Orleans found its core audience touring the clubs and college circuit of the Northeast US, crossing paths with other up-and-comers such as Bonnie Raitt, Tom Waits, and Hall & Oates. Rolling Stone called Orleans "the best unrecorded band in America". Showcase performances in NYC gave rise to a recording contract with ABC Dunhill Records and the release of an eponymous debut album in 1973. But it was not until Orleans was produced by Chuck Plotkin, then head of A&R for Asylum Records, that the band scored its first Top 40 hit with "Let There Be Music" in early 1975.
The follow up single "Dance With Me" brought Orleans into the Top 5 and the mainstream of American pop music. Atypical of the high-energy, earthy, R&B/Rock 'n' Roll mix of styles they had been previously identified with, "Dance With Me" cast the band in a more "soft-rock" light and landed them a tour with Melissa Manchester, when they really were more at home on tour with bands such as Little Feat.
It was the smash hit "Still the One" that cemented Orleans' relationship with the American public. While the single was climbing the charts all the way to #2, the band did a major cross-country tour with label-mate Jackson Browne. However, within a year internal stresses prompted guitarist/songwriter Hall to leave the band in search of a solo career, as "Still the One" played ceaselessly as the ABC TV network theme song. Since then it has been used for countless commercials and movie soundtracks.
The Hoppen brothers and Kelly reunited the band and, in 1979, produced the Top 10 hit "Love Takes Time", continuing to tour with the likes of Stephen Stills and Chicago. Collectively, the three Orleans' hits have been aired over 7 million times.
One of the many signatures of Orleans was and still is harmony guitar riffs and two serious players trading rhythm and lead between them, all seamlessly. Larry and John were, for most of this still–active band’s 35-year-and–counting career, those players. When John Hall left for a solo stint in 1977, Orleans found Dennis “Fly’ Amero, a lefty, upside-down Strat player (in the manner of Jimi Hendrix) who took over for several years.
After original drummer Wells Kelly passed away in October 1984, Larry, Lance and John played at his Memorial event. Out of this, they decided to work together as Orleans again, starting with a Nashville album. From 1985 through 2006 (when John got elected to the US Congress – D, NY-19) the group always included the three original members. Over those years, another 8 albums were released, always containing new material.
In 2001 the band added Lane Hoppen, the third brother, as a permanent member. Shortly after, Charlie Morgan – drummer with Elton John for 13 years – also joined the group. Early in 2006, as John Hall began his election campaign, Fly Amero was asked back by the band – including John - roughly 25 years after Fly’s first ‘term’. Fly agreed, and a smooth transition ensued. (Orleans’ 2006 “We’re Still Havin’ Fun” DVD features BOTH John and Fly.)
Fly and Larry’s guitar chemistry is obvious, as is the whole group’s camaraderie. Besides being a great guitarist, songwriter and singer with a strong blues/R&B soulful tilt, Fly is great with a crowd and has a Gold Record for comedy music featuring his parody lyrics.
Here in 2008, John is up for Congressional re-election and Fly is a permanent Orleans member, as are Charlie, Lane and original mainstays Lance and Larry (who is the voice on all the radio hits, by the way).
Thirty-five years in, Orleans’ trademarked slogan couldn’t be more appropriate: “We’re Still Havin’ Fun”. It’s also the title of their new (and debut) DVD and latest CD (related to the DVD). For much more on this classic American band, visit www.OrleansOnline.com
The Last Song
Orleans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Thrusting high beneath the tides
But times and water will erase them
Time and tears will heal my pride
Salty water cures the wounded
Everyone knows that it's true
Sometimes I think I could fish out a star
But they say a star is space on fire
And these fires burn for you
However cold my heart may seem
Everyone knows that it's true
A circle is unbroken
In the chain the seasons grown
Captives we must die
If we really want the love
That stars and oceans measure
When we stood it looked like ashes
I guess we lost control
Ashes are the final ending
Look for survivors on the glow
Only love can resurrect them
Everyone hopes that it's so
Only love can resurrect them
Everyone hopes that it's so
The Last Song by Orleans is a song that runs deep in meaning and metaphor, making it difficult for any listener to decode without a good interpretation. The main theme of the song is love, healing, and renewal. The opening lines, "They say the ocean has its mountains, thrusting high beneath the tides, but times and water will erase them, time and tears will heal my pride," suggest that even the most forceful and significant things in life can eventually be subdued and healed with enough time and effort. The sea mountains, which could potentially represent obstacles, are gradually worn down by the elements, embodying the notion that any issue can be overcome with time.
The lyrics in the second verse are infused with celestial imagery, with the writer thinking about "fishing out a star" from the vast darkness of the universe. However, despite the cold exterior that might conceal a heart of fire within, the love that they seek is what motivates them to not give up on this pursuit. The idea that love is the force that brings people back from the depths of despair is emphasized in the final stanza, with the imagery of ashes and the hope that love can bring the metaphorical phoenixes back from the ashes.
Line by Line Meaning
They say the ocean has its mountains
It is said that the ocean has its own peaks and valleys
Thrusting high beneath the tides
These mountains are positioned deep below the waves
But times and water will erase them
The mountains beneath the sea will be eventually erased by the vagaries of time and motion
Time and tears will heal my pride
Over time, the hurt and sadness that I feel will eventually fade away
Salty water cures the wounded
Saltwater has the power to heal and mend physical or emotional injuries
Everyone knows that it's true
This is widely accepted as a fact
Sometimes I think I could fish out a star
Occasionally, I wonder if I could catch a star from the sky, as if it were a fish in a pool
Frozen gem from a midnight pool
The star is a brilliant gem, shining like a diamond in the dark blue sky
But they say a star is space on fire
However, people believe that a star is actually a massive fire burning in the vacuum of space
And these fires burn for you
The metaphorical fires of love and passion that I feel for you are just as intense and enduring as the flames burning in the stars
However cold my heart may seem
Even though my emotions might appear distant or unfeeling
Everyone knows that it's true
It is widely recognized that it is true
A circle is unbroken
The cycle of life and nature is unchanging and eternal
In the chain the seasons grown
The seasons of the year emerge one after another in an unbroken sequence, like the links in a chain
Captives we must die
As mortal beings, we are prisoners of our own mortality and will eventually face our own demise
If we really want the love
In order to experience true love
That stars and oceans measure
A love that is as vast, enduring and immeasurable as the endless expanse of the stars and the ocean
When we stood it looked like ashes
When we were together, our relationship felt lifeless and full of desolation
I guess we lost control
It seemed like our relationship was spinning out of our control; we were powerless to stop its decline
Ashes are the final ending
Ashes signify the ultimate end, when something is reduced to nothingness
Look for survivors on the glow
I am looking for a ray of hope or a glimmer of light that might indicate that all is not lost
Only love can resurrect them
The only way to bring the relationship back to life is through the power of love
Everyone hopes that it's so
Everyone is optimistic that this is possible
Only love can resurrect them
The only way to bring the relationship back to life is through the power of love
Everyone hopes that it's so
Everyone is optimistic that this is possible
Contributed by Owen K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.