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)
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)
Mrs Jones
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What are you gonna do today, Mrs. Jones?
Are you gonna chase the pain away, Mrs. Jones
Or leave it sitting there waiting outside your door?
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
About the dreams that seem to slip away
What are you gonna do today, Mrs. Jones?
Are you going to face the bills to pay, Mrs. Jones
Or leave them sitting there waiting outside your door?
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
About the dreams that seem to slip away
It's not as if Mr. Jones could help in anyway
It's not as if Mr. Jones the bills that he could pay
What are you gonna do today, Mrs. Jones?
Are you gonna chase the pain away, Mrs. Jones
Or leave it sitting there waiting outside your door?
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
About the dreams that seem to slip away
Are you gonna chase the pain away, Mrs. Jones
Or leave it sitting there waiting outside your door?
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
About the dreams that seem to slip away
What are you gonna do today, Mrs. Jones?
Are you going to face the bills to pay, Mrs. Jones
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
About the dreams that seem to slip away
It's not as if Mr. Jones could help in anyway
It's not as if Mr. Jones the bills that he could pay
What are you gonna do today, Mrs. Jones?
Are you gonna chase the pain away, Mrs. Jones
Or leave it sitting there waiting outside your door?
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
About the dreams that seem to slip away
In the song "Mrs. Jones" by Ocean Colour Scene, the singer addresses Mrs. Jones, asking her what she plans to do that day. The implication is that Mrs. Jones is feeling lost or aimless, and the singer wonders whether she will try to numb her pain or face it head on. The song also touches on Mrs. Jones' financial struggles, suggesting that she may be avoiding paying bills and hoping for a miracle to solve her problems. The verse "It's not as if Mr. Jones could help in any way, it's not as if Mr. Jones the bills that he could pay" implies that Mrs. Jones is on her own and cannot rely on anyone else for support.
The chorus repeats the same questions, emphasizing the sense of uncertainty and urgency. The final line, "About the dreams that seem to slip away," suggests that Mrs. Jones is haunted by unfulfilled aspirations and is struggling to find purpose and direction in her life.
Overall, the song paints a poignant picture of a woman who is struggling to cope with her pain and fears but also shows resilience and determination to find a way forward.
Line by Line Meaning
What are you gonna do today, Mrs. Jones?
What plans or actions do you have for the day, Mrs. Jones?
Are you gonna chase the pain away, Mrs. Jones?
Will you try to overcome your emotional pain, Mrs. Jones?
Or leave it sitting there waiting outside your door?
Or will you ignore it, letting it linger outside your home?
Hoping to find the things you hoped would tell you more
Expecting to come across something that would give you better understanding,
About the dreams that seem to slip away
About the ambitions that keep eluding you, Mrs. Jones.
Are you going to face the bills to pay, Mrs. Jones?
Are you going to confront, financially, the expenses that are due, Mrs. Jones?
It's not as if Mr. Jones could help in anyway
It's not like your spouse, Mr. Jones, can assist you at all,
It's not as if Mr. Jones the bills that he could pay
It's not like Mr. Jones has the capability to pay for the expenses.
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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10FC ULL
A joint in hand; Me and my mate - as teenagers - would sit and listen to this record over and over, starring out the window contemplating our life and dreaming about our futures, wannabe rock stars and actors... Sadly, my friend took a few wrong turns in life and never got back on the straight and narrow and he took his own life at the tender age of 32, god ret his soul; I’m 40 now and still starring out the window wondering what happened to the time?. “The dreams that slip away.”
Robert Brown
Damn, I'm 34 and I already relate.
Jon The big M
Bless you and god rest your pal
Jonny Armstrong
The best B- sides album ever! loved it then and cherish it ever more now!
Lennon_in_the_sky16
An absolutely beautiful album, that seems to be very underrated..... Every OCS fan jumps on the Moseley Shoals album, usually due to "the day we caught the train". But a true fan, appreciates true music, and this album is so raw and heartfelt. Definitely my favourite! Love it. Thanks for sharing 💙
Lennon_in_the_sky16
@Rascal W. totally agree, album and tunes are awesome.... I just get a little infuriated at how underated it is (hence my rant) haha. I've seen OCS twice to date and I've been lucky enough to see the fab Mr. Weller twice also.... I'm a huge mod but I wasn't born until 1989 so I'm attempting to make up for lost time, and it's not bloody easy haha. Thanks for replying to my comment, always a pleasure to meet awesome people with awesome taste in music 🙂👍
Rascal W.
Boss tune and album 😉👍 Robin hood and huckleberry grove and another called get away are some of my favourites. Went to see them in Birmingham on their 10th anniversary years ago and Weller was there too. Boss night 😉
Festers Uncle
This band is very important to me. This album was a stand out-besides, does anybody even record b-sides anymore?
Eoin Hayes
Unfortunely Jeff Svirtunas very few bands do I remember I 1st heard gotta Bootleg Copy and it had a profound affect on me.....I don't look at it as a bside Album now like an A1
Mike Long
It's so bizarre when you don't hear these songs for years then I play it for the first time in ages and I remember the lyrics.