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/
By Northern Light
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were walking away for ever
No more to say
End of the heart's endeavour
Bitter the wind on the back of my neck
Bitter the glance that you threw me
Bitter the wave on the knuckle of rock
CHORUS
Fear and beauty shake my heart
Memories pursue me
Not to let them break my heart
I let the wave roll through me ...
See these things by northern light
You'll never see them clearer
Love's as short as summer nights
By northern light,
My dear
Touching your face
The braille of blind affection
Taking for grace
The spark that must find connection
Easy the breeze on the pond in the park
Easy the laughter that drew me
Easy the walk hand-in-hand until dark
Glow of the lamp's reflection
CHORUS x2
See these things by northern light
You'll never see them clearer
Love's as short as summer nights
By northern light,
My dear
My dear
The song "By Northern Light" by Oysterband talks about the different emotions and experiences that come with love, loss, and memories. The first verse talks about the end of a relationship, with one person walking away and the other left with bitter memories and a sense of finality. The chorus mentions the fear and beauty that come with memories and how they can't be avoided, but instead, they can be processed and experienced like the waves of the sea. The northern lights symbolize a moment of clarity, a time to reflect on everything that has happened and to see things more clearly.
The second verse is more positive, highlighting the joy and ease of a relationship in its early stages. The breeze is easy, laughter is easy, and walking hand-in-hand until dark is easy. The northern lights are again mentioned, suggesting that the beauty of love is worth the pain of its potential loss.
Throughout the song, there is a recognition that love is temporary, like the short summer nights. The use of nature and the northern lights as imagery suggest that these themes are universal and enduring. Overall, the song conveys the complex nature of love and the experiences that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking away
Moving on from the relationship
You were walking away for ever
You were leaving for good
No more to say
Nothing left to be said
End of the heart's endeavour
The end of trying to make the relationship work
Bitter the wind on the back of my neck
The wind is cold and unforgiving, similar to how the breakup feels
Bitter the glance that you threw me
We exchanged hard looks filled with pain and regret
Bitter the wave on the knuckle of rock
The waves are crashing hard against the rocks, symbolizing the difficulties of the relationship
Time and tide will cover
With time, the memories and pain will fade away
Fear and beauty shake my heart
I am torn between pain and the beauty of what we had
Memories pursue me
The memories of our love keep coming back to me
Not to let them break my heart
I won't let the memories crush me
I let the wave roll through me ...
I let my emotions flow through me and deal with them one by one
See these things by northern light
Looking at these memories in a different light
You'll never see them clearer
By viewing the memories in a different context, you will get a better understanding of them
Love's as short as summer nights
Love is fleeting and doesn't last forever
Touching your face
Being close to you
The braille of blind affection
Our love was imperfect and sometimes misguided
Taking for grace
Appreciating the small, simple moments
The spark that must find connection
Love needs a connection to ignite and grow
Easy the breeze on the pond in the park
The breeze on the pond is gentle and soothing, similar to how the relationship began
Easy the laughter that drew me
Your laughter was infectious and drew me to you
Easy the walk hand-in-hand until dark
We strolled through the park, holding hands and enjoying each other's presence
Glow of the lamp's reflection
The light of the lampposts reflected off of us, casting a warm glow
See these things by northern light
Looking at these memories in a different light
You'll never see them clearer
By viewing the memories in a different context, you will get a better understanding of them
Love's as short as summer nights
Love is fleeting and doesn't last forever
My dear
An affectionate term of endearment
Contributed by Kennedy F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.