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)
Get Away
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
About what you are and what you haven't been yet
and some of them like to tell a story that is long and old
and couch it in indifference and the wine
that they were sold to get away
Well someone's got to tell them that its not deserved,
rehearsed or written down by playwrights over time
And some of them got a difference that they reserve for you
Well I like them all but I don't trust any of them
well shouldn't you, just get away
Well I used to think my freedom was a lot of things I'd give,
demanding on my time but I had so much time to give,
and I used to think that everything was a knee in what you are.
But finding out the truth that hurts
so I never went that far
I always get away
Well it comes down to the fact that I'm now different from the past,
demanding all my ideals its just trying to make them last,
and some of the things that you say they're ringing home so true,
I hang my head out of the door and I follow you,
yes I follow you and get away
In Ocean Colour Scene’s song “Get Away”, the singer reflects on his former self as a listener who accepted everything he was told without questioning, but has now become more discerning. He criticises those who tell long, old stories that lack authenticity and are only told to sell something, such as a bottle of wine. He suggests that these individuals have to be told that their behaviour is not deserving or rehearsed, but sometimes they strike a nerve by being different from the norm. The singer oscillates between liking these people and distrusting them, but overall, he encourages people to “just get away” from those who are inauthentic.
Moving on, the singer recalls that he once thought his independence meant giving as much time as possible to everything. However, he has since realised that this kind of freedom is an illusion. He maintains that he always takes the path of least resistance and “getaways” from whatever troubles him by not pursuing anything too deeply. The singer concludes the song suggesting that he is different from his past self and has learnt “the truth that hurts”. He seems to be inspired by someone who is moving away from the inauthentic way of life that the singer used to accept, and he decides to follow this individual and “get away” from his past self.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I used to be a listener - there was nothing left to get
I used to be someone who listened intently, but there was no substance or value in what I was hearing.
About what you are and what you haven't been yet
The conversations were focused on who you are currently and what you have yet to achieve or become.
and some of them like to tell a story that is long and old
Some people enjoy telling old, drawn-out stories.
and couch it in indifference and the wine
They tell these stories with an air of apathy, often aided by alcohol.
that they were sold to get away
The alcohol was used as a means for them to escape reality.
Well someone's got to tell them that its not deserved,
It's important for someone to speak up and let them know that they don't deserve to be constantly seeking an escape.
rehearsed or written down by playwrights over time
Their behavior is not some rehearsed or scripted act, but rather a real problem.
just picking up on a nerve.
Their actions may be touching on a deeper issue that needs to be addressed.
And some of them got a difference that they reserve for you
Some people have a way of treating you differently from others.
Well I like them all but I don't trust any of them
I may like these people, but I can't fully trust them.
well shouldn't you, just get away
It may be best to distance yourself and get away from these individuals.
Well I used to think my freedom was a lot of things I'd give,
I used to equate freedom with the sacrifices I made for others.
demanding on my time but I had so much time to give,
Although it required a lot of my time, I had an abundance of it to give away.
and I used to think that everything was a knee in what you are.
I used to believe that every experience and obstacle was a part of defining who I was.
But finding out the truth that hurts so I never went that far I always get away
Realizing that this was not the case, and that the truth can be painful, made me realize that I need to distance myself from these situations and simply get away.
Well it comes down to the fact that I'm now different from the past,
I've changed and no longer view things in the same way as before.
demanding all my ideals its just trying to make them last,
I'm focused on upholding my ideals and making them last through all of life's challenges.
and some of the things that you say they're ringing home so true,
Some of the things you say hit home and resonate with me as true.
I hang my head out of the door and I follow you,
I am willing to follow you towards the truth in order to find greater clarity and understanding.
yes, I follow you and get away
I'm willing to follow you, even if it means distancing myself and getting away from my previous way of thinking.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, SIMON FOWLER, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@sueharrison886
What a Tuuune!….One of my faves👍🏻🙌🏻👊🏻🙏🏻❤️….it never dates, I will listen to it forever 🥰❤️😘
@keefgrump5193
Ocean Colour Scene the most underrated band on the planet.
@beetrootjuice8849
Keef Grump Only under rated by arseholes so it doesn't really matter.
@roza2uz339
same page 8)
@bryanwatson9099
Band of the decade 👌
@jeninekinder3706
Along with Alabama 3
@seanharris5602
No chance dude ..
@dickdasterly111
One of the greatest ❤❤,never gets old
@philipferguson8570
Magnificent. The harmonica is a really nice added touch too. I especially love this live, where there's more acoustic guitar and harmonica. This is a magnificent band. Impressive how they combine real hard-edged musical power with real beauty. Mighty rhythm section in Oscar and Damon and, for my money, Steve is one of the great British guitarists, esp of the post-60s crop, and Simon one of the great British vocalists, esp of the post-60s era. Plus they seem like a bunch of real decent down-to-earth blokes; no airs, no arrogance, bullshit, big egos. Just great music and nice people.
@saints16o5o87
one of those very few albums without anything but top quality songs.