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)
Weekend
Ocean Colour Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Saturday you're crying one day you're brave
Monday's raining again
One day you're lonely
But you're not the only one the weekend goes
Monday's raining again
Just over here
Cry my love, cry your weekend dry my love
Just over here
Saturday you're laughing
Some day you're forgiving
You're a weekend soul monday's raining again
Cry my love, cry your weekend dry my love
Just over here
Cry my love, cry your weekend dry my love
Just over here
Monday's raining again
Monday's raining again
Monday's raining again
Monday's raining again
These lyrics from Ocean Colour Scene's song "Weekend" depict the rollercoaster of emotions that we often experience throughout the course of a week. The song uses the metaphor of a weekend to represent a period of respite and enjoyment, juxtaposing it with the rainier and more challenging days of the week.
The first two lines, "Friday night you're smiling, Saturday you're crying one day you're brave," suggest the range of emotions we go through during a weekend. It implies that on Friday night, there is a sense of happiness and contentment, but by Saturday, sadness and tears may appear. This unpredictability of emotions, coupled with the fleeting sense of bravery, represents the ups and downs that can occur within a short span of time.
The lyrics then introduce the idea that loneliness is not exclusive to the singer, stating, "One day you're lonely, but you're not the only one the weekend goes." This line highlights the shared human experience of feeling alone or isolated at times. It suggests that although the weekend is typically associated with socializing and enjoyment, even then, loneliness can creep in.
The repetition and emphasis on Monday's rain further emphasize the contrast between the joyous weekend and the gloomier weekdays. Rain is often depicted as a symbol of sadness or melancholy, effectively representing the return to a more mundane and challenging reality. The phrase "Cry my love, cry your weekend dry my love, just over here" indicates a willingness to offer comfort and support during these difficult days.
The final repetition of "Monday's raining again" serves as a symbolic reminder of the cyclical nature of life. It implies that no matter how enjoyable or difficult our weekends may be, they will eventually come to an end, and we must face the challenges of the new week ahead. Overall, these lyrics poetically capture the fragility and often contradictory nature of our emotions throughout the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
Friday night you're smiling
At the end of the workweek, you're happy and content
Saturday you're crying one day you're brave
On the weekend, you experience both sadness and courage
Monday's raining again
The start of the workweek brings gloomy weather, representing a return to everyday monotony
One day you're lonely
At times, you feel isolated and alone
But you're not the only one the weekend goes
However, you're not the only person who goes through this cycle of emotions during the weekend
Cry my love, cry your weekend dry my love
Express your emotions and release the emotional weight of the weekend
Just over here
I am here to support and comfort you
Saturday you're laughing
On some Saturdays, you find joy and laughter
Some day you're forgiving
At times, you're able to forgive and let go of past grievances
You're a weekend soul monday's raining again
Your true essence is more aligned with the freedom and emotions of the weekend, but that changes when Monday comes
Monday's raining again
The recurring cycle of starting the workweek with sadness and rain
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ged bramwell
Great tune great band
jimmy2minutes
One beautiful song right here. Should be huge. I'm hooked.