While it has been confirmed that the band has officially retired, former members Alan Doyle and Séan McCann have continued performing in their own solo careers typically including music from Great Big Sea in their setlists.
The band played its first official concert on March 11, 1993, opening for The Irish Descendants at Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland. The founding band members included Alan Doyle (vocals, guitar, bouzouki, mandolin), Séan McCann (vocals, bodhrán, guitar, tin whistle), Darrell Power (vocals, bass, guitar, bones), and Bob Hallett (vocals, fiddle, accordion, mandolin, concertina, bouzouki, whistles, bagpipes).
Power, McCann and Hallett had already been playing together in another band. In the winter of 1989, the band, a six-piece with guitar, bass, fiddle, accordion and mandolin played its first show at the Memorial University's winter carnival talent show under the name "Newfoundland Republican Army" or NRA, and won first prize. The band's only other appearance as NRA was later that winter at the university "Grad House". The band then dropped the fiddler, accordion player and the name.
The band found its new name as original bassist Jeff Scott rented an apartment on Rankin Street, St. John's, where the members first met and discussed the formation of the band. As a four-piece, the band first appeared as "Rankin Street" at a little pub in downtown St. John's called "The Rose and Thistle", playing for $100 and beer. They played through Sean McCann's stereo system, as renting a PA would have cost more than the night's earnings. Susan Hickey (guitar and vocals) left the band months later to attend school in Halifax and was replaced by Darrell Power. The band gained much popularity playing such local pubs as Bridget's and Greensleeves. In 1991 Jeff Scott was replaced by Jackie St. Croix on bass. The band released one recording on cassette titled "Rankin Street".
In 1997, the band reached the top ten of the Canadian RPM pop chart with "When I'm Up (I Can't Get Down)", a cover of a song by the British folk group Oysterband. They performed at the 1999 Stardust Picnic festival at Historic Fort York, Toronto.
The band won the Entertainer of the Year award at the East Coast Music Awards for every year between 1996 and 2000. In 2001, they decided not to submit their name for nomination in order to allow other bands to compete. They have also been nominated for several Juno Awards, including Group of the Year in 1998, 2005, 2009, and 2011.
Darrell Power retired from Great Big Sea in 2003 to spend more time with his family and friends. Supporting members of the band include Canadian freelance drummer Kris MacFarlane (2002) (drums, accordion, guitar, backing vocals) and Murray Foster (2003, formerly of the band Moxy Früvous) (bass, backing vocals).
In late 2005, the band released its long-awaited "traditional" album, The Hard and the Easy, on which they recorded their favourite Newfoundland party songs. The title of the album comes from a line of the song "Tickle Cove Pond", one of two songs on the album about a horse falling through ice.
On June 13, 2007, the band announced they would return to the studio with producer Hawksley Workman. On March 14, 2008, the band announced that the title of the new album would be Fortune's Favour, borrowing a phrase from one of the songs on the album, "England". The album was officially released on June 24, 2008 across all of North America.
On February 23, 2010, band member Séan McCann released his debut solo album Lullabies for Bloodshot Eyes to pleasing critical success.
On July 13, 2010, Great Big Sea released their new album Safe Upon the Shore in North America. Alan's "From the Road" blog on the band's website, originally confirmed its production in an April posting, speaking also of the album's subsequent release in July. "Nothing But A Song" was the first single off the bands' ninth studio recording, with a subsequent tour kicking off at the end of the summer 2010.
Great Big Sea announced a 'greatest hits' album titled "XX" in October 2012, accompanied by a 20th anniversary tour with 32 dates in 28 cities across the US and Canada which kicked off on March 5, 2013 in Los Angeles and finished in St. John's on April 23, 2013.
In 2013, McCann announced that he would be leaving the band at the end of the XX tour, much to the dismay of his bandmates. Struggling to maintain his new sobriety, he told his bandmates in January of 2013 that XX would be his last tour with the band, but the rest of the band and its management refused to announce this publicly. Finally, in November 2013 with XX almost over, McCann announced his departure himself in a tweet, feeling that the fans needed to know. While largely vilified by Great Big Sea fans with little said by the band or management to counter this view, McCann claims he was devastated by how Great Big Sea ended and wishes it could have gone differently.
Following McCann's departure, the remaining band members spent a year or so trying to find an amicable way that they could continue without him. Eventually coming to the realization that they didn’t want to go on like that, and happily retiring the band.
Home For a Rest
Great Big Sea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been gone for a month, I've been drunk since I left
These so-called vacations will soon be my death
I'm so sick from the drink I need home for a rest.
We arrived in December and London was cold
We stayed in the bars along Charing Cross Road
We never saw nothin' but brass taps and oak
CHORUS:
You'll have to excuse me, I'm not at my best
I've been gone for a week
I've been drunk since I left
And these so-called vacations
Will soon be my death
I'm so sick from the drink
I need home for a rest
Take me home....
Euston Station the train journey North
In the buffet car we lurched back and forth
Past old crooked dykes through Yorkshire's green fields
We were flung into dance as the train jigged and reeled
- CHORUS -
By the light of the moon, she'd drift through the streets
A rare old perfume, so seductive and sweet
She'd tease us and flirt, as the pubs all closed down
Then walk us on home and deny us a round
You'll have to excuse me, I'm not at my best
I've been gone for a month
I've been drunk since I left
And these so-called vacations
Will soon be my death
I'm so sick from the drink
I need home for a rest
Take me home....
The gas heater's empty, it's damp as a tomb
The spirits we drank now ghosts in the room
I'm knackered again, come on sleep take me soon
And don't lift up my head 'till the the twelve bells at noon
You'll have to excuse me, I'm not at my best
I've been gone for a month
I've been drunk since I left
And these so-called vacations
Will soon be my death
I'm so sick from the drink
I need home for a rest
Take me home....
The song "Home For a Rest" by Great Big Sea is a nostalgic anthem for anyone who's ever traveled away from home and gotten homesick. The lyrics tell the story of a group of friends who've been on vacation in London for a month and have spent most of their time drinking in bars. The singer, who's clearly been drinking heavily, is so homesick that they're desperate to go back home, even though they know they'll miss the excitement of their trip.
The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer apologizing for not being at their best and saying that they're sick from the drink. The chorus repeats the sentiment, saying that these so-called vacations will soon be their death, and that they need to go home for a rest. The second verse describes the train journey north from London, where the passengers are thrown into spontaneous dancing as the train jiggles and reels. The third verse introduces a woman who teases and flirts with the group before walking them home, and the final verse describes the damp and ghostly atmosphere of their house when they finally return.
Overall, the song captures the bittersweet feeling of being far away from home and wanting to go back, even though part of you doesn't want to leave the excitement behind. It's an anthem for anyone who's ever stayed out too late or had one drink too many, and it's a reminder that sometimes all you really need is to go back home and rest.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll have to excuse me, I'm not at my best
I apologize for not being myself
I've been gone for a month, I've been drunk since I left
I've been away for too long and drinking too much
These so-called vacations will soon be my death
My excessive drinking will have dire consequences
I'm so sick from the drink I need home for a rest.
My body is suffering and I need to go home to recuperate
We arrived in December and London was cold
We arrived in the cold month of December in London
We stayed in the bars along Charing Cross Road
We spent most of our time in bars along Charing Cross Road
We never saw nothin' but brass taps and oak
All we saw were the fixtures and fittings of the bars
Kept a shine on the bar with the sleeves of our coats
We polished the bars with our coat sleeves
Euston Station the train journey North
We took a train journey north from Euston Station
In the buffet car we lurched back and forth
We swayed from side to side in the train's buffet car
Past old crooked dykes through Yorkshire's green fields
We traveled through Yorkshire's countryside
We were flung into dance as the train jigged and reeled
The train's movements made us dance uncontrollably
By the light of the moon, she'd drift through the streets
A woman would walk through the streets at night
A rare old perfume, so seductive and sweet
She had a unique and enticing fragrance
She'd tease us and flirt, as the pubs all closed down
She would tease and flirt with us as the pubs closed
Then walk us on home and deny us a round
She would walk us home but wouldn't buy us drinks
The gas heater's empty, it's damp as a tomb
The gas heater is out of fuel and the room is humid
The spirits we drank now ghosts in the room
The alcohol we drank is now a memory in the room
I'm knackered again, come on sleep take me soon
I'm exhausted and need sleep
And don't lift up my head 'till the the twelve bells at noon
Don't wake me up until noon
Contributed by James E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tobin Frank
As someone who is actually in the band Spirit of the West, I can officially say you're totally forgiven rossnuthin :)
Mr. Nice Guy
Mr. Frank, allow me to thank you on behalf of a grateful nation, for all the beer soaked revelry your band has engendered! SOTW is a national treasure!
✌❤ from St. Catharines Ontario!
Thistle & Weeds
I think it was in Windsor Ontario that I saw Spirit of the West and GBS perform this song together on stage. I think it may have been on St Patrick's Day too. Not sure what year that was
the conquering truck driver Can/USA
Ps I think great big sea is one of my favorite bands. Next to spirit of the west. Ron Hynes as well
the conquering truck driver Can/USA
Lol I love how it's still attached to this vid. But I will day it is the first way I learnt of spirit of the west.
Been a long time just came to visit some memories a.
Connor Lawson
haha that's awesome 😂
5chl3cht
i love this song... when i have this track in my car-radio, i can drive with a smile to work... greetings from bavaria (it's near germany)
Matthew Todd
Sometimes a song catches you "You have to excuse me I'm not at my best." This singer will be missed....RIP
Smeaflorf
spirit of the west is one of the best live bands ive seen. and ive seen some bands...they play these solos flawlessly live...id like to see gbs or mudmen pull that...although i like those bands too
David S.
The greatest drinking song ever made.