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.
Psychopomp
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So sad to see
The sweet decay
Of ecstasy
And you want it all
A frozen sun
As shadows hide
The deep despair
I'll give you something more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away
So sleep tonight
In idle dreams
The pain will drown
Your silent screams
And you want it all
I'll give you something more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away
Lives you once adored
Will fade away
Lies you can't ignore
You soon repay
As you fade away
The Tea Party's song "Psychopomp" portrays a powerful narrative about a person who is seeking the end of their pain and is willing to pursue it through any means, including self-destruction. The first verse starts with the idea that someone desires the chaos and destruction around them. They are willing to accept the consequences of their actions as they watch the things they once adored begin to fade away. The second verse carries on this idea and describes a frozen sun guiding them to a place where shadows conceal the deep despair they feel.
The chorus of "Psychopomp" speaks directly to what the person seeking self-destruction desires. They want it all and are willing to do anything to find what they're looking for. The person singing the song offers them something more, which is a way out, even if that way means they will ultimately fade away. The final verse then describes the cycle of what happens to those who seek the end of their pain. They will sleep in idle dreams that will eventually drown out their silent screams, and the lies they can no longer ignore will lead them to repay for their mistakes.
Overall, the song speaks to the human desire for an ending to pain and the lengths people are willing to go to realize that end. It highlights the idea that sometimes the most destructive act one can do is to seek an end to their destruction.
Line by Line Meaning
You wanted this
The person is getting what they desired, but it is disappointing to see the aftereffects.
So sad to see
The singer is saddened by the sight of the consequences of the person's wants.
The sweet decay
Despite being pleasurable at first, what the person wanted has now started to decay and become unpleasant.
Of ecstasy
The initial pleasure has now become a form of agony for the person.
And you want it all
Despite the negative consequences, the person still desires everything they wanted.
A frozen sun
The path the person is on is cold and empty, but they remain on it.
Will guide you there
The person will be led down their current path, whether they want to or not.
As shadows hide
There are things lurking in the darkness that the person cannot see, but will soon face.
The deep despair
The person will eventually experience extreme sadness and hopelessness.
I'll give you something more
The artist is offering the person more than what they already have, but it will only lead to their downfall.
And you'll fade away
The person will slowly disappear, either physically or metaphorically.
One last kiss before
Before the person disappears, they will briefly experience something they once loved.
You fade away
The person is disappearing and leaving behind people and things they once cared for.
So sleep tonight
The person can rest, but their problems will still be there when they wake up.
In idle dreams
The person's dreams will not provide a solution or an escape from their reality.
The pain will drown
The person's suffering will eventually become too much for them to handle.
Your silent screams
Despite their outward appearance of calmness, the person is in immense pain.
Lives you once adored
The people or things the person once loved are disappearing as they are.
Will fade away
The things the person once cherished will disappear completely from their life.
Lies you can't ignore
The person has been hiding from the truth, but it is now impossible to avoid.
You soon repay
The person will eventually have to face the consequences of their actions.
As you fade away
The person is slowly disappearing and leaving their problems behind them, but they will eventually have to face them.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JEFFREY JOHN BURROWS, JEFFREY SCOTT MARTIN, STUART CHATWOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Polymathing
You wanted this, so sad to see
The sweet decay of ecstasy
And you want it all
And you want it all
A frozen sun would guide you there
As shadows hide the deep despair
And you want it all
And you want it all
I'll give you somethin' more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away
So sleep tonight in idle dreams
The pain will drown your silent screams
And you want it all
And you want it all
I'll give you something more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away
Lives you once adored
Will fade away
Lies you can't ignore
You soon repay
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
Woody Tobias Jr.
It is absolutely unbelievable that these three guys have created so many masterpieces. They have to be the most talented people in all of music.
Pan The Man
Especially their first few albums. Crazy good!
Melissa B
Their music is so complex and literate. Eargasmic. One of my fav songs ever.
--
Intoxicating isn't it. Best live band I ever saw.
Lina J ☂
@-- lucky you
avi 𓆩*𓆪
-- I saw them live in my city. They were unbelievable. My brother met Jeff Martin and he was the nicest guy. 😊
cristina corrente
Back in highschool, the student counselor Ms.Martin was pregnant. My buddy used to beg her to name the kid Jeff... think about that when I hear their songs... good times
Cal Eustache
So profoundly put
Eargasmic
Polymathing
You wanted this, so sad to see
The sweet decay of ecstasy
And you want it all
And you want it all
A frozen sun would guide you there
As shadows hide the deep despair
And you want it all
And you want it all
I'll give you somethin' more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away
So sleep tonight in idle dreams
The pain will drown your silent screams
And you want it all
And you want it all
I'll give you something more
And you'll fade away
One last kiss before
You fade away
Lives you once adored
Will fade away
Lies you can't ignore
You soon repay
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
As you fade away
rich warren
One of the most underrated bands ever!