Octopus was formed in Frankfurt/Main in 1973 with an original lineup of bassist Claus-Dieter Kniemeyer, guitarist Pit Hensel, vocalist Jennifer Hensel, keyboardist Werner Littau and drummer Dieter Becke. By the time they went into the studio to record their first album Becke had been replaced by Frank Eule who, in turn, was replaced by Seppl Niemeyer in October, 1977.
The first two albums, "The Boat of Thoughts" (1976) and "An Ocean of Rocks" (1977) are heavy in keyboard work by Littau (organ, Moog synthesizer, and Mellotron) and are often reminiscent of Camel, albeit with a bit more of a hard edge. The band's lyrics on the first three albums are entirely in English. The first two albums are generally considered to be Octopus' best work.
In September, 1978 Pit Hensel was replaced by Win Kowa (formerly of Streetmark) on guitar. In June, 1979 Octopus played for 60,000 at „Rock gegen Rechts“ in Frankfurt/Main. The band began a shift to a straight hard rock style with the album "Rubber Angel", released in January, 1980. Kowa and Jennifer Hensel left after that album and were briefly replaced by Doris Tangel and Alex Rodman. During the summer of 1980 Georg Klivinyi took over as guitarist and Michael Stein (4) joined as lead vocalist, giving the band an entirely different commercial sound for their final album "Hart Am Rand" (1981). The band went through a further series of personnel changes before finally disbanding in May, 1983.
OCTOPUS discography
1.The Boat Of Thoughts 1976
2.An Ocean Of Rocks 1978
3.Rubber Angel 1979
4.Hart Am Rand 1981
Members: Alexander Adrett, Claus-Dieter Kniemeyer, Dieter Becke, Doris Tangel, Frank Eule, Georg Klivinyi, Jennifer Hensel, Michael Stein, Pit Hensel, Seppl Niemeyer, Werner Littau, Winfried Kowallik
https://www.discogs.com/artist/333182-Octopus-3
http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=896#discography
2) Octopus is a maniacal four-piece psychedelic garage rock band straight from the Dutch underground. By cooking up elements from 60s psychedelic rock, punk and indie they create a recipe for brilliant disaster.
Your Smile
Octopus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Put your feet up, put your feet up
Leave at the hour you are forced to do
'Cos it's easy to let it slip away,
You know you need more than what the others say,
It's easy to lose with every mile:
Your smile, your smile
And as the bus stops near the playground
Bab bah bah bah, bab bah bah bah,
Leaving your clothes as you scrape your knees
'Cos it's easy to let it slip away,
You know you need more than what the papers say,
It's easy to lose with every mile:
Your smile, your smile, your smile...
'Cos it's easy to let it slip away,
You know you need more than what the papers say,
It's easy to lose with every mile:
Your smile, your smile,
Your smile, your smile, your smile,
Your smile, your smile, your smile, your smile...
Octopus's song "Your Smile" is a song about the importance of enjoying the small things in life and holding onto the things that truly make us happy. The lyrics urge the listener to put their feet up and relax when they come home, instead of being caught up in the stress and demands of the outside world. The singer warns that it's easy to let the good things slip away if we aren't careful, and encourages the listener to remember the value of their smile and all that it represents.
The second verse paints a nostalgic picture of childhood, with the mention of a bus stopping near a playground and scraping your knees. This verse reinforces the importance of holding onto the small pleasures in life, as these childhood memories can still bring a smile to our faces even years later. The repetition of the refrain "your smile, your smile" at the end of each verse and throughout the song serves as a reminder to never lose sight of what makes us truly happy and to always strive to protect and preserve that joy.
In summary, "Your Smile" is a song about the importance of cherishing the simple and joyful moments in life, and always remembering to hold onto the things that bring us happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
When you come home from whatever
Upon arriving home from any activity
Put your feet up, put your feet up
Take a moment to relax and unwind
Leave at the hour you are forced to do
Depart from any obligation at the designated time
'Cos it's easy to let it slip away,
It can be effortless to disregard important aspects of life
You know you need more than what the others say,
You require personal fulfillment beyond external opinions
It's easy to lose with every mile:
You can gradually lose sight of important things while on long journeys
Your smile, your smile
This refers to maintaining happiness and contentment
And as the bus stops near the playground
As public transport pauses by a recreational area
Bab bah bah bah, bab bah bah bah,
Nonsensical lyrics that do not impact the message of the song
Leaving your clothes as you scrape your knees
Messy situations can arise but it's all part of life's journey
'Cos it's easy to let it slip away,
Reiterating the earlier point about how easy it is to overlook significant things
You know you need more than what the papers say,
Media outlets cannot provide complete satisfaction in life
It's easy to lose with every mile:
Reiterating the idea that one can gradually lose purpose throughout their journey
Your smile, your smile, your smile...
The song concludes with repeating the importance of maintaining a happy and content attitude
Your smile, your smile, your smile,
Continuing the repetition for emphasis
Your smile, your smile, your smile, your smile...
Final repetition to emphasize the importance of maintaining a positive attitude and outlook throughout life
Writer(s): Marc Shearer
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Goombas_musical_experiences
20 years old and I still love this underrated classic! and yes finally I see a video for this song! Many thanks for uploading this!
@mattiemclean9882
If you read this Mr Singer from Octopus, your parties at Belfast Road in Stoke Newington were the stuff of legend!! Mat here, the drummer/DJ who enjoyed playing those nights as much as you enjoyed the mayhem!!
@animator77nic
Lmfooo. The dude singing is my media teacher now
@chrisd6982
I bought this when it came out. It feels like another world...
@musictrespass2450
This band were awesome!!!
@juniperjenkinson8127
Mr shearer.
@aron8858
My English teacher
@benny-gw1mg
@a ron media for me
@animator77nic
@benny282ben? That u?
@stefystorage8590
Thanks for the upload. A good 22 years ago song.