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 (1995β2000)
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 (2001β2008)
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 (2009βpresent)
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 1992β2018, 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 1992β1997. 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)
On And On
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On and on, it goes on and on
Seen my fortune and I lift my words and they are everything
Oh oh, they are everything
Sailing boats and open roads can seem to pass you by
But sailing boats and open roads can pass you in disguise
Oh oh, they go on and on
Have ? and it seems to work and it says everything
Oh oh, it goes on and on
Even while I've got my word it goes on and on
On and on, it goes on and on
Seen my fortune and I lift my words and they are everything
Oh oh, they are everything
The song On and On by Ocean Colour Scene is a reflective tune about how life can move on and on, even when we feel like weβve said all we need to say. The opening line, βEven while I've got my word it goes on and on,β seems to suggest that no matter what we do or say, life continues to move forward. The repetition of βon and onβ creates a sense of timelessness and a feeling that we are stuck in a cycle that we canβt escape from.
The second verse talks about how life can pass us by without us even noticing. βSailing boats and open roads can seem to pass you by, but sailing boats and open roads can pass you in disguise,β hints that sometimes we donβt see the opportunities that are right in front of us. The lyrics are a reminder that we should be present in our lives and not let the moments slip by.
The chorus talks about how our words and experiences shape us. βSeen my days and oh I swear they go on and on, have ? and it seems to work and it says everything, oh oh, it goes on and on,β seems to suggest that our memories and experiences never leave us, and they continue to influence us for years to come.
Overall, the song is a reflective and introspective tune that encourages us to appreciate the present moment and not take life for granted.
Line by Line Meaning
Even while I've got my word it goes on and on
Despite giving my word and making a promise, life still continues to move forward without pause
On and on, it goes on and on
The unrelenting flow of life and its events can feel endless and never-ending
Seen my fortune and I lift my words and they are everything
Having experienced both good luck and bad, I place great value on the power of words and their ability to shape my life
Sailing boats and open roads can seem to pass you by
The beauty of nature and the freedom of travel can be missed if one is not attentive and present in the moment
But sailing boats and open roads can pass you in disguise
Sometimes the most meaningful experiences in life can be unexpected and hidden in plain sight
Seen my days and oh I swear they go on and on
Reflecting on my life, I realize that the passage of time can feel both slow and quick, with days sometimes dragging on forever
Have ? and it seems to work and it says everything
Possessing something intangible, like inner peace or a positive attitude, can have a profound impact on one's life and say more than any material possession
Oh oh, it goes on and on
The repetition of this phrase throughout the song reinforces the idea that life is a continuous flow, never truly stopping or slowing down
Oh oh, they are everything
In the midst of life's chaos and uncertainty, the things that matter most to me are the ones that bring me purpose and joy
Lyrics Β© Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, SIMON FOWLER, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Samantha_C1
My best mate sent me a voice clip of this track today, the memories π₯π₯ππΌππΌππΌππΌ
96, I was 22 loving life, own place no child, no responsibilities life was a constant party but we could walk in & out of jobs! No surveillance every move we made!!!
Loadsa mates, more love & a better generation.
Last of the old school β€οΈ
@davidmcareavey1783
Amen to that π€ππ
@silasmarner7586
Uh, don't worry, it's 2022 and my daughter still deals with 20 somethings where she works who "walk in and out of jobs" and where life is "a constant party".. hah hah!
@jayfarmer6409
Amen summed up perfectly π
@lotuseater7247
@@silasmarner7586 I usually hate the 'it was better in my day' comments, but to be honest 96 was the best year I've ever seen in the UK for being young.
@CameraShot3
kinda makes me sad as a gen z kid lol
@180GAVIN
They were and still are the BEST forgotten band of all time.
Simply magnificent
@fat4448
I wouldn't say forgotten .. but yes, simply magnificent.
@patrickbracken3363
After I Am Kloot!
@relaxbro7671
Pure nostalgia listening to this.. π