Close Lobsters are a Scottish indie pop band. According to legend, the band… Read Full Bio ↴Close Lobsters are a Scottish indie pop band. According to legend, the band's name was derived from their inability to decide between two prospective names: The Close and The Lobsters. First coming to prominence with the track "Firestation Towers" on the NME's famed C86 compilation, they signed to Fire Records and released their debut single "Going To Heaven To See If It Rains" in October 1986. After landing a support slot with The Jesus and Mary Chain on their tour, they released second single "Never Seen Before" in April 1987 which furthered their reputation as one of the leading emerging indie bands. They went on to release two albums; Foxheads Stalk This Land was released in 1987 and Headache Rhetoric in 1989. Their popularity on US college radio stations led to an invitation to the New York Music Seminar in 1989, which in turn led to an extensive American tour.

The band eventually broke up over a combination of creative differences and financial difficulties. Their failure to secure a record deal in the US certainly didn't help matters, despite critical acclaim in America. Rolling Stone's review of "Foxheads Stalk This Land" called it "first-rate guitar pop from a top-shelf band. Close Lobsters could have been just another jangle group, but they have a lot more going for them than just chiming Rickenbackers."

The band reunited briefly in 1991 for a few live gigs before disbanding more permanently.

The Close Lobsters song "Let's Make Some Plans" was covered by the Wedding Present on the b-side of the "California" single in 1992.

Andrew Burnett is a lecturer in the Business faculty at the University of Paisley and guitarist Graeme Wilmington is an Audio Technology lecturer at Stow College, Glasgow.

The band became active again in the 2010s, releasing multiple EPs and an LP, Post Neo Anti - Arte Povera In the Forest Of Symbols in 2020.

From This Day On
Close Lobsters Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

From this day on - The spectre haunting europe will be gone

From this day on

From this day on - The crooked cross of the south will reign

From this day on

There never was a better man then jack

In banana republic UK everything's up for grabs

Get me home, get me home

From this day on - Totally zonked out is the norm

From this day on

From this day on - You can but shares in layers of ozone

From this day on

There never was a leaner time for brains

In banana republic UK its best to undercut your friends

Get me home, get me home, get off me

Get me home

There was never a better man that Jack

In (banana) republic, you get everythings up for grabs

Get me home, get me home, get off me

Get me home

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Close Lobsters' From This Day On can be interpreted as a commentary on the current state of the world, particularly on the state of politics in the UK. The song starts with the line "From this day on - The spectre haunting Europe will be gone," which could refer to the end of the Cold War and the fall of the Soviet Union. However, the second line "From this day on - The crooked cross of the south will reign" could also suggest a shift towards far-right politics and nationalism.

The lyrics mention "banana republic UK" which is a term that refers to a country that is politically unstable and economically dependent on a single export. The mention of this term suggests that the UK is in a state of chaos and corruption. The line "there never was a better man than Jack" could be a reference to a fictional or real-life character who is regarded as a hero for standing up against this corruption.

The lyrics also touch on themes such as environmental destruction, corporate greed, and the need for home and safety. The line "you can buy shares in layers of ozone" could be a reference to the reckless actions of corporations who ignore environmental regulations to make money. The repetition of "get me home" throughout the song emphasizes the desire for a sense of stability and safety in a tumultuous world.

Line by Line Meaning

From this day on
The spectre haunting Europe will be gone, and the crooked cross of the south will reign - things will never be the same again, and a new era is starting

From this day on
Totally zonked out is the norm - a new way of life is emerging, and people's behavior and attitudes are changing

From this day on
You can buy shares in layers of ozone - the environment is no longer going to be a priority, and everything is becoming a commodity that can be traded

There never was a better man than Jack
In a society where everything is up for grabs, there are always going to be those who come out on top and are seen as the best

In banana republic UK everything's up for grabs
Opportunities abounded in the new society, but this also meant people were willing to do whatever it took to get ahead, such as undercutting their friends

Get me home, get me home
This new society is unsettling and leaves people feeling lost and unsure of themselves

There never was a leaner time for brains
While there were opportunities for some, many others struggled to adapt and felt the pressure to constantly compete and improve themselves

Get me home, get me home, get off me
The allure of this new world is wearing thin, and people are beginning to realize the cost of the sacrifices they have made

Get me home
The longing for the past can no longer be ignored, and people want to return to a time when everything wasn't so chaotic and unpredictable

Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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