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)
Top Of The World
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She fell down and dented her nose
And laughed at the coroners
Desperately warning her
Watch now the way that it goes
And she knows
She's living at the top of the world
Who died in the service of king
What is the meaning of wallflowers receiving a glance
It would mean everything
And she thinks
She's living at the top of the world
Three minutes later she looked in the mirror
And cracked half a smile at her toes
And she knows, she knows
She's living at the top of the world
This song "Top of the World" by Ocean Colour Scene talks about a woman who's dealing with personal problems and addiction. The lyrics describe how she's self-medicating herself and has suffered a physical injury, yet she still manages to laugh at people warning her about the consequences of her actions. The woman is said to be living at the top of the world, but it's ironic because it's evident that her life isn't as perfect as it may appear on the surface. Despite this, she still seeks salvation and support from her deceased mother, who served in the army. The lyrics then make an intriguing reference to "wallflowers receiving a glance," which suggests that the woman may feel overlooked and unheard but still desperately wants to make a difference in her life.
Later on, the woman looks at herself in the mirror and cracks a half-smile. It's unclear what the reason behind the smile is, but it's a reflection of the complexity of mental health disorders and addiction. Someone may be going through phases of depression and despair, but can also have moments of hope and positivity.
Overall, the song "Top of the World" is a melancholy and introspective piece that examines the struggles of addiction and mental health issues.
Line by Line Meaning
For all of her diction, her self medication
Despite her articulate words, she relies on drugs to cope
She fell down and dented her nose
She stumbled and hurt herself, causing physical damage
And laughed at the coroners
She found humor in the seriousness of the situation
Desperately warning her
The authorities urged her to change her ways
Watch now the way that it goes
She is being cautioned to be mindful of her actions
And she knows
She is aware of what is happening
In need of salvation she spoke to her mother
She seeks spiritual deliverance and confides in her deceased mother
Who died in the service of king
Her mother passed away while serving her country
What is the meaning of wallflowers receiving a glance
She ponders why unnoticed people yearn for attention
It would mean everything
Being acknowledged would be life-changing
And she thinks
She contemplates her own existence and the world around her
Three minutes later she looked in the mirror
After a short period of time, she examines herself
And cracked half a smile at her toes
She finds amusement in her own imperfections
And she knows, she knows
She is still aware of her surroundings and thoughts
She's living at the top of the world
Despite her struggles, she feels like she is on top of the world
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: H. THOMPSON, ROMEO MC CALL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind