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)
Policemen & Pirates
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The bosses lay slain
And each of the workers decided to ten-fold their pay
And they saw in the mirror the sun had been shot down in flames
And nobody minded the hole in the sky or the rain
But it doesn't really matter when the judgments are said
'cause we all take our chances to find out romance is in some others bed
Who'd have you standing naked then publicly auction the use of a hose
All the children were laughing their faces in half at the pain
Of the girl who loved talking to walls and jumping at trains
And the words that ring true in the playground of fools will remain
And nobody minded the hole in the sky or the rain
But it doesn't really matter when the rights have been read
'Cause we all take our chances to glance at the wife in the opposite bed
And I bet Nero and Pilate could easily explain
How policemen and pirates get stoned in glass houses just finding their way
The house caught on fire in the winter
The bosses lay slain
And each of the workers decided to ten-fold their pay
And they saw in the mirror the sun had been shot down in flames
And nobody minded the hole in the sky or the rain
But it doesn't really matter when the judgments are said
'cause we all take our chances to find out romance is in some others bed
And you might burn your fingers hock your best rings for those
Who'd have you standing naked then publicly auction the use of a hose
And it doesn't really matter when the rights have been read
'Cause we all take our chances to glance at the wife in the opposite bed
And I bet Nero and Pilate could easily explain
How policemen and pirates get stoned in glass houses just finding their way
Yeah policemen and pirates get stoned in glass houses just finding their way
Yeah policemen and pirates get stoned in glass houses just finding their way
The song "Policemen & Pirates" by the British rock band Ocean Colour Scene is a contemplation on the realities of life and the choices people make. The opening lines describe a tumultuous incident where a house caught fire and bosses were killed, causing the workers to decide to increase their pay. The imagery of the sun being shot down in flames and a hole in the sky resonates with the sense of chaos and disorder in the world. Despite all of this, nobody seems to mind, and the song seems to suggest that people become increasingly desensitized to these kinds of tragedies.
The next verse describes the pain of a girl who talks to walls and jumps at trains, suggesting that the world is full of oddities and eccentricities. The line "the words that ring true in the playground of fools will remain" is a powerful statement on the nature of truth and how it can be found in unexpected places. The chorus repeats the theme of taking chances, and the idea that people may find love or passion in places they didn't expect. The song ends with a cryptic reference to policemen and pirates getting stoned in glass houses, a line that is open to interpretation but suggests that even those with authority or power are not immune to the pitfalls of life.
Overall, "Policemen & Pirates" is a thoughtful and introspective song that encourages the listener to consider the complexities of the world and the often-confusing nature of human relationships and interactions.
Line by Line Meaning
The house caught on fire in the winter
A calamity befell the house in the coldest season of the year
The bosses lay slain
The heads of the house were no more
And each of the workers decided to ten-fold their pay
The laborers decided to multiply their wages by ten
And they saw in the mirror the sun had been shot down in flames
They looked in the mirror and saw that the sun had been extinguished by fire
And nobody minded the hole in the sky or the rain
No one cared about the opening in the sky or the precipitation
But it doesn't really matter when the judgments are said
It doesn't matter when verdicts are given
'cause we all take our chances to find out romance is in some others bed
Because we all take risks and may learn that romance is found elsewhere
And you might burn your fingers hock your best rings for those
You may suffer a loss and pawn your valuable rings for someone
Who'd have you standing naked then publicly auction the use of a hose
Who would embarrass you and sell the right to hose you down in public
All the children were laughing their faces in half at the pain
The children were laughing uncontrollably at someone's suffering
Of the girl who loved talking to walls and jumping at trains
The girl who enjoyed speaking to walls and jumping onto trains was the subject of ridicule
And the words that ring true in the playground of fools will remain
The sentiments that are genuine in the realm of foolishness will persist
But it doesn't really matter when the rights have been read
It doesn't matter when rights have been granted
'Cause we all take our chances to glance at the wife in the opposite bed
As we all take risks to behold someone else's partner in bed
And I bet Nero and Pilate could easily explain
I conjecture that Nero and Pilate can explain with ease
How policemen and pirates get stoned in glass houses just finding their way
How law enforcers and seafaring robbers attract criticism despite their own flaws
Yeah policemen and pirates get stoned in glass houses just finding their way
Yes, police officers and pirates suffer in their own soft-covered, transparent shelters while searching for their route
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAMON MINCHELLA, OSCAR LLOYD HARRISON, SIMON FOWLER, STEPHEN CRADOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@charliemcclean6039
One of the best bands ever........thanks Simon and the crew you gave me years of bouncing that I will never forget.
@russ7510
This should definitely have been a single, it would easily have been top 10
@maddogmcd3025
It’s a shame it can’t be the nineties forever OCS!!!
@ianhumm531
My favourite song by this brilliant band.
@LewyCee25
this is one of my most favourite OCS songs!! Steve Craddock = a wizard with a guitar
@1I9C7G7
One of they're best tracks and still sounds awesome :)
@TheTHEWORLDISCRAZY
the best song if ever heard and only has 4829 veiws words fail me.
@stevemiddleton7461
Totally agree. They are one of those bands, who are brilliant and underrated.
@stephentonge5897
Great band - totally underrated
@Blueforlifefry
Mosely Shoals......Quality album