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)
My Time
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I just can't stand the pressure
I can't be any weaker
I've got to find me some of the treasure
I need nothing to be a man
Because I was born a man
And I deserve the right to be like any other man
My mind's in such a state
Sometimes it makes me sick lord
At times I try to wait
But I don't often know the trick
I need nothing to be a man
Because I was born a man
And I deserve the right to live
Like any other man
Oh, like any other man
Experience has taught me wisdom
Thank god I've got some life left
I'm getting out of serfdom
My soul stands the test
I need nothing to be a man
Because I was born a man
And I deserve the right to live
Like any other man
Oh, like any other man
My resistance is getting weaker
I just can't stand the pressure
I can't be any weaker
I've got to find me some of the treasure
I need nothing to be a man
Because I was born a man
And I deserve the right to live
Like any other man,
Oh, like any other man
The song “My Time” by Ocean Colour Scene is a powerful message about resisting pressure and standing up for oneself. The opening lines of the song express the weakness that the singer feels in the face of the pressure, possibly from society or the world, but they are resolved to find “some of the treasure”, to gain some reward or success to combat this pressure. The repetition of the line “I need nothing to be a man” is a bold statement of empowerment, seemingly affirming the idea that the singer doesn’t need to meet external expectations of manliness to feel masculine, and that he deserves the same recognition as anyone else just for being himself.
The second verse of the song reveals the singer’s internal struggle. His mind is in such a state that he feels sick, and though he tries to wait, he doesn’t know how to hold on. The passage of time and experience have taught him wisdom, and he is grateful to still have some life left to be able to get out of “serfdom” – a reference to medieval feudalism where peasants were owned by lords and had no civil rights. The chorus repeats, closing the song with the same powerful message of empowerment and equality.
Overall, “My Time” is a song about claiming one’s space in the world and being recognized for the inherent value and dignity of being human. It’s a message of solidarity for anyone who has ever felt pressured to perform or conform, and a call to action to stand up for oneself and demand the right to live like anyone else.
Line by Line Meaning
My resistance is getting weaker
I am losing my strength to fight back against the challenges and difficulties in my life
I just can't stand the pressure
The stress and demands in my life are overwhelming and causing distress
I can't be any weaker
I cannot afford to be any less strong than I am right now
I've got to find me some of the treasure
I need to find something worthwhile or valuable to pursue in order to improve my life
I need nothing to be a man
I do not need material possessions or external factors to prove my worth as a human being
Because I was born a man
My inherent qualities and traits as a human being are all I need to be considered a man
And I deserve the right to be like any other man
I have the same inherent rights and qualities as any other person, regardless of my circumstances or status
My mind's in such a state
My mental state is deteriorating or causing me distress
Sometimes it makes me sick lord
At times, my mental state is so bad that it makes me feel physically ill
At times I try to wait
Sometimes I try to be patient and wait for things to improve or resolve themselves
But I don't often know the trick
However, I am not always sure how to improve my situation or mental state
Experience has taught me wisdom
Through my life experiences, I have gained valuable knowledge and understanding
Thank god I've got some life left
I am grateful for the time and opportunities I still have to improve my life and pursue my goals
I'm getting out of serfdom
I am freeing myself from a situation where I feel oppressed or constrained
My soul stands the test
My inner strength and resilience are being put to the test, but I am able to withstand it
Like any other man
I deserve to live my life with the same opportunities and rights as any other person, without discrimination or judgement
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SHAHID KHAN, HUGO CHEGWIN, HARRY CRAZE, EMELI SANDE, BEN HARRISON, KEVIN GIORGIOU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sel Dg
Simply beautiful
John O Connor
shit makes my skin crawl
katym0172
Nice song but that isn’t Simon Fowler singing 🤔
Luke Evans
It's usher
CM Kimciago
Its the drummer Oscar, he's an excellent vocalist himself :)