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/
Oxford Girl
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is it true what you hear, did he do it out of fear?
Was the day drawing near when a child would start to show?
Was it rage or shame or damage to his name?
Was it something worse, does anybody know?
Did she pay a price for making them look twice?
Like a glimpse of paradise across a dull and bitter land?
Did she scorn them all and did they understand?
A grief to her father -did she really leave him?
a lover to her brother -yes we all believe him
temptation to her betters -no better than she should be
unfaithful to her lover -he always new she would be
She says: I never had a chance to prove them wrong
My time was short, the story long
No I never had a chance to prove them wrong
It's always them that write the song
Did he go to ground, was the suitcase ever found?
Did the police come swarming round on a trail already cold?
Did he lead them a dance, did he run away to France?
Or did he shop himself before the day was old?
O she was bound to loose if she set her face to choose
They never could excuse her for stirring up their fears
She was much to young, the earth has stopped her tongue
You can hear the voices calling down the years
She says: I never had a chance to prove them wrong
My time was short, the story long
No I never had a chance to prove them wrong
It's always them that write the song
I met a man whose brother said he new a man who knew the Oxford girl
The song Oxford Girl by Oysterband speaks about the rumored scandal around an Oxford girl. The song starts with the singer talking about how he met a man who claimed to know a man who knew the Oxford girl. The lyrics question whether the rumors surrounding the girl are true. Did she get pregnant? Was it due to fear or anger? Was it due to her being disloyal or her reputation being smeared? There are many questions that arise regarding what really happened to the Oxford girl.
The song delves into the judgments and accusations made against the Oxford girl. She is portrayed as someone who was being judged and looked down upon by the society. The singer questions whether the Oxford girl was judged because she was caught in the act of doing something that was forbidden, putting her family's reputation at risk. This is evident in the line "A grief to her father -did she really leave him? A lover to her brother -yes we all believe him. Temptation to her betters -no better than she should be unfaithful to her lover -he always knew she would be."
The song reveals how the society was quick to criticize her actions and passed judgments on her without knowing the true story. The Oxford girl was not given a chance to prove her innocence or state her truth, and in the end, she was silenced. The song's melancholic tune and poetic lyrics build a sense of sadness and tragedy, as the story of the Oxford girl remains incomplete.
Line by Line Meaning
I met a man whose brother said he knew a man who knew the Oxford girl
I heard a story about the Oxford girl from a very distant source
Is it true what you hear, did he do it out of fear?
Was the rumor true, did he commit the act out of fear?
Was the day drawing near when a child would start to show?
Was the timing right for her to have a child?
Was it rage or shame or damage to his name?
What motivated him to commit the act? Was it pride or embarrassment?
Was it something worse, does anybody know?
Was it a more serious issue, and did anyone ever find out what it was?
Did she pay a price for making them look twice?
Did she face consequences for attracting attention?
Like a glimpse of paradise across a dull and bitter land?
Did she appear as a symbol of hope within a hopeless world?
Did she pass them by, did she dare to meet their eye?
Did she try to face the consequences of her actions?
Did she scorn them all and did they understand?
Did she reject their judgment, and did they eventually accept her?
A grief to her father -did she really leave him?
Was her presumed departure a source of great pain for her father?
a lover to her brother -yes we all believe him
Her brother believed that she had a romantic relationship before the incident occurred
temptation to her betters -no better than she should be
She was condemned for attracting people deemed of higher social standing
unfaithful to her lover -he always knew she would be
Her lover was aware of her presumed infidelity
She says: I never had a chance to prove them wrong
She never had a chance to challenge the accusations against her
My time was short, the story long
Her life was short-lived, but the story of her actions persisted
No I never had a chance to prove them wrong
She felt helpless in the face of judgment
It's always them that write the song
Others will always shape the narrative, even if it's not accurate
Did he go to ground, was the suitcase ever found?
Was the culprit ever caught or did he go into hiding? Was there any evidence found?
Did the police come swarming round on a trail already cold?
Did the investigation start too late, after crucial evidence was lost?
Did he lead them a dance, did he run away to France?
Did he try to mislead authorities or escape to another country?
Or did he shop himself before the day was old?
Did he turn himself in before it was too late?
O she was bound to lose if she set her face to choose
If she made a decision, it was inevitable that she would face negative consequences
They never could excuse her for stirring up their fears
Her actions made people feel uncomfortable, and they refused to forgive her for it
She was much too young, the earth has stopped her tongue
Her youth robbed her of the opportunity to defend herself, and she is now deceased
You can hear the voices calling down the years
Her legacy continues to be remembered and debated over time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: IAN TELFER, JOHN JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind