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/
The Rose Of England
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He traded but a little for the wayward life
Faint heart never won fair hand
So says the Rose of England
So says the Rose of England
From high on a hill came the clarion call to win young men, come one, come all
Make muster against the foreign hand
Raised to the Rose of England
For her feckless boys she did weep and wail
Crying, Lord have mercy where did I fail?
Out of my belly and the pick up a gun
And fall for the Rose of England
Fall for the Rose of England
God knows it's cold outside
It's a fire by day and a freeze at night
I know it's a hell out there
How loud the mouth when the heart don't care
He's damned if he don't, he's damned if he do
He'd die if he ever found out we knew
Hot potato, drop it and run
Far from the Rose of England
Far from the Rose of England
The Rose of England, by Oysterband, speaks to the call of war and how it affects both the soldiers and their families. The song follows the story of a young man who leaves his home with only his father's knife to join the army. He's willing to give up everything for the chance to live a life on the edge. Despite the danger, he is unfazed as he enters a world that has beckoned men from all corners of the country.
The chorus of the song is the voice of the Rose of England, a personification of the country itself. The Rose, as it were, is telling the young man that he needs to be brave and take a risk if he wants to succeed. The Rose sees the foreign hand raised against England and is calling all men to fight for her defense, protecting her honor from the outside world.
The song also tells the story of the consequences of war; the mothers who weep for their children who fall in battle, the hopelessness of fighting in frigid temperatures, and the consequences of following authority blindly. The final verses speak of the harsh realities of war, where soldiers are damned if they do and damned if they don't, and where loyalty is often sacrificed for personal safety.
Line by Line Meaning
Taking nothing but his daddy's old bone-grip knife
He left with nothing but his father's knife, as he made the choice to pursue a life of adventure.
He traded but a little for the wayward life
He made the decision to leave behind his ordinary life and trade it for a more unpredictable journey.
Faint heart never won fair hand
One must be brave enough to take risks in order to achieve what they desire, according to the Rose of England.
So says the Rose of England
This phrase is a recurring theme, a warning that is repeated throughout the song.
From high on a hill came the clarion call to win young men, come one, come all
The Rose of England called upon her countrymen to fight and defend their homeland.
Make muster against the foreign hand
They were to gather together to fight against a foreign invasion.
That's raised to the Rose of England
The foreign hand is a threat to England and the Rose calls those to fight for the countryā€™s safety.
For her feckless boys she did weep and wail
The Rose of England mourns for the young men who lost their lives in the war.
Crying, Lord have mercy where did I fail?
The Rose of England expresses her sorrow and guilt for the loss of her sons, if she had only done something.
Out of my belly and the pick up a gun
The Rose of England wishes she had trained her sons and others herself, prepared them for the battlefield.
And fall for the Rose of England
The young men fall and lose their lives fighting for the country, for the Rose of England.
God knows it's cold outside
The harsh conditions of the battlefield are mentioned here, the weather is freezing.
It's a fire by day and a freeze at night
Conditions during the day and night are extreme and different, they must endure the heat and cold.
I know it's a hell out there
The Rose is aware of the brutal reality of war and how challenging it is for the men fighting.
How loud the mouth when the heart don't care
People speak up, make promises, or give speeches during the war because it's easy to show their support, yet they don't truly care for the soldiers.
He's damned if he don't, he's damned if he do
Whether he decides to fight or not, he is cursed either way.
He'd die if he ever found out we knew
The person singing is aware of something crucial, but revealing it may cause more harm or pain for the others.
Hot potato, drop it and run
This phrase suggests discarding something controversial or sensitive to avoid getting in trouble or punished.
Far from the Rose of England
The repeated refrain continues to suggest leaving and staying away from war, which is also far away from England.
Lyrics Ā© BMG Rights Management
Written by: NICHOLAS ORAIN LOWE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind