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/
Shouting About Jerusalem
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He was shouting 'bout Jerusalem
The lights come on all over our street
People come out to stare
Searchlights flickered on my bedroom wall
I heard the police cars on my radio
Voices of reason
Saying come on down it's time to go
I got to tell you
If I could tell you
If I could only make you see
You'd be out there
No doubt about it
You'd be shouting on the roof with me
You'd be shouting 'bout Jerusalem
They'll make you take your medication
Keep your passion to yourself
Keep your anger in your fist real tight
Don't give your grief to no one else
To no one else
Don't lay your trouble on your neighbour
Guard your heart like an Englishman
Better take your medication
Welcome to the Prozac nation
We're getting by the best we can
I got to tell you
If I could tell you
If I could only make you see
You'd be out there
No doubt about it
You'd be shouting on the roof with me
You'd be shouting 'bout Jerusalem
The lyrics of "Shouting About Jerusalem" by Oysterband predominantly highlight the theme of freedom of expression and passionate protest against the oppressive society. The song features a man who climbs on a roof and starts shouting about Jerusalem, the city that holds immense cultural and religious importance. The man's shouting attracts the attention of the people from the neighborhood who come out to see him. However, the police also arrive at the scene, urging the man to come down and leave.
Amidst the chaos and commotion, the singer of the song yearns for people to understand his message and join him in his protest. He urges them to break free from the societal norms that force people to suppress their feelings, take medication, and mask their emotions. He believes that the world would be a better place if people freely express themselves and shout for what they believe in, just as he is doing on the roof.
The lyrics are a commentary on the societal pressures that force individuals to suppress their natural instincts and conform to the rules and regulations of society. The song encourages people to break free from these shackles, embrace their emotions, and participate in protests that seek to challenge the status quo. The singer of the song sees Jerusalem as a symbol of freedom and individual expression, and he urges people to join him in shouting about it from the rooftops.
Line by Line Meaning
This guy gets up there on the roof last night
A person climbed up onto the roof last night.
He was shouting 'bout Jerusalem
The person was shouting about Jerusalem.
The lights come on all over our street
The commotion caused the lights to turn on in the street.
People come out to stare
The noise attracted people to come out and look.
Searchlights flickered on my bedroom wall
Lights from outside shone into the author's bedroom, creating the effect of a searchlight flicker.
I heard the police cars on my radio
The author heard police cars coming to the scene on their radio.
Voices of reason
People speaking calmly and logically to the shouting person.
Full of reason and persuasion
Their words were convincing and intended to make the person climb down.
Saying come on down it's time to go
The voices were urging the person to climb down from the roof.
They'll make you take your medication
Society expects people to take medication to control their behavior.
Keep your passion to yourself
People are told to keep their enthusiasm to themselves.
Keep your anger in your fist real tight
People are told to keep their emotions under control.
Don't give your grief to no one else
Nobody wants to hear about your problems.
Don't lay your trouble on your neighbour
Keep your issues to yourself and don't burden others with them.
Guard your heart like an Englishman
Be stoic and don't show your emotions too much.
Better take your medication
It's better to take medication to keep your behavior under control.
Welcome to the Prozac nation
The societal norm is to take medication to control your moods.
We're getting by the best we can
We're all just doing our best to cope.
I got to tell you
The author has something important to say.
If I could tell you
The author wishes they could express how they feel to you.
If I could only make you see
The author wants to help you understand them.
You'd be out there
You would be out there with the author if you knew how they felt.
No doubt about it
The author has no doubt that you would join them.
You'd be shouting on the roof with me
If you understood the author's feelings, you would join them in their outspokenness.
You'd be shouting 'bout Jerusalem
You would feel as passionately about the cause the author is advocating for as they do.
Contributed by Hudson M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.