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/
Not Like Jordan
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A slow train crawl
Like a fool I nearly miss the station
It's grown so small
Not betting on an easy landing
Out of the blue
These shuttered houses and a clock still standing at 1962
Tickets in their hand
Good people that were never out of sight of land
Waiting for the ferry
Tickets in their hand
Good people that you knew would never understand
And we're all on board
It's not very far to ride
Your river is not like Jordan
We'll meet on the other side
A stony church where lovers lingered
In years gone by
The hand of God still points a finger
Across the sky
A stony road to no salvation
Who sheds a tear?
I think that both of us were looking for a shortcut out of here
Waiting for the ferry
Tickets in our hand
Good people that were never out of sight of land
Waiting for the ferry
Tickets in our hand
Good people that you knew would never understand
Could've brought you whisky, could've brought you wine
The only thing I can't bring is time, time, time
And we're all on board
It's not very far to ride
Your river is not like Jordan
We'll meet on the other side
Could've brought you whisky, could've brought you wine
The only thing I can't bring is time, time, time
And we're all on board
It's not very far to ride
Your river is not like Jordan
We'll meet on the other side
The song "Not Like Jordan" by Oysterband is a slow, haunting ballad that uses imagery of travel and waiting to explore themes of loss, regret, and the uncertain journey towards death. The first verse sets the scene of a slow train crawling towards an uncertain destination, with the singer feeling foolish for nearly missing their stop. As they disembark and look around, they see shuttered houses and a clock frozen in time at 1962, emphasizing the sense of being stuck in a place that's no longer moving forward.
The second verse introduces the metaphor of waiting for a ferry, with "good people" who were "never out of sight of land" waiting alongside the singer. These people are portrayed with admiration, but also a sense of distance or lack of understanding. As the singer reflects on the journey, they describe a stony church where people once lingered, and a stony road "to no salvation" that hints at their own sense of futility.
The chorus repeats the idea that "we're all on board" and heading towards an uncertain destination, but emphasizes the idea that the singer's "river is not like Jordan" - that is, they're not headed towards the religious afterlife of the biblical River Jordan, but towards something unknown. The final lines repeat the idea that the singer could have brought gifts or offerings, but ultimately the only thing they can't bring is more time.
Overall, the song creates a sense of existential unease through its imagery of travel and waiting, subtly exploring the human questions of mortality and the search for meaning in the face of uncertainty.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm getting near my destination
I'm approaching my intended location
A slow train crawl
The train is moving slowly
Like a fool I nearly miss the station
I almost missed my stop and feel foolish about it
It's grown so small
The town has become smaller
Not betting on an easy landing
I'm not anticipating an easy arrival
Out of the blue
Suddenly or unexpectedly
These shuttered houses and a clock still standing at 1962
The town has remained static since 1962 with vacant houses and an older clock
Waiting for the ferry
We are waiting for a boat to transport us across the water
Tickets in their hand
They have their tickets on hand
Good people that were never out of sight of land
These are people who have always lived near the coast and have never been far from it
Good people that you knew would never understand
These same people are unlikely to comprehend our reasons for leaving
And we're all on board
All of us have boarded the ferry
It's not very far to ride
The journey is not long
Your river is not like Jordan
Your river is not similar to the Jordan River in the Bible
We'll meet on the other side
We will see each other upon arriving at our destination
A stony church where lovers lingered
There is an old church where people used to spend time together
In years gone by
In the past
The hand of God still points a finger
The church's steeple still points up to the sky resembling a finger pointing upward as if to indicate towards Heaven
Across the sky
Directed towards the heavens above
A stony road to no salvation
There is a rocky path that leads to no redemption
Who sheds a tear?
No one is crying
I think that both of us were looking for a shortcut out of here
We were both searching for a faster way to leave this place
Could've brought you whisky, could've brought you wine
I had the capability of getting you whiskey or wine
The only thing I can't bring is time, time, time
The only thing I can't gift you is more time
And we're all on board
All of us have gotten onto the vehicle
Your river is not like Jordan
The water body we are traversing is not similar to the Jordan River
We'll meet on the other side
We will reunite upon arriving at the other side
Contributed by Ian S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.