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/
Granite Years
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
covered up their eyes
the angels will not hear you
your spirit starts to rise
there's music from the bar
drunken laughter down the hall
is it pain or is it pleasure
you are bearing through the wall?
`Cruising for a bruising'
tattooed above the heart
it'd take the strength of Mary
to bold the boys apart
they flicker in their footsteps
a voltage overload
dazzling the dancers like they're
fixing to explode
you find `em later lying in be road
Granite years
Harbour lights city nights and bitter tears
(And you don't care where you're going)
Say that I was foolish
Say that I was blind
Never say that I got left behind
Love you for a lifetime, but
I haven't time to try
if I loved you for an hour
it wouldn't be a lie
say that I was foolish
say that I was blind
a seller bought a buyer
and the buyer didn't mind
anything you ask I'll pay in kind
The wind is off the sea tonight
it whistles through his soul
the solitary copper
hopes that God is on patrol
a single star is shining
across the evening sky
sending us a message
they are waving us goodbye
they are waving us a long long goodbye
thousands of lightyears... goodbye
The opening lines of Oysterband's "Granite Years" draws a vivid image of a night where darkness has enveloped everything in sight, covering up our vision as though we're blind. We're told that the angels won't hear us as our spirits "starts to rise" but we're not precisely told about where our spirits are heading. The music from the bar and the sound of drunken laughter down the hall continues to amplify the fact that the night is young, and it's not entirely clear whether what we're experiencing is pain or pleasure.
"Cruising for a bruising" is a fascinating phrase that explains a lot about the people we meet during tense, drunken nights out. The tattooed phrase is above the heart, suggesting these people are looking for a fight or a tough confrontation. The phrase itself and the storyline imply that it would take the strength of Mary to break up the boys' squabbles. The music is powerful, dazzling, and overwhelming, like the dancers are about to explode. Later, we're told that we can find these same people lying in the road, almost as though they're both perpetrators and victims. The chorus of "Granite Years" suggests that no matter how old we get or where our lives take us, we still endure the same harbour lights, city nights, and bitter tears.
The rest or the song is dedicated to themes of love and time. They sing that they're unable to love somebody for a lifetime because they haven't enough time to try. They ask that you never say they got left behind but you can say they were foolish or blind. They still seem to pay with kindness or do anything you ask—suggesting that they'd rather be in control than succumb to what appears like a lack of control to them. The copper hopes that God is on patrol, indicating that they fear for their safety or are afraid that something bad will happen. Finally, the song ends with the solitary star illuminating the sky, waving goodbye to us before a long journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Night has drawn the curtain
The day is over and it's time to reflect on life.
covered up their eyes
People are oblivious to the pain and suffering around them.
the angels will not hear you
Prayers may not always be answered.
your spirit starts to rise
People can find strength in their darkest moments.
there's music from the bar
People trying to escape the harsh reality of life through music and alcohol.
drunken laughter down the hall
People trying to forget their problems by getting drunk and laughing.
is it pain or is it pleasure
It's difficult to tell whether people are truly happy or just hiding their pain with laughter.
you are bearing through the wall?
Could you hear the pain and suffering of those on the other side of the wall?
Cruising for a bruising'
People who take risks are likely to get hurt.
tattooed above the heart
People who take risks with their heart are likely to get hurt.
it'd take the strength of Mary
Only the strongest of people can resist the temptation of the opposite sex.
to bold the boys apart
Even the strongest can be broken apart.
they flicker in their footsteps
People moving tentatively, unsure of their next steps in life.
a voltage overload
Emotions running high, about to boil over.
dazzling the dancers like they're
People living in the moment, trying to forget their problems.
fixing to explode
Emotions reaching a boiling point.
you find 'em later lying in be road
People who live recklessly eventually pay the price.
Granite years
Years spent living a harsh life, hard as a rock.
Harbour lights city nights and bitter tears
Living a life of hustle and bustle in the city, with heartbreak and sorrow.
(And you don't care where you're going)
Feeling lost with no direction in life.
Say that I was foolish
Admitting to making mistakes.
Say that I was blind
Admitting to being ignorant of the consequences of one's actions.
Never say that I got left behind
Refusing to accept being a victim of circumstance.
Love you for a lifetime, but
Wishes for a long and healthy relationship.
I haven't time to try
Lack of commitment to making the relationship last.
if I loved you for an hour
A fleeting relationship with no staying power.
it wouldn't be a lie
Momentary love can still be genuine.
a seller bought a buyer
Life can be reduced to a transaction between two parties.
and the buyer didn't mind
Sometimes people are willing to trade their own happiness for something they think they want.
anything you ask I'll pay in kind
Willingness to give back to those who have helped in the past.
The wind is off the sea tonight
Nature can influence one's mood.
it whistles through his soul
Nature's beauty can elicit an emotional response.
the solitary copper
A lone individual.
hopes that God is on patrol
Belief in a higher power for protection.
a single star is shining
A small flicker of hope in the darkness.
across the evening sky
A metaphor for life's journey.
sending us a message
A sign from the universe that everything will be okay.
they are waving us goodbye
Saying farewell to life's struggles and hardships.
they are waving us a long long goodbye
Life's struggles are deep-rooted and may take a long time to overcome.
thousands of lightyears... goodbye
Life is a long journey with many hardships and setbacks.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN TELFER, JOHN JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind