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)
Loneliest Girl in the Whole Wide World
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's knows it's been a desperate day
Making pointless phone calls to someone
Who's never there, they don't answer anyway
'Cause only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Could feel that way
And only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Writing countless letters to her God
She knows he's there night and day
Better than the friends that change and bend
Then ain't there, then they run away
'Cause only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Could feel that way
Only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Makes her escape then fades away
Please make something happen
Make it happen just for Jane
Make it happen in the sunshine
Make it happen even in the pouring rain
'Cause only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Could feel that way
Only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Makes her escape then fades away, fades away
The song "Lonliest Girl in the Whole" by Ocean Colour Scene is a poignant ballad about loneliness, heartbreak, and the desire for escape. The song speaks of a girl who is desperately trying to cope with the pain of a breakup. She is surrounded by people who don't seem to care about her and she feels like she has no one to turn to. She tries to call someone, but they don't answer, adding another layer to her feelings of isolation. The chorus speaks to the heart of the matter, as the singer notes that only the loneliest girl in the whole world could feel this way. The girl cannot escape the feeling of rejection and heartbreak, so she writes letters to God, someone who she knows will always be there for her. The final verse is a plea to make something happen for the loneliest girl in the world, to give her a moment of sunshine or something to lift her out of her despair.
The lyrics are simple, yet they pack a powerful emotional punch. The imagery of the girl breaking down in her make-up case, trying to call someone who never answers, and writing letters to God all create a picture of deep isolation and loneliness. The song is a reminder that we all have times in our lives when we feel alone and like no one understands us.
Line by Line Meaning
Breaking up inside her make-up case
She feels shattered emotionally and is dealing with her feelings by hiding behind her makeup.
She’s knows it’s been a desperate day
She understands that she’s had a tough day and she’s feeling lost and alone.
Making pointless phone calls to someone
She’s trying to cling on to any human connection, however superficial it may be, but no one is there to pick up the phone.
Who’s never there, they don’t answer anyway
She’s reaching out to someone who’s not there, and even if they were, they may not answer her call for help.
'Cause only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Her sense of loneliness is so intense that she feels like she's completely alone in the world.
Could feel that way
Her emotions are so overwhelming that they make her feel like she's the only one in the world who could experience them.
And only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Her loneliness is so deep and profound that it's something that only someone in her specific situation could understand.
Makes her escape and fades away
She's trying to isolate herself from others and escape her feelings by withdrawing from the world around her.
Writing countless letters to her God
She's turning to religion for comfort and trying to find a sense of connection by writing to a higher power.
She knows he’s there night and day
Despite feeling abandoned by everyone else, she believes that her God is always there for her.
Better than the friends that change and bend
She's lost faith in her friendships and is beginning to see the value of staying close to a God that doesn't change.
Then ain’t there, then they run away
She's been let down by the people closest to her, and they seem to be more of a burden than a source of support.
Please make something happen, Make it happen just for Jane
She's reaching out, begging for something to change and looking for a sign that her prayers have been heard.
Make it happen in the sunshine, Make it happen even in the pouring rain
She's asking for something positive to happen, no matter what the circumstances might be.
Only the loneliest girl in the whole-wide world
Her loneliness is so profound that it's completely unique, and it's something that only she can understand.
Makes her escape then fades away, fades away
She's given up on finding solace in others and has retreated into herself, withdrawing from the world and fading away from those around her.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, SIMON GEOFFREY FOWLER, STEPHEN JOHN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind