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)

Giving It All Away
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She never has to stop and think
Never makes you lose a thing
She is so enchanting
I always have to stop a while
Cross my hands and close my eyes
I am so demanding

When she smiles, she opens wide

Touching you inside to lie
Life can be so shaking handed
Nervously you're shaking signs
Life is better taken blind
Still you're left so disenchanted

Giving it all away
Giving it all away

You always have to stop and think
Desperately to find something
That is even handed
I never want to think a thing
That shatters almost everything
Life can leave you hanging

When she smiles, she opens wide
Touching you inside to lie
Life can be so shaking handed
Nervously you're shaking signs
Life is better taken blind
Still you're left so disenchanted

Giving it all away
Giving it all away

Today, new day
I'm so tired of flown day
I've got no one to say
What is wrong is that you can't say

When she smiles, she opens wide
Touching you inside to lie
Life can be so shaking handed
Nervously you're shaking signs
Life is better taken blind
Still you're left so disenchanted

Giving it all away
Giving it all away

Giving it all away
Giving it all away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ocean Colour Scene's song Giving It All Away convey a sense of disconnection and disillusionment in a relationship. The singer seems to be longing for something more meaningful and fulfilling from their partner, who is portrayed as captivating but ultimately lacking substance. The repeated lines "Giving it all away" suggest a feeling of resignation and defeat, as if the singer has come to accept that they are not going to get what they really want.

The first verse describes the partner as someone who never has to "stop and think" and "never makes you lose a thing," indicating that they are confident and self-assured. However, the singer also describes themselves as "demanding" and in need of more than what their partner can offer. The second verse continues this theme, with the singer expressing a desire not to "think a thing" that might "shatter almost everything." The refrain, "When she smiles, she opens wide / Touching you inside to lie," suggests that the partner's charm and charisma are ultimately deceptive and unsatisfying.

The final verse introduces a new element, with the singer expressing a sense of isolation and inability to communicate their feelings. The lines "I've got no one to say / What is wrong is that you can't say" highlight a lack of connection between the two people in the relationship. The song ends on a somewhat unresolved note, with the repeated refrain of "Giving it all away" suggesting that the singer has resigned themselves to a less-than-ideal situation.

Overall, Giving It All Away is a melancholy reflection on the challenges of finding real intimacy and fulfillment in a relationship, and the compromises and sacrifices that sometimes have to be made.

Line by Line Meaning

She never has to stop and think
She is so intuitive that she doesn't need to pause and reflect

Never makes you lose a thing
She is so competent that she never causes you to forfeit anything

She is so enchanting
She possesses such a captivating, charming quality

I always have to stop a while
I'm so awed by her that I have to pause for a moment

Cross my hands and close my eyes
I fold my arms and shut my eyes, entranced by her beauty

I am so demanding
I'm so possessive and requiring of her attention

When she smiles, she opens wide
Her smile is so big and genuine that it has an expansive effect

Touching you inside to lie
Her warmth and affection stir something within you

Life can be so shaking handed
Life can be so unpredictable and unstable

Nervously you're shaking signs
You're displaying signs of nervousness and unease

Life is better taken blind
Sometimes, it's better not to know the outcome