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.
Empty Glass
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fall to earth too fast
I see the empty glass
Where do we belong
Tell me major tom
Because nothing's making sense
I listen and lament
For golden years that pass like thunder
And soldier on through time
This empty glass is mine
Where do we belong
Could you help us major tom
Because nothing's making sense
I listen and lament
A starman will come
When diamond dogs run
We need ground control
We're losing our souls
A starman will come
When diamond dogs run
We need ground control
We're losing our souls
We're losing our souls
We're losing our souls
We're losing our souls
The Tea Party's song Empty Glass could possibly be interpreted in a few different ways, but the overall feeling of the song is one of longing and searching for something more. The first stanza speaks of premonitions that shine like stars, but fall too fast, leaving the singer with an empty glass. This could be a metaphor for missed opportunities or unfulfilled dreams. The singer then asks where they belong and references Major Tom, a character from David Bowie's song Space Oddity. This could represent a feeling of being lost and searching for direction.
The following stanza speaks of the passing of time and how the singer soldiers on through it, but is left with an empty glass. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes the desperation and helplessness of the situation. The final stanza references Starman and Diamond Dogs, two more David Bowie songs, and speaks of needing ground control because the singer and those around them are losing their souls. This could be interpreted as a cry for help or a realization that something needs to change.
Overall, the song Empty Glass seems to be about feeling lost and searching for something more in life. The references to David Bowie's music help to paint a picture of a world where everything is changing and moving too fast, leaving the singer feeling empty and longing for something more.
Line by Line Meaning
These premonitions shine like stars that
The singer is having intense visions that feel profound and fleeting, like shooting stars.
Fall to earth too fast
The singer laments that these profound visions are too fleeting and brief, much like shooting stars that burn out before you can really appreciate them.
I see the empty glass
Even as the singer has these profound visions, they feel like something is missing, represented by the empty glass. They feel incomplete or unfulfilled.
Where do we belong
The artist is questioning their place in the world and seeking some kind of guidance or direction.
Tell me major tom
The artist is invoking the character Major Tom, a symbol of cosmic understanding and exploration, hoping to find some guidance and meaning in the vast universe.
Because nothing's making sense
The singer feels lost and disoriented, unable to find any meaning or purpose to their existence.
I listen and lament
The singer is grieving and mourning for a sense of understanding or meaning that seems to elude them.
For golden years that pass like thunder
The artist is lamenting the fleeting nature of time and how quickly it seems to pass by, represented by golden years passing like a thunderclap.
And soldier on through time
Despite the overwhelming feeling of being lost and adrift, the artist resolves to keep going and persevere through the challenges of time and existence.
This empty glass is mine
The artist is acknowledging the sense of emptiness they feel as their own personal burden, something they must carry alone.
A starman will come
The singer has hope that someone, represented by the character of a 'starman,' will come with answers and guidance.
When diamond dogs run
The artist invokes another symbol from popular culture, the Diamond Dogs, to indicate that the world is in chaos and upheaval and in need of someone to restore balance.
We need ground control
The singer is suggesting that society needs some kind of authority or guidance to help regulate and manage the chaos and confusion of the world.
We're losing our souls
The singer feels that society as a whole is losing sight of its moral and spiritual compass, and is in danger of losing its collective soul.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFFREY JOHN BURROWS, JEFFREY SCOTT MARTIN, STUART CHATWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind