The band is one of the few outfits still burning with the fire of punk, but managing to combine it with the ideals and knowledge of English folk music - a balancing act they've made into a fine art over the years. And they have deep roots in the U.K. folk scene, emerging from both the Whitstable Oyster Co. Ceilidh Band, which formed in 1975, and Fiddler's Dram, a group put together in 1973 by Dave Arbus, whose fiddle work had graced releases by East of Eden and the Who.
Prosser, Telfer, and Taylor were also in Fiddler's Dram, whose moment of fame arrived in 1979 with the British hit single "Day Trip to Bangor" - released after they'd split up. They reconvened for a last album when Kearey joined them. He also became part of the band's alter ego, the roots-oriented Oyster Ceilidh Band, as they'd now become. With Fiddler's Dram no longer extant, the members put their energies in the newly renamed Oyster Band in 1981, playing gigs around England and self-releasing albums on their own Pukka label.
The band returned in 2003 after the longest recording layoff of its career with Rise Above, which included eight originals and two English traditional numbers, and featured the work of Irish piper James O'Grady throughout.
In 1990, the band collaborated with renowned folk singer June Tabor for the album Freedom and Rain and a tour.
Current Lineup:
Chopper - bass guitar, cello, vocals
John Jones - melodeon, lead vocals
Alan Prosser - guitars, viola, vocals
Ian Telfer - fiddle, English concertina, vocals
Dil Davies - drums
http://www.oysterband.co.uk/
Angels of the River
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the riverside
This weight of love
To the riverside
Couldn't get across
Couldn't back down
No place to cross
But you can't back down
I was up to the knee
I was up to the neck
It was cold as ice
But I couldn't go back
Fist of fear
Squeeze your heart
The world goes red
And falls apart
And then
The angels of the river
Angels of the river
Angels take you down
And then
The angels of the river
Angels of the river
Angels take you down ...
My hands are bloody
My feet are sore
I kicked the squeeze-box
Right across the floor
A broken tune
A broken glass
I won't live long
If I live like this
And you can't go back
You can't go round
Rage like this
Pulls governments down
I see her face in the stars
White like bone
Stand at the edge
And howl at the moon
And then
The angels of the river
Angels of the river
Angels take you down
And then
The angels of the river
Angels of the river
Angels take you down
(repeating)
I took my love
To the riverside
This weight of love
To the riverside
Couldn't get across
But you can't back down
No place to cross
But you can't back down
And then
The angels of the river
Angels of the river
Angels take you down ...
(repeating)
The lyrics of Oysterband's song "Angels of the River" are a powerful expression of the overwhelming emotions experienced in a relationship, particularly when it has reached a difficult or even destructive point. The singer describes taking their love to the riverside, as a symbolic act of trying to let go of the burden of their emotions. However, they find themselves unable to cross to the other side, to a place of resolution or peace, and unable to turn back either. They are trapped in a limbo of emotional turmoil, feeling the freezing cold and the pressure like a fist around their heart. The lyrics express a sense of desperation, rage and despair, and a bleak vision of a future that is unlikely to be sustainable.
The chorus of the song introduces the metaphor of the angels of the river, who take you down. It can be interpreted in several ways, perhaps as a metaphor for drowning, or for succumbing to the despair and letting go of life. However, it can also be seen as a release from the burden of the emotional situation, a letting go of the weight that is too heavy to bear. The repetition of the chorus provides a sense of both inevitability and relief, as if the singer has finally found a way out of their difficult situation, even if it is a drastic one.
Overall, "Angels of the River" is a song that encapsulates the intensity of emotions that can arise in troubled relationships, and the sense of being caught in a cycle of pain and confusion. Its vivid lyrics and powerful delivery make it a memorable and affecting piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
I took my love
I brought my beloved
To the riverside
To the bank of the river
This weight of love
This heavy burden of affection
To the riverside
To the bank of the river
Couldn't get across
Unable to cross the river
Couldn't back down
Could not retreat
No place to cross
No location to cross the river
But you can't back down
You cannot give up
I was up to the knee
The water was up to my knee
I was up to the neck
The water was up to my neck
It was cold as ice
The water was frigid
But I couldn't go back
But I could not retreat
Fist of fear
Overwhelming fear
Squeeze your heart
The sensation of pain and constriction in the chest
The world goes red
The world becomes infused with crimson
And falls apart
And collapses
And then
Afterward
The angels of the river
The benevolent spirits of the waterway
Angels of the river
Heavenly guardians of the river
Angels take you down
The angels bring you into the depths of the river
My hands are bloody
My hands are stained with blood
My feet are sore
My feet are aching
I kicked the squeeze-box
I struck the accordion
Right across the floor
Violently and carelessly across the ground
A broken tune
A fragmented melody
A broken glass
A shattered piece of glass
I won't live long
I will not have a long life
If I live like this
If I continue to lead this kind of life
You can't go back
You cannot return to the past
You can't go round
You cannot avoid the issue
Rage like this
Fury of this magnitude
Pulls governments down
Ousts established authorities
I see her face in the stars
I view her countenance in the celestial spheres
White like bone
As white as bone
Stand at the edge
Position oneself on the brink
And howl at the moon
And bellow towards the lunar satellite
And then
Afterward
The angels of the river
The benevolent spirits of the waterway
Angels of the river
Heavenly guardians of the river
Angels take you down
The angels bring you into the depths of the river
I took my love
I brought my beloved
To the riverside
To the bank of the river
This weight of love
This heavy burden of affection
To the riverside
To the bank of the river
Couldn't get across
Unable to cross the river
But you can't back down
You cannot give up
No place to cross
No location to cross the river
But you can't back down
You cannot give up
And then
Afterward
The angels of the river
The benevolent spirits of the waterway
Angels of the river
Heavenly guardians of the river
Angels take you down
The angels bring you into the depths of the river
Contributed by Eli V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.