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.
Sea of No Cares
Great Big Sea Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a permanent smile on your face
Your friends all complain that you're going insane
But the truth is they're just afraid
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Hey somewhere
When you decide that what counts is inside
Your friends all say "It's a lie"
But there's no brighter light than the look in her eyes
When you're walking her home through the night
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Let yourself go with the tide
There's an angel by your side
Tonight
Back at the bar getting cynically stoned
Your friends are drinking alone
But it's funny, they don't even cross your mind
When she asks you into her home
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
The lyrics of "Sea of No Cares" by Great Big Sea describe the feeling of being in love and how it can make everything else seem insignificant. The first two lines convey the feeling that when someone is in love, nothing else matters. They feel an uncontainable happiness that reflects on their face. Their friends may voice out their concerns about their “insanity” for the sake of their well-being, but in reality, they are just threatened by the magnitude of emotion the singer is feeling. The chorus “Hey somewhere, You threw your fear in the sea of no cares” suggests that the singer has made a decision to let go of their fears and dive into this sea of love, a place where he can escape from worries and anxieties.
The second verse suggests that the singer's friends may not support or believe in his relationship, and may even think it’s a lie. However, the singer is determined to follow his heart and not care about what others think. There’s nothing that can match to the brightness of the look in his beloved's eyes when he walks her back home at night. The next stanza is significant as it is followed by the chorus once again, signaling how the singer has thrown away his fear into the sea of no cares and let himself float with the tide. He’s no longer alone but has an angel-like presence by his side. In the final verse, the singer is at a bar, observing his friends drinking alone, but his mind is preoccupied with his love interest, who invites him to her home. The singer is not afraid of the possibility of rejection or the unknown, and he is ready to embrace the uncertainties of love.
Line by Line Meaning
When you're in love there's no time and no space
Love brings a feeling of timelessness and weightlessness.
There's a permanent smile on your face
Being in love fills one's life with joy and happiness.
Your friends all complain that you're going insane
Friends often find it hard to understand the intensity of being in love.
But the truth is they're just afraid
Friends may fear losing you to the intensity of love.
When you decide that what counts is inside
Realizing that inner happiness is more important than what others think.
Your friends all say "It's a lie"
Friends may reject the idea of inner happiness as a fallacy.
But there's no brighter light than the look in her eyes
The love in her eyes shines brighter than anything that the naysayers can offer.
When you're walking her home through the night
The joy of sharing an intimate moment with the one you love.
Let yourself go with the tide
Relax and let go of the fear of the unknown.
There's an angel by your side
Believing that one's love is pure and divine.
Tonight
A call to take the leap of faith and embrace the moment.
Back at the bar getting cynically stoned
Returning to the old ways of numbing oneself and being skeptical about love.
Your friends are drinking alone
Realizing that true happiness cannot be found outside of oneself.
But it's funny, they don't even cross your mind
In the moment, the opinions of others do not matter.
When she asks you into her home
A moment of intimacy shared with the one you love.
Hey somewhere
A call to take action and embrace the feeling.
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
A metaphor of getting rid of fear and embracing love.
Hey somewhere
Reinforcing the earlier call to action.
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
A repetition of the previous line to emphasize the importance of overcoming fear.
Hey somewhere
The final call to take the leap of faith.
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Emphasis on taking action and embracing the unknown.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ALAN DOYLE, CHRIS TRAPPER, SEAN MC CANN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeffrey Barkin
GREAT BIG SEA are INCREDIBLE Live and the audience feeds off their Energy...
Miss seeing them Live, but CBC has Wonderful videos of their Concerts here, on YouTube!
Check Out their Concert footage... They're AWESOME!!!
❤
countroshculla
A great band that more of the world should get to know, love & admire.
Woods Walker
This song was the bride and grooms first dance at my daughters wedding. She grew up listening to GBS,fell in love with an amazing man who instantly became a fan.
saxophone
This is such a different song than the album version....I listen to the album practically 24/7 but this album nearly made me cry at first...Beautiful pacing at the beginning.....I love it
Dwayne Wells
Normal speed, slowed down, money tune either way. Over 20 years ago I emailed Great Big Sea, and Allan replied to a request I made. I asked if I could use a portion of the lyrics of this song, on my wife's monument. Allan replied that they would be honoured. Hence, "Let yourself go with the tide, there's an angel by your side. As you throw your fear, in the Sea of No Cares". I am eternally grateful guys. Thank-you. RIP Teri Wells (1974 - 2002).
scottiequilter
nothing beats live songs!! love this version
simone jones
favourite band and never a bad concert!
Castleclear1
Hats off to GREAT BIG SEA!!!! Yay, Newfie culture is beautiful and poignant, even as this song is. thank you!!!!!
Lynda Roach
My absolute fav song of theirs. Classic!
Sarah NcNab
THIS SONG SAVED MY LIFE I WAS INSECURE THEN I REPEATED THESE WORDS IN MY HEAD AND MY INSECURITIES WENT AWAY