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)
On the Way Home
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I went insane like a smoke-ring day when the wind blows
Now I won't be back 'till later on, if I do come back at all
But you know me, and I miss you now
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
In a strange game I saw myself as you knew me
Well the other side is just the same
You can't tell my dream is real
Because I love you
Can you see me now
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
Though we rush ahead to save our time
We are only what we feel
And I love you
Can you feel it now, yeah
Doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo
The lyrics of Ocean Colour Scene’s song ‘On The Way Home’ are ambiguous in nature, leaving the listener to interpret the meaning based on their own experiences. The chorus of the song consists of repeating the phrase “doo doo doo doo doo doo” repeatedly. The song begins with the singer describing how he went insane when a dream came that he was not expecting. He is not sure if he will be able to make it back, but he misses his loved one. The dream appears to be a comparison to reality, and he remembers what he once was. He ends the verse by saying “But you know me, and I miss you now,” signifying some kind of longing.
In the second verse, the singer describes a ‘strange game,’ in which he saw himself as his lover saw him. He acknowledges that after the change occurred, his lover could see through him. He claims that the other side is just the same and that no one can tell what is real or not. The second verse concludes with the same message from the first verse, “Because I love you, can you see me now?”
The final verse of the song is a conclusion to the overall message. The singer explains that time is rushing forward, but the only thing that really matters is how he feels about his loved one. He ends the song with a repetition of the refrain “and I love you, can you feel it now?” The song revolves around the idea that love can transcend even the most ambiguous or profound of experiences, such as dreaming or the ever-changing nature of one’s persona.
Line by Line Meaning
When the dream came I held my breath with my eyes closed
I was so excited and nervous that I couldn't even breathe, and I just hoped that I wouldn't wake up
I went insane like a smoke-ring day when the wind blows
The feeling was so intense that it was almost maddening, like a whirlwind of smoke on a breezy day
Now I won't be back 'till later on, if I do come back at all
I don't know how long I'll be gone or if I'll even return, but I'll be back when I can
But you know me, and I miss you now
Even though I'm gone, you know me well enough to know that I'm thinking of you and missing you already
In a strange game I saw myself as you knew me
In a surreal moment, I saw myself from your perspective and realized how you see me
When the change came and you had a chance to see through me
When things shifted and you were able to see my true self, my vulnerabilities and all
Well the other side is just the same
Even though I may appear different, at my core, I am still the same person you know and love
You can't tell my dream is real
My dream may seem impossible, but to me it feels completely attainable
Because I love you
I am driven to pursue my dream because of my love for you
Can you see me now
Can you see the real me, pursuing my dreams and loving you all the while?
Though we rush ahead to save our time
We are always in a hurry, trying to make the most of our limited time together
We are only what we feel
Our emotions are what define us and shape our experiences together
And I love you
No matter what happens, I will always love you
Can you feel it now, yeah
Do you feel the depth and sincerity of my love for you right now?
Contributed by Cameron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Semiotic Future Studios
Fucking tune!!