His career:
At the age of nineteen, he earned an ARCT in classical piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music, in Toronto. Upon graduation, he enjoyed modest local success with the band Rhinegold in 1976.
After Rhinegold broke up in 1981, Lawrence Gowan began a successful solo career under his surname, "Gowan", releasing his self titled debut on Columbia Records in 1982. This album Gowan contained his first singles "Victory" and "Keep Up The Fight". His 1985 album Strange Animal was his first real Canadian commercial breakthrough, spawning the hit singles "A Criminal Mind", "(You're A) Strange Animal" and "Cosmetics". The album was produced by David Tickle (Prince, Split Enz, Sting, U2 ) and featured Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) on bass / Chapman stick, and Jerry Marotta (Peter Gabriel) on drums. His 1987 follow up Great Dirty World was also produced by Tickle and again featured Tony Levin on bass but had session percussionist Nigel Olsson (Elton John) on drums. This album's arrangements were assisted by Bob Ezrin (Alice Cooper, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel) and gave him another breaking hit single, "Moonlight Desires," which featured Jon Anderson (Yes) on backing vocals.
1990's Lost Brotherhood featured Rush's Alex Lifeson on guitar', however, it was a commercial disappointment, and Gowan elected to pursue a change in his musical direction. Taking a more subdued, acoustic approach, he released an adult contemporary album ...but you can call me Larry in 1993, using his full name for the first time, and Lawrence Gowan returned to the Canadian charts with three strong singles: "When There's Time For Love", "Soul's Road", and "Dancing On My Own Ground". Gowan subsequently released critically acclaimed The Good Catches Up in 1995, which was produced by Eddie Schwartz (The Doobie Brothers, Paul Carrack), but the album did not generate singles or radio airplay. In 1997, Gowan released two live CDs: Sololive - No Kilt Tonight containing a strong rendition of Ragtime's classic "King Chanteclerc Rag", and Au Québec with an evocative cover of Harmonium's "Pour Un Instant", as well as his first French song, "Stéphanie", which was dedicated to his supportive Quebec fan base.
In 1997, Gowan released "Healing Waters" as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales after her death. However, despite what many believe, this song was not originally written for this purpose. It was, in fact, used in its original form in the 1995 soundtrack for the movie 'When The Bullet Hits The Bone' (starring Jeff Wincott), which was two years prior to the infamous accident that killed Diana. Although this song is not actually listed in the movie's credits, it plays a significant role within the film. After the Princess' death, the lyrics were modified by Gowan into the version that fans have come to know.
Gowan's classic "A Criminal Mind" was covered in 2005 by Canadian hip-hop artist Maestro; and Gowan appears in the song's video with his vocals sampled on the recording.
In February 2006, Lawrence Gowan did four orchestra accompanied concerts in London, Ontario and Kitchener, Ontario. On March 23rd, 2010, The Return of the Strange Animal was released by Linus Entertainment featuring remastered versions of the original recordings packaged alongside a documentary on the making of his breakthrough CD at Tittenhurst Park with Peter Gabriel's band mates. The disc features some of the original demo recordings, two new songs, and full resolution videos, including an animated cartoon entitled "The Checkmate: Ominous Spiritus 2010". The disc closes with a Live recording of "Criminal Mind" featuring his current band, Styx.
Gowan has guest-starred on the Canadian animated comedy series Chilly Beach, and he has also displayed a passionate love for ice hockey by playing for The Rock & Roll All-Stars, a celebrity team that participates in charity events across Canada.
Oceania
Gowan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen to the Voice forever droning on
Now is the time to join Them
Singing the Party Song
Oceania
How did it go so wrong?
Listen to the Ministry of Truth
Nobody’s ever left here
How could they even try
Oceania
Why do we live this lie?
The fight goes on
Till you have won
Another shore to call your boundary
Within your love
We’re never lost
Oh, let your caring arm surround me
Oceania
Nothing will ever change
Oceania
Always remains the same
Oceania
Thank-you for your protection
Oceania
Coming in your direction
The song Oceania by Gowan is a commentary on totalitarianism and the dangers of blindly following authority. The first verse sets the scene as the singer is standing in Airstrip One, a reference to George Orwell's 1984, listening to the Voice, which is believed to be the voice of Big Brother. The singer is contemplating joining them and singing the Party Song, which is the anthem of the ruling party in 1984. The chorus asks the question, "Oceania, how did it go so wrong?" referring to the fictional superstate that Winston Smith, the singer in 1984, lives in. This lyric suggests that the society they live in has gone wrong and that something has been lost.
In the second verse, the singer references the Ministry of Truth, which is the propaganda and history revisionism arm of the ruling party in 1984. They suggest that someone needs to guide the thoughts of the wayward youth, highlighting the importance of indoctrinating children to maintain the authority's power. The lyric "Nobody's ever left here, how could they even try?" refers to the thought police who monitored the citizens' every move in 1984, making it nearly impossible for anyone to escape. The chorus is repeated, followed by the bridge, which is a glimmer of hope. The bridge suggests that the fight goes on until you have won, and another shore to call your boundary, within your love, we're never lost. This lyric provides hope that even in the darkest of times, love can provide us with a boundary that keeps us safe. The song finishes with the chorus repeated.
Line by Line Meaning
Standing in my place on Airstrip One
I am trapped in this specific location of Airstrip One and cannot leave.
Listen to the Voice forever droning on
I am forced to listen to the Party's propaganda continually without rest.
Now is the time to join Them
I am being coerced to join the Party and pledge my loyalty to them.
Singing the Party Song
I am expected to sing the praises of the Party and their ideology.
Oceania
This is the name of the country controlled by the Party.
How did it go so wrong?
I am questioning how society has become so oppressive and under the control of the Party.
Listen to the Ministry of Truth
The Party controls all information and propaganda, which is disseminated through the Ministry of Truth.
Someone’s got to guide the thoughts of wayward youth
The Party seeks to indoctrinate young people and shape their beliefs to align with their ideology.
Nobody’s ever left here
It is impossible to escape from the grip of the Party and Oceania.
How could they even try
The Party's control is so absolute, that no one would dare defy them.
Oceania
The name of the country and society controlled by the Party.
Why do we live this lie?
I am questioning why society has been constructed under a false and oppressive facade.
The fight goes on
The struggle against the Party's oppression continues.
Till you have won
This fight will not end until the oppressive regime of the Party has been overthrown.
Another shore to call your boundary
The struggle continues, with new goals and objectives to fight for.
Within your love
The fight for freedom is driven by love for the people and hatred for the Party's tyranny.
We’re never lost
As long as the people remain united in their fight against the Party, they will never give up or be lost.
Oh, let your caring arm surround me
The people look to one another for support and comfort in their struggle for liberation.
Oceania
The name of the country and society controlled by the Party.
Nothing will ever change
The Party's control over society will remain the same unless it is challenged by the people.
Always remains the same
The Party's oppressive regime is self-sustaining, and will remain until it is overthrown.
Thank-you for your protection
The Party justifies its rule as necessary for the protection of the people, despite evidence to the contrary.
Coming in your direction
The Party's control over society will continue to expand, unless the people unite to resist it.
Contributed by Chase W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.