemical compound in the form of a pill to induce sleep.
Later in the song, the singer mentions taking a drink to help with their sleep. While alcohol might help to numb some of the anxiety, it often comes with unpleasant side effects such as a hangover and disrupted sleep. The lyrics mention "ethyl alcohol" which is the main component of alcoholic beverages and is known for its sedative qualities. The singer hopes to find "peace" by drinking, but instead, it leads to their body shutting down completely.
The chorus of the song talks about a place that we can go to be free of the burdens of life, such as "lust, cupidity, and fear." The lyrics suggest that this place is a state of unconsciousness that we reach through sleeping. The singer is taking pills and drinking to escape from the harsh realities of life and to find a way to reach this peaceful place.
Line by Line Meaning
Took a pill last night, just to get to sleep
Ingested medication last night to aid in falling asleep
Put me on my back, not on my feet
Resulted in lying on back instead of standing
Propylene across your eyes
Placed chemical substance on eyes to induce sleep
To take me to the land of sighs
To bring user to a relaxed state of sleep with deep exhalations
Had a drink last night, just to get to sleep
Consumed alcohol to help fall asleep
Put me on my back, knocked me off my feet
Caused user to lay down instead of standing
Filled my skin with ethylnol
Intoxicated user's body with ethanol
To find some peace, to let it fall
To seek tranquility and allow oneself to drift into sleep
Eight hours a day - call it twenty years
Eight hours of sleep per day equals twenty years over a lifetime
There's a place you can go Free of lust, cupidity and fear
One can achieve a state free of desires, greed and anxiety through sleep
Oh it left my heart broken
Resulted in emotional turmoil
It took my breath away
Caused a sudden, intense feeling of shock or surprise
A lesson open
An opportunity for learning or growth
A little more each day
A gradual process of improvement
A little eyesore
A minor nuisance or irritation
A little Nytol
A small amount of a brand of sleep aid
A little heartache
A slight feeling of sadness or emotional pain
A little soothe-all
A remedy that provides relief or comfort
Melatonin, a little dose, takes things to a peaceful close
A small amount of this hormone can promote relaxation and lead to sleep
Commerce runs through your veins
The main driving force is financial profit
And takes you from this waking plane
Allows one to exit the state of consciousness, into the realm of sleep
Industry on your side To do what you do, when you get tired
The sleep industry provides products to help people sleep when they need to rest
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JAN SCOTT WILKINSON, MARTIN NOBLE, MATTHEW JAMES WOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind