The band was formed by singer and guitarist Brian Briggs, multi-instrumentalists Jon Ouin and Oli Steadman, and the latter's brother Rob Steadman on drums. The band was often joined by trumpeter Adam Briggs and violinist Rahul Satija. Named after the Hebridean town on the Isle of Lewis, which appears on all UK televised weather reports and shipping forecasts, the group incorporates string instruments and keyboards, supported by a typical pop backline of guitar, drums, and bass guitar. The band is signed to the British independent record label 4AD.
Stornoway's first radio play came in March 2006 with a demo version of "I Saw You Blink" on BBC Oxford Introducing. One of the band's first high-profile live appearances was at Radio 1's Big Weekend in 2009, held in Lydiard Park, Swindon. Stornoway self-released their first single "Zorbing" in July 2009, playing at a number of UK summer festivals including six sets at Glastonbury Festival 2009.
The band signed to the independent record label, 4AD, and on 22 March 2010, they released their third single, "I Saw You Blink". They released their debut album Beachcomber's Windowsill on 24 May 2010.
On 19 November 2012 Stornoway announced the release of their second studio album, Tales from Terra Firma, which was released on 11 March 2013, after spending most of 2012 recording the album. The album's first and lead single, "Knock Me on the Head", premiered on 1 January 2013 and was released alongside the album on 11 March 2013.
In June 2014, Stornoway announced the upcoming release of their third album, Bonxie.
In October 2016 the band announced that they would be splitting up after a farewell tour during spring 2017. They played their final show on 12 March 2017. A live recording of the final show of that tour was later released as, The Farewell Show Live at New Theatre, Oxford
In 2022, the band reformed for a one-off set of gigs (including the Truck Festival in Oxfordshire and WOMAD Charlton Park in July 2022) and the set of gigs is continuing in 2023 (including a gig with Fyfe Dangerfield in London in April 2023, and the Cambridge Folk Festival in July 2023).
They announced in April 2023, via their Instagram and other channels that they had reformed to record an album called Dig the Mountain!. The release date was 8 September, with a UK tour for the album in the Autumn of that year. Original drummer, Rob Steadman is not part of this reformation.
Josephine
Stornoway Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through your open window, Josephine
Over your horizon, Josephine
The sun willl soon be climbing, Josephine
And it's now or never, Josephine, my love
Now or never for me
Do we drown here together, Josephine?
Throw me down your hair now, Josephine
There's footsteps on the stair now, Josephine
No need to be afraid now, Josephine
There's nothing in our way now, Josephine
And it's now or never, Josephine, my love
Now or never for me
Do we drown here together, Josephine?
Or do we dream forever?
Throw me down your hair now, Josephine
There's nothing in our way now, Josephine
In Stornoway's song "Joséphine," the lyrics are written in the perspective of someone speaking to a woman named Joséphine. The song starts with a series of questions that the singer is asking her regarding where his dreams go, suggesting that Joséphine has the power to make his dreams come true. The singer then asks her to throw down her hair, indicating a desire to climb up to her window, just like in the fairy tale of Rapunzel. Nevertheless, there is a sense of urgency in the lyrics as the singer is conscious that it is now or never for their love to flourish. This urgency is reinforced by the refrain "now or never, Joséphine, my love."
Despite the sense of urgency, the lyrics also reveal that there is nothing in their way, suggesting that whatever obstacle or barrier they faced before has been removed. The final question posed by the singer is whether they will "drown here together" or "dream forever," conveying a sense of uncertainty about their future together.
One interpretation of this song is that it speaks about the fleeting nature of love and the importance of seizing the moment to pursue what one desires. The singer is aware that love can be transitory, and that he needs to act fast before his opportunity is lost. The reference to Rapunzel's hair and climbing up to her window also suggests that finding true love can be a challenging and daunting task, but it is still worth pursuing.
Line by Line Meaning
Where do all my dreams go, Josephine?
Asking Josephine where his dreams go
Through your open window, Josephine
He imagines his dreams going through Josephine's open window
Over your horizon, Josephine
His dreams go beyond Josephine's horizon
The sun willl soon be climbing, Josephine
The sun is soon going to rise, bringing new hope
And it's now or never, Josephine, my love
He realizes that it's either now or never for him and his love for Josephine
Now or never for me
He is willing to take a risk now for his love
Do we drown here together, Josephine?
Asking if they are going to sink together, or survive together
Or do we dream forever?
Wondering if they should give up on reality and just dream forever
Throw me down your hair now, Josephine
Asking Josephine to let down her hair so he can come up to her
There's footsteps on the stair now, Josephine
Realizing that someone is coming up the stairs, implying that they are in a secret place
No need to be afraid now, Josephine
Telling Josephine not to be scared because they have nothing to hide
There's nothing in our way now, Josephine
There are no obstacles in the way of their love now
And it's now or never, Josephine, my love
Repeating the realization that it's now or never for their love
Now or never for me
Reiterating that he is willing to take a risk for their love
Do we drown here together, Josephine?
Asking once again if they are going to sink or swim together
Or do we dream forever?
Continuing to wonder if they should give up on their current reality and just dream forever
Throw me down your hair now, Josephine
Repeating the request to let down her hair so he can come up to her
There's nothing in our way now, Josephine
Continuing to emphasize that there are no obstacles in their way
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BRIAN DAVID JAMES BRIGGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@imwiththeband005
Yay for new Stornoway sounds!
@josephinefender2244
It's a great song, and a great name :-)
@crayonsneverlie
Wow, Love song tool.... Hope you guys get to come to the west coast USA., would love to hear you in person.
@willrichardson519
DoJo C. I managed it twice. Took my daughter to see them in Leamington Spa then my daughter returned the favour getting tickets to see their farewell homecoming concert last year. 😊
@ylcn77ylcn
VERY NİCE GREAT
@cyndibarker6233
Beautiful song!
@badaikonfassaramafarkiba7158
amo demais o trabalhos desses caras ai ^^
me acalma e me inspira... obrigado mesmo ^^
por ajuda minha audição kk