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/
I Look For You
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because the sky is wearing thin
Because it's time to start again
Because the days are turning cold
Because the streets are getting old
Because I need to make it new
I need to make it new
CHORUS
Oh, I look for you
Every place I go
And I'm looking through
Every face I think I knew
Crazy people
Stare into the mirror to see what's true
But I ...
I look for you
When all the statues fall to dust
And all the words we used to trust
There's nothing else that I can do
I need to make it new
CHORUS
Oh, I ...
Oh, I ...
CHORUS
In this song, the vocalist seems to be feeling a sense of unrest and dissatisfaction with the world around them. They yearn for a fresh start, as they see everything around them as tired and worn out. They state that the world is spinning out of control and that the sky is "wearing thin" which could be interpreted as a metaphor for global warming, climate change, or even the deterioration of the ozone layer. The days are turning cold and the streets are getting old which may symbolize the end of a season or even the end of an era. The repetition of "I need to make it new" could signify a call for renewal, rebirth or even a desire to reinvent oneself.
The chorus finds the vocalist looking for something or someone that cannot be found. They are looking through every face they think they knew but cannot seem to find what they're looking for. Crazy people stare into the mirror to see what's true, but the vocalist is looking for something that cannot be reflected. It's unclear what/who they're searching for, but it's significant enough to be repeated again and again.
In the second verse, the vocalist acknowledges the fallibility of things that were once thought to be infallible. All the statues that were once erected as monuments to great figures, memories, or a period's significance now turned to dust, and all the words they used to trust have become unreliable. Despite this, the vocalist finds themselves helpless in the face of this confusion, but continuously repeating that they need to make it new.
Overall, the song can be viewed from different perspectives. It could be seen as a commentary on the downfall of society or a metaphor for personal change. It could be interpreted as calling for a fresh start in life, or in society or even in relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Because this world is in a spin
Due to the chaos and unpredictability of the world
Because the sky is wearing thin
Due to the depletion and fragility of the natural world
Because it's time to start again
Because it is necessary to reevaluate and make changes
Because the days are turning cold
Because the environment is changing and becoming harsher
Because the streets are getting old
Because the urban landscape is deteriorating over time
Because I need to make it new
Because there is a desire and a need for transformation
I need to make it new
Reiterating the desire and necessity for change
CHORUS
The repetition of the chorus highlights the theme of searching and longing
Oh, I look for you
Expressing the search for something or someone
Every place I go
The search is all-encompassing and exhaustive
And I'm looking through
Examining and scrutinizing every detail
Every face I think I knew
Considering every person from the past and present
Crazy people
Referring to individuals who are perceived as unconventional or nonconformist
Stare into the mirror to see what's true
Reflecting on oneself to find meaning and truth
But I ...
Contrasting oneself with the aforementioned individuals
I look for you
Reiterating the search
When all the statues fall to dust
When everything man-made eventually fades away
And all the words we used to trust
When even words and language lose their meaning and reliability
There's nothing else that I can do
Underlining the helplessness and hopelessness of the situation
I need to make it new
Reiterating the need for change and transformation
CHORUS
The chorus ties together the overarching theme of searching for something or someone amidst a changing and uncertain world
Oh, I ...
Continuing the search
Oh, I ...
Emphasizing the importance and urgency of the search
CHORUS
Reiteration of the search and longing for something or someone
Contributed by Daniel V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.