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)
It's My Shadow
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Acting like he don't know where
And who is laying down all the cards
And giving me the wrong things to say
And like a wheel on the table
He's a Cain to my Abel:
Oh, it's my shadow
Oh, into my day
It's my shadow
Making eyes until the sun lights the daytime as she comes
Oh, into my day
Happy in the time when I would have been there to see you
Happy in the time when I would have been there at all
Happy when the night is gone and I believe you
Happy when the night is gone and I need a call
Who is chasing in the wind all the letters never sent
And who is dusting down the stars and giving me the wrong moves to make
And like a wheel on the table, he's a Cain to my Abel
Dancing upon the floor, its my shadow
Making eyes until the sun blinds the daytime as she comes
Oh, into my day
It's my shadow
Like a willow to my stream casting heaven round my feet
Oh, into my day
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
Paralyzed until the sun lights the daytime as she comes
And if my shadow comes a creeping
Then I'll always find me sleeping in the sun
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
When you find that things are getting wild is that
The hardest smile that you can ever feel
"It's My Shadow" by Ocean Colour Scene is a song about self-reflection and the inner struggles we face. The lyrics depict a narrator who is constantly being led astray by their own shadow, a representation of their darker side. The first verse introduces this struggle, with the singer questioning who is on the stairs, and who is laying down the cards and giving them the wrong things to say. The singer admits that their shadow is like a wheel on the table, a constant force in their life.
The second verse is similar, with the singer asking who is chasing the wind and dusting down the stars, symbols of unachievable dreams. The chorus then repeats the phrase "It's my shadow," emphasizing that this struggle is internal, and the shadow is a representation of the singer's own psyche. The bridge brings in the idea of a smile being the hardest thing to feel when things are going wrong, further emphasizing the weight of the struggle and the internal nature of it.
Overall, "It's My Shadow" is a reflective and introspective song about the internal struggles we face and the way our own minds can lead us astray.
Line by Line Meaning
Who is that upon the stairs
Asking about the identity of the person standing on the stairs
Acting like he don't know where
Appearing unsure or confused about their location
And who is laying down all the cards
Questioning who is controlling the situation
And giving me the wrong things to say
Accusing someone of intentionally misleading or sabotaging them
And like a wheel on the table, he's a Cain to my Abel
Drawing from biblical references to explain the dynamic between two people, where one is seen as an aggressor and the other is a victim
Oh, it's my shadow
Identifying the subject of the song as 'shadow'
A confessor to my dreams casting ribbons round my feet
Describing 'shadow' as a trusted confidant who enables and inspires their dreams
Oh, into my day
Expressing how shadow is affectively influencing their everyday life
Making eyes until the sun lights the daytime as she comes
Describing shadow's persistent presence even during daylight
Happy in the time when I would have been there to see you
Indicating a sense of longing and regret for missing an opportunity to see someone they care about
Happy in the time when I would have been there at all
Lamenting the lack of presence with someone that brought happiness into their life
Happy when the night is gone and I believe you
Expressing relief and faith in someone after a difficult time
Happy when the night is gone and I need a call
Stating a desire and hope to receive a call from someone after going through a difficult time
Who is chasing in the wind all the letters never sent
Questioning someone who is obsessively trying to retrieve old, unsent letters
And who is dusting down the stars and giving me the wrong moves to make
Accusing someone of misleading and sabotaging their efforts
Dancing upon the floor, its my shadow
Describing 'shadow' as actively participating in their life and experiences
Like a willow to my stream casting heaven round my feet
Comparing 'shadow' to a supportive and nurturing force in their life
When you find that things are getting wild is that The hardest smile that you can ever feel
Reflecting on how difficult it is to feign happiness when things are in turmoil
Paralyzed until the sun lights the daytime as she comes
Feeling stuck and unable to function properly until the daytime comes
And if my shadow comes a creeping
Acknowledging the inevitability of 'shadow's' presence
Then I'll always find me sleeping in the sun
Finding solace and escape from 'shadow' in the warmth of the sun
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, SIMON FOWLER, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@wendydavies2033
Most underrated band this country has produced. Class.if my shadow comes a creeping.
@RaferJeffersonIII
My best friend and I used to love this. He died last year. It was a hard death, not an easy one: he is my shadow. Cherish your loved ones, they aren’t here forever. Love you all.
@rosspurchase9022
☮️
@domhunt
Pure pure genius, and how it reprises “the day we caught the train”, just excellent.
@colinmill3021
I miss the 90s this was one of my fav songs drinking on the summer good times
@robwilson5914
It's my shadow!!! The most beautiful peice of music known to man in my eyes..so many memories and would love to dedicate this to my beautiful mum who is my hero x
@stephanrussell5302
Great memories from this album!
@billyreid3751
Class album class band 👍
@clothilde1623
That bass ❤️
@craigboyd1991
I did this as an acoustic performance when playing in my old band & it went down a treat. One of the most under rated & forgotten about bands of the 90s 👍👍