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/
Too Late Now
Oysterband Lyrics
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you tell her: Darling, this is a happy man's estate
stop and frown now like a good dog bit your hand
all these years and you still don't understand
that it's too late now
for English Roses / for your sunset shires / to chase the milkmaids /
to play the squire / for second chances / for a change of heart
you won't be needed when this whole thing falls apart
ride by the river, blaze away across the moors
you tell the bright young men: All this can be yours
a weekend in the country, you can live out on the land
all these years and you still don't understand
that it's too late now
for boyhood heroes / for your sunset shires / for tunes of glory /
to play the squire / for second chances / for a change of heart
you won't be needed when this whole thing falls apart
it's time to go
can you feel the cold wind blow?
you bought up the props for a world that never was
now there's holes in the scenery and less and less applause
we are all ungrateful peasants, like a dog that bit your hand
all these years and you still don't understand
that it's too late now
for grace and favour / for sunset shires / for your faithful servants /
to play the squire / for second chances / for a change of heart
we'll all die laughing when this whole thing falls apart
it's too late now
The lyrics to "Too Late Now" by Oysterband describe an individual who has been living in a world of delusion and past glory. The song starts with a description of an estate that is a "nice bit of heritage with an electric gate." The singer tells his partner that they are happy and that they have achieved everything they wanted. However, his partner isn't happy and frowns like a dog that has been bitten. The singer goes on to say that his partner doesn't understand that it's too late to chase after fantasies of English Roses, sunset shires, playing the squire, or even chasing after milkmaids. The singer tries to convince his partner to go out and ride along the river, blaze across the moors, and tell the bright young men that all this can be theirs. He tries to make them understand that it's too late to chase after boyhood heroes and past glories.
As the song progresses, we see the fallacy of living in the past. The singer reveals that the world they've created was just a world of props that never existed. Now there are holes in the scenery, and fewer people are interested in their performance. The singer refers to himself and his partner as "ungrateful peasants" who have bitten the hand that feeds them. The song ends with the singer saying that it's too late for grace and favor or any second chances.
The song is a commentary on people who live in the past and cannot come to terms with the present. The singer is urging his partner to awaken from their delusion and join the world. The song highlights how living in the past can lead to regrets and missed opportunities in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
well it's a nice bit of heritage with an electric gate
The singer acknowledges the luxurious setting they find themselves in.
you tell her: Darling, this is a happy man's estate
The singer shares the grandiosity of their surroundings with their significant other.
stop and frown now like a good dog bit your hand
The singer's companion becomes upset at the singer, behaving like a well-trained dog that bit its owner.
all these years and you still don't understand
The artist has tried to explain something multiple times over the course of many years, but their companion still cannot comprehend the message.
that it's too late now
The artist concludes that their message cannot be fully understood at this point because the opportunity for understanding has passed.
for English Roses / for your sunset shires / to chase the milkmaids / to play the squire / for second chances / for a change of heart
The singer enumerates various things that can no longer be done or achieved, implying that these things were once possible but are no longer.
you won't be needed when this whole thing falls apart
The singer claims that their companion will no longer be useful when the current situation deteriorates.
it's time to go
The artist urges their companion to leave now that things have reached their inevitable end.
ride by the river, blaze away across the moors
The artist describes going on a journey through different types of English landscapes.
you tell the bright young men: All this can be yours
The artist is trying to convince young people that they can obtain what the artist has, using the same techniques that the artist employed.
a weekend in the country, you can live out on the land
The singer presents a romanticized version of rural life that young people would find appealing.
we are all ungrateful peasants, like a dog that bit your hand
The artist characterizes everyone as surly and difficult to work with, using the image of a dog biting its owner.
that it's too late now
The singer emphasizes that it's too late to change the current situation, which is now beyond redemption.
for grace and favour / for sunset shires / for your faithful servants / to play the squire / for second chances / for a change of heart
The singer reiterates the things that can no longer be done or achieved, stating that it's too late for them.
we'll all die laughing when this whole thing falls apart
The singer predicts that people will find the situation amusing when everything comes crashing down.
can you feel the cold wind blow?
The artist asks their companion if they can sense the negative changes that are happening.
Contributed by Ruby B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.