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 shouting end of life
Oysterband Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But they all die with their boots on at the shouting end of life
Roll me out a barrel, I'll toast you to your knees
Take away this safety net, bring me my trapeze
Order me a stretcher, for midnight if you please
Give me sweet music and strife
Gunpowder, whisky or the two-tone Chinese pox
But I'm not going quietly, I do not feel the call
I want to stay at the shouting end
So honey, let's not go at all
CHORUS
I will not go
As long as the room keeps swaying to and fro
As long as the band can play
Here is where I'm gonna stay
I'm gonna stay at the shouting end
The shouting end of life
Tea-time with the vultures, drinking with the press
Never trust a vulture that wants you to confess
Me, whose only problem is an excess of excess
They might as well hand you the knife
Gunpowder, whisky, falling off the wire
Anything could put me in that ever-after choir
Hacks that want to see me shuffle off the shelf
I hand them each a bottle, I say:
Go fuck yourself
CHORUS x2
The lyrics to Oysterband's song "The Shouting End of Life" reflect the idea of embracing life to the fullest and going out with a bang. The opening lines, "Some died in ecstasy, some died in poverty, but they all die with their boots on at the shouting end of life," indicate that regardless of one's status or circumstance, death is an inevitable and unavoidable end. The phrase "shouting end of life" suggests that we should not simply accept death quietly, but rather live life with passion and intensity until the very end.
The next several lines highlight the singer's desire to experience life to the fullest, even risking his own safety and well-being in the process. The lines "Roll me out a barrel, I'll toast you to your knees / Take away this safety net, bring me my trapeze" demonstrate the singer's willingness to take risks and live on the edge. The lyrics also feature a defiant attitude towards death, with lines like "But I'm not going quietly, I do not feel the call" and "Gunpowder, whisky or the two-tone Chinese pox / But I'm not going quietly, I do not feel the call" emphasizing the idea of not giving in to death without a fight.
Overall, the lyrics to "The Shouting End of Life" encourage listeners to live life to the fullest and embrace every moment, even in the face of death.
Line by Line Meaning
Some died in ecstasy, some died in poverty,
Regardless of their circumstances, everyone meets their end at the same shouting end of life.
But they all die with their boots on at the shouting end of life
No one leaves this life quietly, they all go out fighting, with their proverbial boots on.
Roll me out a barrel, I'll toast you to your knees
I'll drink with you to the point where we both can't stand anymore, and I'll enjoy every minute of it.
Take away this safety net, bring me my trapeze
I don't want any safety nets or easy ways out, bring me my trapeze and let me take risks.
Order me a stretcher, for midnight if you please
I'll keep going until the very end, but if I need a stretcher, make sure it's ready at midnight.
Give me sweet music and strife
I want the sweet sounds of music to accompany me through all the struggles and difficulties of life.
Anything could put me in that long black wooden box
Anything could be the cause of my death, but I don't fear it.
Gunpowder, whisky or the two-tone Chinese pox
These are just a few examples of things that could cause my death.
But I'm not going quietly, I do not feel the call
I don't feel the pull of death, and I won't go quietly when it comes.
I want to stay at the shouting end
I want to remain lively until the very end, and not go out with a whimper.
So honey, let's not go at all
Let's not let death take us, let's keep living life to the fullest.
Tea-time with the vultures, drinking with the press
I'll share a drink with anyone, even if they're preying on me like vultures or trying to exploit me like the press.
Never trust a vulture that wants you to confess
I won't let anyone manipulate me into confessing my secrets or sins.
Me, whose only problem is an excess of excess
My only problem is having so much excess in my life that I'm constantly searching for new experiences and challenges.
They might as well hand you the knife
I won't let anyone else be the cause of my downfall, I'll take control of my own destiny.
Gunpowder, whisky, falling off the wire
These are just a few examples of things that could cause my death, but I won't let them stop me from living life on the edge.
Hacks that want to see me shuffle off the shelf
I won't let anyone else dictate my value or worth in life, especially those who only want to see me fail.
I hand them each a bottle, I say: Go fuck yourself
I won't tolerate anyone trying to bring me down, and I won't hesitate to tell them to go away and leave me alone.
I will not go
I won't let death take me without a fight, I'll keep living until the very end.
As long as the room keeps swaying to and fro
I'll keep dancing and enjoying life as long as I'm able to.
As long as the band can play
I'll keep experiencing the music of life and all its joys and sorrows.
Here is where I'm gonna stay
I'll keep living life to the fullest, right here in the midst of all its chaos and beauty.
I'm gonna stay at the shouting end
I won't go quietly, but instead will stay at the lively end of life until the very end.
The shouting end of life
This is where I want to be, at the lively, vibrant end of life where the music never stops and the party never ends.
Contributed by Elizabeth N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.