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.
Save Me
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remain so faithfully.
I must go off to war my dear,
The kings await me.
I will go so far away.
I will always love you, but you knew.
I regret to tell you,
He was a brave man,
He fought a brave fight.
He was killed, by the other side.
He was killed, by the other men's knives.
She said save me.
Why must you love this man?
He is your brother.
This is easy to understand my son,
There is no other.
I cannot pretend to love this man
Like my father.
I cannot pretend,
Mother there is no other.
She said save me.
When there is no truth, let's end this lie tonight.
This is easy to understand, without your best fight.
But I see a new sun rising in the east.
But I see a new sun rising in the east.
She said save me.
Save me.
She said Save me.
Save YOU!
The Tea Party's song Save Me presents a poignant narrative of love, loss, war, and the complexities of family relationships, particularly between siblings. The opening lines introduce a lover who must leave his partner to wage war and fight for his king, despite his undying love for her. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the listener is transported into a story of heartbreak and tragedy.
The second verse reveals that the lover has been killed in battle. The news of his death is delivered to his sister/mother, who struggles to cope with the reality of his absence. This verse is particularly powerful, as it paints a stark picture of the brutal reality of war and the devastating effects it can have on those left behind.
The final verse speaks to the themes of truth and deceit, as the singer implores those around her to end the lies and accept reality. The repetition of "save me" becomes more urgent, as she searches for someone to rescue her from the pain and confusion that surrounds her. The song ends with a twist, as the final line changes from "save me" to "save you," suggesting a shift in power dynamics and a call to action for the listener to embrace their own strength and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
I must leave you tonight my love.
I regret to inform you that I must say goodbye to you, my beloved.
Remain so faithfully.
Please stay loyal and true to me during my absence.
I must go off to war my dear,
I am obligated to depart for battle, my love.
The kings await me.
The monarchs demand my presence in service to the kingdom.
I will go so far away.
I will travel great distances from you, but my affection for you will remain.
I will always love you, but you knew.
You were aware that I will forever hold love for you.
I regret to tell you,
I am saddened to inform you that
Your man has died tonight.
The man you loved has passed away this night.
He was a brave man,
He displayed courage and bravery.
He fought a brave fight.
He fought valiantly in his struggle.
He was killed, by the other side.
He was slain by the opposing force.
He was killed, by the other men's knives.
He perished from the wounds inflicted by his enemies' weapons.
She said save me.
She pleaded for assistance and deliverance.
Why must you love this man?
Why do you hold affection for this individual?
He is your brother.
He is your kin and family member.
This is easy to understand my son,
This should be comprehensible to you, my child.
There is no other.
There is no alternate option or possibility.
I cannot pretend to love this man
I am unable to feign adoration for this individual.
Like my father.
Similar to how a parent would feel.
Mother there is no other.
Mother, there is no superior alternative.
When there is no truth, let's end this lie tonight.
If there is no veracity, we should cease perpetuating falsehoods tonight.
This is easy to understand, without your best fight.
You can comprehend this without putting forth your utmost effort.
But I see a new sun rising in the east.
However, I perceive a newly arising sun in the east.
Save me.
Please rescue me.
Save YOU!
Save yourself from the constraints of societal expectations and norms.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@frambuesa999
I must leave you tonight my love.
Remain so faithfully.
I must go off to war my dear,
The kings await me.
I will go so far away.
I will always love you, but you knew.
I regret to tell you,
Your man has died tonight.
He was a brave man,
He fought a brave fight.
He was killed, by the other side.
He was killed, by the other men's knives.
She said save me.
Why must you love this man?
He is your brother.
This is easy to understand my son,
There is no other.
I cannot pretend to love this man
Like my father.
I cannot pretend,
Mother there is no other.
She said save me.
When there is no truth, let's end this lie tonight.
This is easy to understand, without your best fight.
But I see a new sun rising in the east.
But I see a new sun rising in the east.
She said save me.
Save me.
She said Save me.
Save YOU!
@user-sl7tw1lo5z
for ever, thanks for the amazing music, Canadian gold, brave souls.
@drivetimetime
I think they received one of the highest compliments ever in rock. Robert Plant of Led Zep said this is how Zeppelin would sound if we were still together. What praise!
@vivianst.claire7193
Wow🦄💖
@azach5288
hatethesenamedeales but did he mean it as praise?
@fatguyinbasement8653
A Zach he took them on tour with him
@majahcorcoran782
Would somebody please tell me why the hell these guys are not more popular in the uk??? I'm baffled!!!
@drivetimetime
@MaJaH Corcoran they for some reason couldn't break into the U.S. or UK market? They are big here in Canada and huge in Australia.
@Horicert
The nineties were a special period for Canadian rock music. So many great bands, a lot of which didn't really break through to the US market, but they're still remembered very fondly in their homeland.
@chekamystery675
Remembered in Australia too 🖤🖤
@lissyj4550
Chekamystery yes for sure, used to listen to them as a teen in Darwin 😀