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)
One for the Road
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We both went to different schools
Me so scared of the rules
You chasing all the girls
But it seems to me
We never grew up we just got ourselves free
Inventing what we could be
Get up and dance
Get up and smile
Get up and drink
To the ones who are gone in the shortest while
She was just eighteen she collapsed
And they took her away
She didn't make it for more than an hour
Then she was gone
What do you say?
When someone's been taken that way
Before they've had a day to fly in the sun
Get up and dance
Get up and smile
Get up and drink
To the ones who are gone in the shortest while
Get up and dance
Get up and smile
Get up and drink
To the to the ones who are gone in the shortest while
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
No I never knew you
We both ended up as different fools
Me so scared of the rules
You chasing all the girls
But it seems to me
We never grew up we just got ourselves free
Inventing what we could be
To buy all their curls
Get up and dance
Get up and smile
Get up and drink
To the ones who are gone in the shortest while
Get up and dance
Get up and smile
Get up and drink
To the to the ones who are gone in the shortest while
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
I'll sing my sorrow
The lyrics to Ocean Colour Scene's song "One for the Road" reflect on the idea of childhood innocence, growing up, and the inevitability of death. The song begins with the singer reminiscing about someone he used to know, someone he didn't really know at all. They went to different schools, and while the singer was afraid of breaking the rules, the other person was chasing girls.
As the song continues, the singer reflects on how they never really grew up, they just got "free," inventing their own identities and lifestyles to rebel against the norm. The chorus urges listeners to celebrate those who have passed away, who were taken too soon, by dancing, smiling, and drinking in their honor.
The song takes a somber turn in the second verse, with the singer recounting the tragic death of a young woman who collapsed and died after only eighteen years. He wonders what he should say when someone is taken so young, "before they've had a day to fly in the sun." Despite the sorrowful subject matter, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer vowing to sing his sorrow and celebrate life.
Overall, "One for the Road" is a reflection on life, death, and the fleeting nature of youth. The song is about celebrating the ones we love, even after they're gone, and cherishing the time we have.
Line by Line Meaning
No I never knew you
I never had the chance to meet you.
We both went to different schools
We didn't attend the same educational institution.
Me so scared of the rules
I was always afraid of breaking the rules.
You chasing all the girls
You were busy chasing after women.
But it seems to me
However, it appears to me that...
We never grew up we just got ourselves free
We never really matured, we just got rid of our restrictions.
Inventing what we could be
We imagined what we could become.
To buy all their curls
In order to afford their fancy lifestyles.
Get up and dance
Stand up and dance.
Get up and smile
Laugh and be happy.
Get up and drink
Stand up and drink something (likely alcoholic).
To the ones who are gone in the shortest while
This drinking and merrymaking should commemorate those who have died too soon.
She was just eighteen she collapsed
She was only eighteen years old when she fell ill.
And they took her away
She was transported to a medical facility.
She didn't make it for more than an hour
Sadly, she didn't survive more than one hour.
Then she was gone
She passed away.
What do you say?
What can one say in the face of such a tragedy?
When someone's been taken that way
When someone has died in such a sudden and unexpected way.
Before they've had a day to fly in the sun
Before they've had the opportunity to truly live their lives.
I'll sing my sorrow
I will express my grief and sadness through song.
I'll sing my sorrow
I will continue to sing about my pain and grief.
I'll sing my sorrow
I will use music as an outlet to express my feelings of sadness.
I'll sing my sorrow
I will continue to use music as a way to vocalize my feelings of loss and heartbreak.
We both ended up as different fools
Despite our differing paths, we both ended up making foolish decisions.
I'll sing my sorrow
Using music to express and ease my pain is a natural and necessary outlet for me.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, SIMON FOWLER, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gary Mullan
What a tune, what a band. Proper music.
alex newman
I agree good memories great band
alex newman
Saw them twice gutted I didnt see them a third time. Pure talent.
Sam Cummings
❤️❤️❤️❤️ This TUNE😁
Mark Patterson
Brilliant....
Old Soul
When music was music!
MATHIAS HENNIG
AWESOME
Rob Wilson
Yes they did blow oasis away...get blown away!!!!
John Brand
Blew oasis away
Wendy Stanley
Always said it,and being brummies did not help em,...love the mancs,and the music,...but O.C.S,
smashed it🎸🎤..sorry Liam/Noel..🙈👦/