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.
Time & Again
The Bluetones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
The days behind me start rolling into months
Is time running out?
My head feels too heavy
My legs feel too weak
All I can do now is sleep
Everything is empty now, the things I knew are gone
Darkness lays dormant now - a colour once shone
Hope reminds my conscience just to get me through the day
Is this my reward?
And I'm going on journeys
I'm exhausting my muse
I'm taking from everything
To see what I can use
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
Nothing I can do could ever bring those feelings back
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
The days behind me start rolling into months
Is time running out?
And faced with having to
Have and then lose
I'd choose never to have had, yeah
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
I only want to speak to you
I only want to let you know
That time and again my feelings
Never seem to show
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
Time and again [Repeat]
The Bluetones's "Time & Again" is a melancholic song that expresses the singer's feelings of emptiness and loss. The opening lines suggest a deep sense of regret and nostalgia for a time when the person felt alive, happy, and fulfilled. However, the passage of time has taken its toll, leaving the singer feeling drained, bloated, weak, and sleepless, unable to recapture the past or find joy in the present. The imagery of rolling days turning into months and darkness replacing color highlights the passage of time and the gradual loss of vitality and hope. Nevertheless, the singer clings to the idea of hope as a way to cope with the day-to-day challenges, wondering if there is a reward for enduring the present.
The second verse of the song shifts the focus to the creative endeavor of the singer as a way of finding meaning and purpose. The singer describes the act of going on journeys, exhausting the muse, and taking from everything to see what they can use. This portrays the singer as someone who is trying to experiment with new ideas and find inspiration in the mundane, hoping to discover something unique and beautiful. The reference to finding a brand new color that no one had ever seen before, dug up from a garden, suggests the idea of uncovering hidden treasures and seeking beauty in unexpected places. Ultimately, the singer recognizes that the highest reward is discovering something new and original that sparks joy and amazement.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothing I can do could ever bring those feelings back
I am unable to bring back the intense emotions that I used to feel
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
I have consumed everything to a point where I feel drained and exhausted
The days behind me start rolling into months
The past seems to be fading away, and time flies by so quickly
Is time running out?
I feel like there's a ticking clock, and I'm worried that I won't have enough time to do what I want in life
My head feels too heavy
I'm burdened with thoughts and worries that weigh me down
My legs feel too weak
I'm physically and emotionally exhausted to the point where I can't handle much more
All I can do now is sleep
I'm so tired and overwhelmed that all I can do is shut down and rest
Everything is empty now, the things I knew are gone
The things that used to bring me joy and fulfillment have faded away, and I feel lost and empty
Darkness lays dormant now - a colour once shone
The brightness and happiness I once had have disappeared, leaving me in a state of darkness and depression
Hope reminds my conscience just to get me through the day
Even though things are tough, I try to hold onto hope to keep me going, one day at a time
Is this my reward?
I question whether the difficulties I'm facing are a result of my actions, and if this is all that life has to offer me
And I'm going on journeys
I'm exploring new things and taking risks to try and bring excitement back into my life
I'm exhausting my muse
I'm pushing myself to be creative and find inspiration, even if it's draining
I'm taking from everything
I'm drawing from every experience and source of inspiration to try and find something that brings meaning to my life
To see what I can use
I'm experimenting with different things to try and find what works for me and brings me joy
If I found a brand new color
If I discovered something new and exciting that hasn't been seen before
Something no-one had ever seen
A completely original and unique discovery
I dug it up right there in my garden
I found it unexpectedly, perhaps in a place where I never would've looked before
That would be the greatest thing
It would be a huge accomplishment to find something new and exciting that brings joy and hope
And faced with having to
If I were forced to choose
Have and then lose
Experience something wonderful and then lose it
I'd choose never to have had, yeah
I'd rather not experience the pain of losing something if it means I don't have to feel the joy of having it in the first place
I only want to speak to you
I want to share my feelings and connect with someone
I only want to let you know
I want to communicate my inner thoughts and struggles
That time and again my feelings
Despite how I may come across, my emotions and struggles are always present
Never seem to show
I often keep these things hidden, but they are still there
Time and again [Repeat]
This is a recurring pattern in my life, and I continue to struggle with these same issues over time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: EDWARD DANIEL CHESTER, ADAM PATRICK DEVLIN, MARK JAMES MORRISS, SCOTT EDWARD MORRISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffchavarria4219
Nothing I can do could ever bring those feelings back
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
The days behind me start rolling into months
Is time running out?
My head feels too heavy
My legs feel too weak
All I can do now is sleep
Everything is empty now, the things I knew are gone
Darkness lays dormant now - a colour once shone
Hope reminds my conscience just to get me through the day
Is this my reward?
And I'm going on journeys
I'm exhausting my muse
I'm taking from everything
To see what I can use
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
Nothing I can do could ever bring those feelings back
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
The days behind me start rolling into months
Is time running out?
And faced with having to
Have and then lose
I'd choose never to have had, yeah
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
I only want to speak to you
I only want to let you know
That time and again my feelings
Never seem to show
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
@neilhodge9221
An amazing album,song,band
@jeffchavarria4219
Nothing I can do could ever bring those feelings back
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
The days behind me start rolling into months
Is time running out?
My head feels too heavy
My legs feel too weak
All I can do now is sleep
Everything is empty now, the things I knew are gone
Darkness lays dormant now - a colour once shone
Hope reminds my conscience just to get me through the day
Is this my reward?
And I'm going on journeys
I'm exhausting my muse
I'm taking from everything
To see what I can use
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
Nothing I can do could ever bring those feelings back
I've taken everything - my body is a bloated sack
The days behind me start rolling into months
Is time running out?
And faced with having to
Have and then lose
I'd choose never to have had, yeah
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
I only want to speak to you
I only want to let you know
That time and again my feelings
Never seem to show
If I found a brand new color
Something no-one had ever seen
I dug it up right there in my garden
That would be the greatest thing
@kieranaherne2677
I have just listened to this whole album now I love the bluetones
@thesound-chameleonman3580
Very good album from the 90's.
@rupturedspleenboy
What a tune. it brings me back
@DelSevenNine
Takes me back, yet takes me forward at the same time....
@Sarah.Riedel
I was sooooooo into this album in high school omg
@williamgroves6185
If I found a brand new colour something no one else had seen dug it up right there in my garden......brilliant
@markoneill1146
The bluetones are quality
@doodleplop800
Can't believe it's only got 586 views :-(