Ambition was never the Pastels' strong suit, and luck was rarely on their side; as the group's members -- now including bassist Martin Hayward and drummer Bernice Simpson -- devoted their primary focus to their studies, new music appeared only sporadically and to little notice, on a seemingly random series of labels. After 1983's "I Wonder Why" was released on Rough Trade, they moved to Creation, where they hit their stride with the 1984 drone-pop gems "Something's Going On" and "A Million Tears." After one further single, 1985's "I'm Alright with You," the Pastels split with Creation, moving to the tiny Glass label. In 1986, their track "Breaking Lines" appeared on the influential C-86 collection assembled by the New Music Express, transforming the anorak movement into an overnight media sensation quickly accompanied by intense critical backlash.
Regardless of prevailing musical trends, however, the Pastels soldiered on: after recruiting one-time Shop Assistants keyboardist Aggi Wright, they recorded the 1986 single "Truck Train Tractor," followed by Crawl Babies and Comin' Through. Finally, in 1987 the group found time to assemble an LP, Up for a Bit with the Pastels, followed in 1988 by Suck on the Pastels, a collection of unreleased Creation-era material. In 1989, former Vaselines frontman Eugene Kelly and ex-Shop Assistant David Keegan joined the fold for Sittin' Pretty, the final LP to include Superstar, Hayward, and Simpson. The remaining duo of Pastel and Wright expanded to include Katrina Mitchell for the 1991 collaboration Jad Fair and the Pastels, followed by the 1994 EP Olympic World of Pastelism. Their third album, Mobile Safari, was released in 1995 by Domino in the U.K. (which began a long-running alliance) and Up Records in the U.S. It featured a lineup including longtime band associates Norman Blake and Gerald Love (both from Teenage Fanclub) and ex-Shop Assistant guitarist David Keegan, and a guest appearance from Luna's Dean Wareham.
Their next album, 1997's Illumination, was issued by the same configuration of record labels and featured a similar lineup, only with the addition of guitarist Jonathan Kilgour and guest shots from Belle & Sebastian's Isobel Campbell and pianist Bill Wells. A remix album, Illuminati, was released in 1998 and featured reworks of tracks by Kevin Shields, Stereolab, Cornelius, and other A-list indie rockers. This burst of recognition and activity was derailed when Wright decided to leave the band in 1998, throwing Mitchell and Pastel into a spin. Instead of jumping back into making music right away, the band went on hiatus while figuring things out. The duo next formed Geographic Records in 2000 as an offshoot of Domino, and began releasing records by friends (Future Pilot AKA, International Airport) and obscure acts (Nagisa Ni Te, Maher Shalal Hash Baz.) The band reappeared at last in 2003 with the mostly instrumental soundtrack for the film The Last Great Wilderness. The album was produced by the Sea and Cake's John McEntire and featured International Airport's Tom Crossley along with a vocal feature for Jarvis Cocker. A friendship with Japanese band Tenniscoats led to their next release, 2009's collaborative effort Two Sunsets. The core band was expanded to include Crossley and Mitchell's sister Alison, with Love still there, too. With the record label slowing its pace and releasing one album a year, the band turned toward recording an album of their own, and in 2013 their fifth record, Slow Summits, was released. McEntire was again in the producer's chair and guitarist John Hogarty had joined the ranks. Also on board as guests were To Rococo Rot's Stefan Schneider and Robert Lippok, as well as Norman Blake (again), and original bandmember Annabel Wright. (c)Jason Ankeny
2) An American 50s pop group formed by Dee Irwin while he was serving in the military. Consisted of DiFosco "Dee" T. Ervin Jr. himself, Richard Travis, Tony Thomas and Jimmy Willingham. They toured widely until splitting up in 1959.
Boats
The Pastels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Row
Row
Row
Row
Rowing my boat
Walking pass waves
I feel like, I'm walking on water
I got a son
I want me a wife
Before thinking about having my daughter
Yeah
Wanna move smarter
Been working harder
My son looks at me like a mirror
Got responsibilities
People I need is needing me
Foundations I'm building with boards that started from cracks
Will hold up a heaven seat
Jesus had nothing, but everything
Row
Row
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Slow
Row
Rowing my boat
Women I've loved off of lust
It got me a nut but never did shit for my heart
Can't call em and tell them
I'm sorry cuz we grew apart
Row
Can't love with a wall
Can't love in dark
Can't love with assuming that one day it's falling apart
Energy goes in ways of intent
So hopefully mine is still pure
Row
Row
I don't know what I want
I'm indecisive
I got my vices
Slave to the prices
Run it up
Row
On the outer, I'm looking like peace
But inside I know I'm in crisis
Society haunts me
I try my best to disconnect
I try my best to be sensitive about all the images flooding me on the net
It's hard to get pass it
Playing in tactics
Just to get profit
Exploiting the madness
All for a status
Something that's worth only plastic
Nothing
I've been apart
I'm still apart
The struggle that made me
I've played part
Still playing part
In these struggling phases
Row
Row
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Slow
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
I'm changing my life with these stories
I have
That I put in these songs
It is my therapy
Giving my inner me
Spaces to be, so he don't feel alone
Knowing that sleeping on couches and floors
Isn't the end
But it's temporary
Least I'm alive
Not the cemetery
The highs and the lows
Are so necessary
While I,
Row
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Slow
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Row
Row
Rowing my boat
Row
Row
Row
Rowing my boat
These days go by so fast
These days go by so fast
These days go by so fast
These days go by so fast
These days go by so fast
These days go by
So
The song "Boats" by The Pastels And Tenniscoats talks about the struggles of life and the importance of facing them head-on. The lyrics talk about the singer rowing his boat through life's challenges and trying to make the best decisions for himself and his family. The song talks about the singer's desire for a wife and a daughter, but he wants to make sure that he's moving smarter and working harder before he enters into that phase of his life. The lyrics also talk about the singer's responsibilities and how he's building a strong foundation for his loved ones, just like how Jesus built himself up from nothing.
The song also delves into the singer's personal life, particularly his romantic relationships. He talks about how he can't love with walls or assumptions and that lust has only brought him temporary satisfaction. He wants to love with his whole heart without any barriers. The singer also talks about feeling haunted by societal pressures and the images that flood him on the internet. He wants to disconnect from all of that and be sensitive about the impact that these images may have on his mental health.
One of the main themes of the song is resilience - the singer talks about how he's changing his life with his stories and how his struggles have made him who he is today. He acknowledges that the highs and lows are necessary and that he's grateful to be alive. The song ends with the repetition of the line "These days go by so fast," which suggests that the singer wants to make the most of the time he has and seize every opportunity thrown his way.
Line by Line Meaning
Row
Continuously paddling my boat
Rowing my boat
Concentrating on moving forward in life
Walking pass waves
Feeling invincible like I'm walking on water
I got a son
I'm a father with responsibilities
I want me a wife
Looking for someone to share my life with
Before thinking about having my daughter
Realizing the magnitude of parenthood & wanting to be prepared
Wanna move smarter
Trying to make better choices in life
Been working harder
Putting in effort to make progress
My son looks at me like a mirror
My child is learning from & watching my actions
Got responsibilities
I have grown-up responsibilities especially towards my child
People I need is needing me
People I depend on, depend on me
Foundations I'm building with boards that started from cracks
Slowly building my life through hard work & perseverance
Will hold up a heaven seat
My efforts will pay off in a positive outcome for my future
Jesus had nothing, but everything
The concept of having everything you need in simplicity & faith in God
Women I've loved off of lust
Past lovers whom I had sexual attraction towards
It got me a nut but never did shit for my heart
Sexual satisfaction is temporary, it doesn't fix emotional problems
Can't call em and tell them I'm sorry cuz we grew apart
Reflecting on past relationships that didn't work out
Can't love with a wall
You cannot build a healthy relationship with barriers
Can't love in dark
Love needs to be nurtured & can only grow in a positive environment
Can't love with assuming that one day it's falling apart
Not assuming the relationship will fail without giving it a chance
Energy goes in ways of intent
Your mindset affects the outcome
So hopefully mine is still pure
Wishing to maintain good intentions & positivity
I don't know what I want
Lack of clarity in my life
I'm indecisive
Having a hard time making decisions
I got my vices
Struggling with certain bad habits
Slave to the prices
Feeling dominated by materialism & consumerism
Run it up
Making money quickly
On the outer, I'm looking like peace
Appearances can be deceiving
But inside I know I'm in crisis
Dealing with internal turmoil
Society haunts me
Struggling with societal pressures
I try my best to disconnect
Trying to detach from negative influences
I try my best to be sensitive about all the images flooding me on the net
Being mindful of the negative media influence
It's hard to get pass it
It's difficult to avoid negative influences entirely
Playing in tactics
Trying to exploit something for personal gain
Just to get profit
Striving for financial gain
Exploiting the madness
Taking advantage of negative situations
All for a status
For the sake of social status
Something that's worth only plastic
Giving importance to things that are not important
Nothing
Realizing that the pursuit of materialism leads to nothing significant
I've been apart
Going through struggles
I'm still apart
Still facing hardships
The struggle that made me
The difficulties I faced shaped who I am
I've played part
I have a part to play in my life
Still playing part
Continuing to work towards my goals
In these struggling phases
During the challenging times
These days go by so fast
Time seems to pass quickly
These days go by
Reflecting on the passage of time
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Joseph Williams
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind