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/
Finisterre
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rocking with the tide, drinking with the moon
I found a ticket in my pocket, all the way from Port of Spain
And the warm wind from the Indies carried me again
Santander, the sky is falling
The tale we told each other has an end
Santander, to hear me calling
We'd often look for gold, treasure buried in the sand
We hid it long ago, before our wars began
When the world was green and early, and time was on our side
Before the storm got up to blow us far and wide
Santander, the sky is falling
The tale we told each other has an end
Santander, you hear me calling
You, that never lost a friend
** instrumental break **
Farewell, Finisterre, sleep away the afternoon
Just rocking with the tide, drinking with the moon
Last night I turned the glasses over, and I drank the bottle dry
The moon stared out to sea all night and so did I
Santander, the sky is falling
The tale we told each other has an end
Santander, to hear me calling
You, who never lost a friend
Never lost a friend
The lyrics of "Finisterre" by Oysterband tell the story of farewell to a place and someone who has never lost a friend. The song embodies a sense of nostalgia, reminiscing about the past with a bittersweet feeling of letting go. The singer bids farewell to Finisterre, a place where they have spent a considerable amount of time, sleeps away the afternoon, and drinks to the moon. The euphoric feeling of leaving, the hope of a new adventure awaiting, is conveyed through the lyrics. The ticket from Port of Spain that the singer discovers in their pocket takes them on a journey to new places, carried by the warm wind from the Indies.
The song tells the tale of looking for treasure buried in the sand before wars began, talking about a time when the world was green and time was on their side. The lines "When the world was green and early, and time was on our side / Before the storm got up to blow us far and wide," suggest that something significant might have happened that caused chaos and distance between friends. The listener can interpret it in any way they deem fit as the song leaves it open to interpretation. The song ends with the singer bidding a final farewell to Finisterre and the person who never lost a friend.
Line by Line Meaning
Farewell, Finisterre, sleep away the afternoon
Goodbye, Finisterre, rest during the afternoon
Rocking with the tide, drinking with the moon
Moving back and forth with the ocean waves, drinking under the moonlight
I found a ticket in my pocket, all the way from Port of Spain
I discovered a ticket in my possession, originating from Port of Spain
And the warm wind from the Indies carried me again
The pleasant breeze from the Caribbean transported me anew
Santander, the sky is falling
Santander, the sky seems to be collapsing
The tale we told each other has an end
The narrative we shared has reached its conclusion
Santander, to hear me calling
Santander, to hear my plea
You, that never lost a friend
You, who have never misplaced a companion
We'd often look for gold, treasure buried in the sand
We frequently searched for valuable metals, hidden inside the sand
We hid it long ago, before our wars began
We concealed them a long time back, before our conflicts started
When the world was green and early, and time was on our side
During the time when the earth was lush and new, with time in our favor
Before the storm got up to blow us far and wide
Prior to the disaster that scattered us in every direction
Just rocking with the tide, drinking with the moon
Simply swaying with the waves, drinking beneath the moon
Last night I turned the glasses over, and I drank the bottle dry
Yesterday evening, I flipped over the glasses and drank the entire bottle
The moon stared out to sea all night and so did I
The moon gazed out to the ocean while I did the same throughout the night
Santander, you hear me calling
Santander, can you hear me summoning?
You, who never lost a friend
You, who have never forfeited a companion
Never lost a friend
Never lost a friend
Contributed by Lila V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.