The band received some media criticism for Jeff Martin's Jim Morisson-like stage persona in some of its videos and their Led Zeppelin-esq riffs, although he seemed determined to be striving to create his own image and sound. His looks certainly do draw some comparison, however, to The Doors' late front man.
Their sound is hard to categorize as each album possessed different themes and influences. Splendor Solis (1993) was a more acoustic, blues-based record, while Edges of Twilight (1995) was much darker with strong Middle Eastern influences on several tracks. Transmission (1997) saw a dramatic change to a darker, more industrial-tinged sound, and it was distributed in the USA by Atlantic Records. The last three albums by the band featured various efforts to attract a wider commercial audience, with the single "Heaven Coming Down" reaching No.1 on the Canadian mainstream charts in 1999.
In 2000, Capitol Records finally released a retrospective compilation in the USA of their Canadian singles entitled Tangents after only releasing their first two albums south of the border.
The Tea Party released The Interzone Mantras in 2001, but it did not possess the singles of its predecessors.
In October 2005, a year after their final album Seven Circles was released, Jeff Martin left the band and embarked on a solo career, releasing an album in early 2006. Jeff Burrows (drummer) and Stuart Chatwood (bass/synthesiser) have also had post-Tea Party successes, the former in several projects and the latter in soundtrack composition. Burrows and Chatwood worked together on a new project called The Art Decay before Burrows joined Crash Karma in 2008.
On April 12th 2011, an official Facebook page was launched with a biography section that closed with "The band is scheduled to play a select number of dates in 2011. No other info was available at this time." The following day, the local radio station K106.3 announced the Sarnia Bayfest lineup including The Tea Party, which was later confirmed by drummer Jeff Burrows on his radio show on April 13th. Burrows further stated that a Canadian tour was also in the works.
The Tea Party performed at the Cisco Systems Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario on July 14th, 2011, and the band will be playing a Canadian tour commencing on November 15th, 2011 in Vancouver. The band's website and tour is called "THE TEA PARTY - No Politics... Just Rock and Roll". In September 2011, the band was reportedly approached to sell its website URL for over a million dollars by the extremely popular American political movement bearing the same name: www.teaparty.com.
Emerald
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A life without pain
You'd kill for the taste
But the hurt still remains
Still they don't know who you are
Just be still my emerald
Do exactly what you're told
I'll be waiting for you
Ashamed by the threats
You pierce the embrace
Afraid and alone
In a dark lonely place
Did you always want to be
Did they try to steal your soul
Did they hurt you with deceit
Can't you come in from the cold
Be still my emerald
I'll be waiting for you
The Tea Party's Emerald is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks to the struggles of living a life without pain. The central theme revolves around a person who craves a life free from hurt, but even after indulging and killing for the taste of it, the pain still remains. The singer claims "still they don't know who you are," likely referring to the fact that the people around them see only a façade, a mask hiding the true emotional turmoil beneath.
The lyrics are emotionally charged and speak of feelings of loneliness, fear, and vulnerability. The line "ashamed by the threats, you pierce the embrace" hints at a past trauma that the singer is still struggling with, while "Can't you come in from the cold" implies that they are seeking solace and refuge.
The chorus, "just be still my emerald, I'll be waiting for you, do exactly what you're told, I'll be waiting for you," is repeated multiple times, perhaps symbolizing the need for the singer to surrender control and trust someone else to guide them through the pain.
Overall, The Tea Party's Emerald is a compelling and lyrical exploration of the human condition, and the struggle to find emotional safety and security in a world that can feel overwhelming and hostile.
Line by Line Meaning
Confess what you crave
Be honest about what you desire
A life without pain
You wish for a life without suffering
You'd kill for the taste
You will go to any lengths to experience what you desire
But the hurt still remains
However, your pain doesn't go away
Still they don't know who you are
Even though you've revealed a part of yourself, people don't truly know you
Just be still my emerald
Stay quiet, my precious one
I'll be waiting for you
I'll be patient for your arrival
Do exactly what you're told
Follow orders without questioning them
Ashamed by the threats
You're embarrassed by the intimidations you've faced
You pierce the embrace
You resist the hold someone has on you
Afraid and alone
You're scared and isolated
In a dark lonely place
Your current situation is bleak
Did you always want to be
Did you always have a desire to become something
Did they try to steal your soul
Have others tried to rob you of your essence
Did they hurt you with deceit
Have they caused you pain by being dishonest
Can't you come in from the cold
Can't you stop feeling isolated and join us
Be still my emerald
Stay quiet, my precious one
I'll be waiting for you
I'll be patient for your arrival
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFF BURROWS, JEFFREY JOHN BURROWS, JEFFREY SCOTT MARTIN, STUART CHATWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Moon Light
Love this song and love the band .
Jeff Martin is an incredible singer .. and man can he can perform live !!!
WookieX
I will never grow old of this song album or band. fucking love these guys!!!
Marta Mallory
One of the Tea Party's best song's.....love this song!!!!!
handsomebrick
I remember hearing this album the first time, this song finally came up at the very end and just completely blew me away, there's even one song after it but it might as well be a bunch of noise for all it matters.
Nicole G
One of the best Tea Party song's ever !!!
Kristopher Latter
When I first got this album, I always skipped this song (basically this was the point where I'd turn the tape over and rewind).
I've since come to appreciate it so much more. It's one of those songs that really comes alive with headphones on.
It has since become my favorite Tea Party song.
ravenouscolonelhart
I got Transmission when it came out but it took me quite a while to have this as my favourite song from the album. It's kind of like "Coming Home," but the sincerity is even greater since it has to get through the wall of electronic cynicism and rage that makes up Transmission.
Garboskindredspirit
Hauntingly beautiful song.
Robert Chase
Thanks for the upload! Although I still have my copy of the cd, it's way easier just to listen on Youtube anyway, so I appreciate it!
Jenelle Marshall
oh, i have been looking for this for so many years- lost the cd in the throes of life, and im so grateful to have it posted. namaste.