Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English rock band form… Read Full Bio ↴Ocean Colour Scene (often abbreviated to OCS) are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1989. They have had five top 10 albums including a number one in 1997. They have also achieved seventeen top 40 singles and six top 10 singles to date. They were formed after two other bands called The Boys and Fanatics disbanded. Fanatics released an EP titled Suburban Love Songs. OCS signed to Phfftt Records in 1990. Their first single, "Sway", was released in September 1990 during the indie era. When their record label was swallowed up by larger company Phonogram their eponymous début album was remixed, against the band's wishes, to fit in with the Baggy/indie-dance musical trend of the time. The album was largely deemed a failure. Being in dispute with their label, the band were forced back onto unemployment benefits, with no real direction and being only able to write new music with no outlet for it.

In 1993, the start of the turnaround occurred. Paul Weller invited the band to support him on some dates of his tour. On the back of these performances, Weller invited guitarist Steve Cradock to play on one of his singles, and vocalist Simon Fowler to sing on his album, Wild Wood. Cradock was asked to play live with Weller on his tour, and the money Cradock made kept the band afloat during this time.

Britpop fame (1995–2000)
The band recorded a demo that was sent to various industry figures. After hearing this tape, Noel Gallagher invited the band to play with Oasis on their 1995 tour. This support slot brought OCS to the attention of more record labels, and eventually in late 1995, the band signed with MCA Records. With the explosion of the Britpop scene, OCS's music became nationally and internationally known. Their second album Moseley Shoals was released to mixed-to-positive reviews, containing four hit singles and reached No. 2 in the UK Albums Chart. They also played at one of the concerts at Knebworth House supporting Oasis in August 1996.

Marchin' Already, the follow-up to Moseley Shoals, went to No. 1 in the UK Albums Chart, displacing Oasis' Be Here Now at the top of the charts in 1997. In 1998 they headlined their own arena tour in support of Marchin' Already and played three sold out nights at Stirling Castle, Scotland.

One from the Modern was released in 1999, and peaked in the UK Albums Chart at No. 4. The record spawned three top 40 singles, "Profit in Peace", "So Low" and "July". A Greatest Hits album, Songs for the Front Row, was released in 2001.

Post-Britpop (2001–2008)
After splitting with bassist Damon Minchella, the band continued to record and perform. Releases in 2001 (Mechanical Wonder), 2003 (North Atlantic Drift), 2005 (A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad) and 2007 (On the Leyline) continued the trend of releasing new material every two years.

2004 saw the band release their first live album, Live: One for the Road. The album was a compilation of nineteen live tracks taken from various concerts. In 2006 the band released a live acoustic album, Live at the Jam House, which consisted of fifteen live tracks and also contained four new songs in "Great Man in Waiting", "The Word", "Still Trying" and "Matilda's England".

The band also released a live album in December 2006, which was recorded at Birmingham Academy and spread over two discs. People attending the gig were able to purchase the recording straight afterwards.

Recent years (2009–present)
In 2009, the band went into the studio with producer Gavin Monaghan, known for his work with Editors, Scott Matthews and The Twang, to work on a new album, Saturday, with a release date of 1 February 2010 to mark the 21st anniversary of the band. The album had a working title of 'Rockfield', named after the studios where it was recorded, but it was released as Saturday - both "Rockfield" and "Saturday" being tracks thereon.

On 2 November 2009, the band released a free downloadable version of a new song, "Mrs Maylie". "Magic Carpet Days", the first single from Saturday, was released on 25 January, followed by the album a few days later. The album charted at No. 35 on the UK Albums Chart. A second single, "Saturday", was released in May 2010 but it failed to chart. On 24 July 2010 they performed at the Wickerman Festival.

On 11 October 2010, the band released a 4-CD box set, 21, to celebrate the 21st anniversary of the band. It included many previously unreleased tracks and a brand new song entitled "Twenty One".

In March 2011, the band released a 15th anniversary special edition of their 1996 hit album Moseley Shoals. It consisted of the full album, b-sides and live tracks. The band played a full UK tour in support of the re-release. December saw the limited edition release of a double CD/DVD release of the band's Moseley Shoals gig at O2 Academy Birmingham, which was filmed on 26 February 2011. They performed an acoustic set at Lanford Live in 2011 for the Teenage Cancer Trust. In December 2012, the band announced the forthcoming release of their tenth studio album, Painting, which was released on 11 February 2013. They also played at V-festival where Inbetweeners actor James Buckley performed "The Circle" with them in Chelmsford and at The Electric Picnic Festival in Stradbally, Ireland.

In 2014 a special edition of Marchin' Already was released on a 2 CD edition and a special deluxe 4 disc box set which included a DVD of their live performance at Stirling Castle in 1998. Early 2015 saw the band celebrate their 25th anniversary with some acoustic concerts around the UK. They released a double CD live album which was recorded at the Manchester concert on the tour.

The following year, in 2016, the band announced several special concerts around the UK to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their 1996 hit album Moseley Shoals. They also played several dates in Australia for the first time in their career.

On 22 June 2016, the band officially announced that Scottish musician Raymond Meade would be joining the band permanently on bass, following the departures of both Dan Sealey and Andy Bennett. Meade had already played live with the band since the start of the year.

In November 2018 the band unveiled their first new material in five years since the release of Painting. The four track EP was released on 10" vinyl and available only at the band's Christmas shows. The EP received a 5 stars rating from Flick of the Finger, with the publication stating that 'Lushly textured, these four compelling and diverse new offerings are nothing short of brilliant.' In 2023 the band released a career-spanning box set entitled Yesterday, Today 1992–2018, which contained all their studio albums and 5 bonus CDs, totalling 230 tracks. The set also came with a 72-page book. A companion vinyl box set was also released, covering their first three studio albums from 1992–1997. In May, a follow-up vinyl set was released, covering the three studio albums released between 1999-2003. August saw the release of the final box set, covering the remaining four albums, 2005-2013.

Studio albums
Ocean Colour Scene (1992)
Moseley Shoals (1996)
Marchin' Already (1997)
B-Sides: Seasides & Freerides (1997)
One from the Modern (1999)
Mechanical Wonder (2001)
North Atlantic Drift (2003)
A Hyperactive Workout for the Flying Squad (2005)
On the Leyline (2007)
Saturday (2010)
Painting (2013)

Emily Chambers
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Emily Chambers would make it pay
Everyone knew she'd turn out that way
She turned her back and she'll be okay
But she's not okay at all

Every night with the radio on
Emily fears that the day won't come
The moon is there to do her harm

She's not all right at all

Don't get arrested
Don't buy a machine gun
You're not on the run
And you're not on the scene
You're not so cool
And you're not a jerk
You may be a villain
But no Patty Hearst
You're Emily Chambers
And what's worse
Is a whipping wind
And a box in a hearse
And a trigger in your head
And a pen in your hand
And the pain in the verse
And the flat drying land
And the thin of the air
And a pain that hurts
You're Emily Chambers in the universe

Emily Chambers would make it pay
Everyone knew she'd turn out that way
She turned her back and she'll be okay
But she's not okay at all

Every night with the lamplight on
Emily fears that the day has gone
The moon is there to do her harm
She's not all right at all

Don't get arrested
Don't buy a machine gun
You're not on the run
And you're not on the scene
You're not so cool
And you're not a jerk
You may be a villain
But no Patty Hearst
You're Emily Chambers
And what's worse
Is a whipping wind
And a box in a hearse
And a trigger in your head
And a pen in your hand
And the pain in the verse
And the flat drying land
And the thin of the air
And a pain that hurts
You're Emily Chambers in the universe

Emily Chambers would make it pay
Everyone knew she'd turn out that way

Emily Chambers would make it pay
Everyone knew she'd turn out that way

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ocean Colour Scene's Emily Chambers tell a story of a woman who is struggling with her life. Emily Chambers is a woman who was expected to do great things and make it big, but she has turned her back on that life and is trying to find her own way. However, despite her attempts to move on, she is not okay at all. Every night, she fears that the day won't come, and the moon is there to do her harm. She is haunted by the pain in her verse and the thin of the air. Throughout the song, there is a sense of unease and vulnerability that surrounds Emily Chambers.

The chorus of the song advises Emily not to get arrested, not to buy a machine gun, and that she's not on the run or on the scene. The message of the chorus is that she doesn't need to resort to violence or destructive behavior to make a statement or find her place in the world. She may not be cool or a jerk or even a hero like Patty Hearst, but she is still important and valued in the universe as Emily Chambers.

Overall, Ocean Colour Scene's Emily Chambers is a profound and introspective song that speaks to the struggle many people face when trying to find their place in the world.

Line by Line Meaning

Emily Chambers would make it pay
People were convinced that Emily Chambers would accomplish great things and be very successful in her life.

Everyone knew she'd turn out that way
Emily's natural talents and abilities were apparent to everyone who knew her from a young age, so it was unsurprising that she was so accomplished.

She turned her back and she'll be okay
Despite some setbacks and challenges, Emily believed that she could handle whatever came her way and was confident in her ability to prevail.

But she's not okay at all
Emily was, in fact, struggling internally and feeling overwhelmed even though she projected confidence to those around her.

Every night with the radio on
Every night, Emily listened to music, seeking solace from the uncertainty and pressure of her daily life.

Emily fears that the day won't come
Emily worries that she will never reach her goals, and her future is uncertain and bleak.

The moon is there to do her harm
The moon serves as an ominous reminder that Emily's life is not as it should be, acting as a foreboding symbol of danger and misfortune.

She's not all right at all
Despite her confident facade, Emily is struggling emotionally and may be on the verge of a breakdown.

Don't get arrested
Emily is being advised to avoid getting into trouble with the law, as it will only hinder her success.

Don't buy a machine gun
Emily is advised to avoid violence and aggression as it will only result in negative outcomes.

You're not on the run
Emily is urged to stay on a steady and lawful path, rather than constantly trying to escape her current situation.

And you're not on the scene
Emily is told that she is not as popular or well-known as she may think and should focus on her own journey instead of trying to be the center of attention.

You're not so cool
Emily is told that she is not as invincible as she may think and should not take unnecessary risks or act recklessly.

And you're not a jerk
Emily is reminded that she should treat others with kindness and respect, as it will ultimately benefit her in the long run.

You may be a villain
Emily's actions may not always be perceived as positive or beneficial, which she must recognize and work to address.

But no Patty Hearst
Despite any negative perception of her, Emily is not comparable to Patty Hearst, who became infamous for her involvement in a kidnapping and bank robbery plot.

You're Emily Chambers
Emily is being reminded of her personal identity and the unique qualities that make her who she is, which she should embrace and cultivate.

And what's worse
Despite everything else going on, there are still more challenges and difficulties to come for Emily.

Is a whipping wind
Metaphorically speaking, Emily is facing a turbulent or tumultuous period in her life, indicated by the 'whipping wind.'

And a box in a hearse
Emily may be facing the death of a loved one or her own mortality, represented by the image of a funeral box.

And a trigger in your head
Emily is struggling with mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety, which may escalate to dangerous thoughts or behaviors.

And a pen in your hand
Emily possesses powerful tools, such as her writing ability, that can help her work through her emotions and experiences to create meaning and purpose.

And the pain in the verse
Emily is using her pain and struggles to create something beautiful or meaningful, such as a poem or song verse.

And the flat drying land
Emily feels stagnant or unfulfilled in her current situation, like a piece of land that lacks growth or nourishment.

And the thin of the air
Emily feels like she is suffocating or struggling to breathe, likely as a result of the stress or pressure placed upon her.

And a pain that hurts
Emily is experiencing physical or emotional pain that is difficult to bear or manage.

You're Emily Chambers in the universe
Despite her troubles, Emily recognizes that she is a tiny but significant part of the vast and complex universe, which gives her perspective and humility.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, SIMON FOWLER, STEPHEN CRADOCK

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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