Classed as a Britpop band, given that their appearance and initial huge success with songs such as Slight Return coincided synchronously with the Britpop explosion, their debut record Expecting To Fly appeared in 1996.
As time has gone by, the band have actually become a more conventional 'indie' band - whilst notching up hits such as Marblehead Johnson, If... and Keep the Home Fires Burning they have struggled to replicate the success of their debut. After seven singles reaching the UK Top 20 in total, they are now well out of the public eye, but unlike almost all of the fellow 'Britpop' bands, they continue to release new material and tour.
Following two further albums on major, A&M/Universal (1998's Return to the Last Chance Saloon and 2000's Science & Nature), they signed to the big indie, Cooking Vinyl in 2003 for Luxembourg and 2006's The Bluetones.
Vocalist Mark Morriss released a solo EP under the alias Fi-Lo Beddow in 2006, which eventually bloomed into a full solo record under his real name. Memory Muscle was released in June 2008, and received a surprising amount of critical acclaim, given the music press' frosty attitude to Bluetones material. It included new versions of the songs which made up the Fi-Lo Beddow EP, and featured strings arrnaged by film score composer David Arnold.
The band released their final album, A New Athens, in 2010, and completed their farewell tour in September 2011.
It was announced on 13 April 2015 that the band was reforming for a tour and have subsequently toured on further occasions, including a headline slot on the 2017 Star Shaped Festival tour.
Things Change
The Bluetones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When your hands are tied and your bridges burned?
When will you get to see that your only option lies with me?
Must you be kicked right down, ripped from limb
Taught to drown, but told to swim
The way to be, the way to act is
Not to preach what you practice
Things change, but a part of its present formula remains
Things needn't be so if you let me through
Things needn't be so if you let me through
It must be true, he said I found you
The lyrics to The Bluetones's song "Things Change" convey a message of encouragement to someone who feels stuck or trapped, unable to learn from their mistakes due to their circumstances. The opening lines, "How will you ever learn, when your hands are tied and your bridges burned?" suggest that the person is facing some kind of obstacle or setback that is preventing them from moving forward. Despite this, the song urges the person to consider that "your only option lies with me," possibly referring to the singer or perhaps a higher power or force in general.
The theme of being held back, both by external circumstances and one's own actions, continues as the song progresses. The lines "Taught to drown, but told to swim" suggest a sense of confusion or conflicting expectations, where the person is being forced to navigate difficult and contradictory situations, possibly in a way that is detrimental to their own wellbeing. However, the song suggests that there is another way, urging the person to "Not to preach what you practice" and to embrace change instead.
Ultimately, "Things Change" is a deeply empathetic and supportive song that encourages listeners to consider that no matter how difficult their circumstances may be, there is always a way forward. By letting go of old patterns and beliefs, and embracing new opportunities and perspectives, we can all find a path towards growth and renewal.
Line by Line Meaning
How will you ever learn,
You are faced with a difficulty, and you do not know how to overcome it.
When your hands are tied and your bridges burned?
You are in a situation where you have no options and no support.
When will you get to see that your only option lies with me?
You have not yet realized that I am the only one who can help you.
Must you be kicked right down, ripped from limb?
You have been through hardships and suffered great pain.
Taught to drown, but told to swim.
You have been told to do the impossible and are struggling to keep afloat.
The way to be, the way to act is, Not to preach what you practice.
You should not pretend to be something you are not, or preach something you do not practice.
Things change, but a part of its present formula remains.
Even though things change, there is still some element of familiarity or continuity.
Things needn't be so if you let me through.
Things can be better if you allow me to help you.
Things needn't be so if you let me through.
Things can be better if you allow me to help you.
Things needn't be so if you let me through.
Things can be better if you allow me to help you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: EDWARD DANIEL CHESTER, ADAM PATRICK DEVLIN, MARK JAMES MORRISS, SCOTT EDWARD MORRISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@roberthavercroft3340
This album is one of the best of the 90s and this song is one of its best.
@StrangeAttractor
I was travelling solo in Japan circa 2010, way up in the mountains on a lake plateau with a couple of guesthouses on the fringes. It was a beautiful early summer's day, I sat on a boulder by the lakeside and put my headphones in and hit shuffle. This song came on as I was tripping out on the light shining on the water, then coming down the road I see this cool looking Japanese guy with a guitar slung over his back. He waved hello, I waved back, we spent the afternoon singing all the British classics he knew. Things change, but a pattern is present, the formula remains...
@sriwilai
This song popped into my head today for the first time in years..
@jameswhittingham8027
And me.
@seanmcgrath9167
today was my day for the pop too
@gutworm45
Haven't heard this in a long time, absolutely love this track. Brings back memories of when I was a kid :D
@iluvmorrissey
Gr8 album cover
@massivemig
Thank´s for the Pavão
@gavinlinehan7536
One of all my all-time favourite songs
@gavinlinehan7536
Incredible album