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.
Touch
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
try to comprehend
everything you've ever wanted
is around the next bend
don't try to fake it
i see you shaking
it doesn't mean anything
look at you, the freak attraction
in this carnival of souls
failing all negotiations
you'll be the next sold
don't try to fake it
i see you shaking
it doesn't mean anything
now love, don't make a sound
just reach down and touch the ground
emptiness is almost certain
like an automatic dream
you're closing in on the final curtain
you're on the next scene...
The lyrics of The Tea Party's song "Touch" seem to be about the struggle to find meaning and fulfillment in life. The opening line "catatonic listless creature" paints a picture of someone who is trapped and unable to move forward, even though everything they want is just ahead. The next lines encourage this person to stop faking it and trying to hide their fear and uncertainty, and to acknowledge what they really want.
The second verse describes this person as a "freak attraction" in a "carnival of souls," perhaps suggesting that they feel like an outsider or a misfit. They are also described as failing at negotiations, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for their inability to make progress in life or to get what they want. Once again, they are urged to stop pretending and to face the reality of their situation.
The final lines of the song suggest that the end is near, and that this person is approaching the final curtain or the next scene. There is a sense of urgency and finality to these lyrics, as if the singer believes that time is running out and that it's time to stop waiting and start taking action.
Overall, "Touch" is a powerful song about the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life, and the difficulty of overcoming fear and uncertainty to pursue what we really want.
Line by Line Meaning
catatonic listless creature
You are not responsive, lacking energy or enthusiasm.
try to comprehend
Make an effort to understand.
everything you've ever wanted
All your desires and wishes.
is around the next bend
What you want is just ahead, if you keep moving forward.
don't try to fake it
Don't pretend or deceive. Be authentic.
i see you shaking
I can tell you are anxious or nervous.
it doesn't mean anything
Your actions or emotions are not significant or meaningful.
look at you, the freak attraction
You are different and unusual, and people are staring at you.
in this carnival of souls
This life is like a circus, full of strange and interesting characters.
failing all negotiations
You are experiencing a breakdown in communication or agreement.
you'll be the next sold
You will be the next one to be taken advantage of or exploited.
now love, don't make a sound
Don't say anything, stay quiet.
just reach down and touch the ground
Ground yourself, focus on the moment and being present.
emptiness is almost certain
A feeling of nothingness or feeling empty is likely to happen.
like an automatic dream
It's like you're in a daze, everything's happening automatically.
you're closing in on the final curtain
You're getting closer to the end or conclusion.
you're on the next scene
You're moving on to the next part of your life or journey.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind