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.
Leaving This Island
The Pastels Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and in the evening you'll believe
no more cramping in your style
no more dampening your smile
Oh her house is homemade
but she's leaving this island
oh, will you row
will you go?
Over the roadless land
your world curves towards me
you came sailing across
not relaying your loss
Oh I've waited so long
my childish writing
is stil there after all
east house to Norway
aeroplane through the rain
Oh her house is homemade
but she's leaving this island
oh, will you row
or with a sail and a wind
will you go?
The Pastels' song Leaving This Island is a poignant and reflective piece about the act of leaving a place you've called home. In the chorus, the lyrics speak of a woman who is leaving her homemade house on the island - a symbol of her ties and roots to the place. The lyrics hint that leaving will bring a sense of freedom and a release from the constraints it had on her life, such as "no more cramping in your style" and "no more dampening your smile."
The song also touches on the sense of distance that comes with leaving a particular place. The verses describe the physical distance between the two people and the "roadless land" that separates them. Despite the distance, the singer in the song has waited a long time for this moment and still feels a connection to the person leaving. The image of "childish writing" remaining "after all" speaks to the lingering memories that remain after we leave a place we once called home.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning you will breathe
You will wake up and take in the air around you with each breath you take
and in the evening you'll believe
As the sun sets, you will finally accept the reality of your situation
no more cramping in your style
You won't have to restrict yourself or hide who you really are anymore
no more dampening your smile
You won't have to put on a fake smile or pretend to be happy
Oh her house is homemade
The place where she lives was built by her own hands
but she's leaving this island
Despite her attachment to her home, she has decided to leave it behind
oh, will you row
Will you use oars to propel your boat forward?
or with a sail and a wind
Or will you let the wind carry you along with a sail?
will you go?
Are you ready to embark on your journey?
Over the roadless land
You'll be travelling through an area where there are no clear paths or roads
your world curves towards me
You are heading towards a place where the singer is located
you came sailing across
You travelled by boat to get to your destination
not relaying your loss
You didn't share your struggles or hardships with those around you
Oh I've waited so long
The singer has been anticipating your arrival for a significant amount of time
my childish writing
The writing style of the singer is simplistic and playful
is still there after all
The artist's writing has remained unchanged despite the passage of time
east house to Norway
The artist is describing a journey from east to Norway
aeroplane through the rain
The singer travelled by airplane during a rainy period
Contributed by Michael J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Marshall Albritton
Was watching Nirvana, saw The Meat Puppets, then The Vaselines, then this. And all I have to say is, this is truly good music. Not as heavy as Nirvana or Meat Puppets, but man, this is awesome stuff. Note to self: Buy a The Pastels Album
adrian hook
Oh my gosh this was my favorite song back in the day.
cominginsecond
Its not that out of tune. It adds to the song's charm.
niideotico eric
que paz transmite esta rola ♪ escuchando vaselines llege a ellos, zarpado en enjoy it ..
Amanda Laggan
I want to leave this island, too.
JC Marin
great band!
Eric Sandoval
Cutest song I've ever heard.
Kyriakos
i really like this girl tha i just contiously see her randomly somewhere i go ,what do i say to her? dont know why im asking here just the song reminded me of her love this song....
coryeet
Toshiro Slimane I like to hope that they are married now
Garras Slimane
Yo, did you end up doing something about it?