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.
Writing's On The Wall
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Something more for less and in the meantime
It changes shape and shifts, it takes you over
It's just a warning sign
Coz the writing's on the wall
The writing's on the wall
No sudden moves or else your soul will be mine
Because when you dance you're dancing with the devil
It's just a warning sign
You're running out of time
You can't relate, you still escape
Because you think you've seen it all
You're right on time until you find
You've just been waiting for the fall
The writing's on the wall
The writing's on the wall
Seven hundred stories tall
The writing's on the wall
Take your time, it's a state of mind
Take your time, just until you find
Take your time, it's a state of mind
The writing's on the wall
The writing's on the wall
Seven hundred stories tall
The writing's on the wall
The Tea Party's song "Writing's On The Wall" is an anthem about self-awareness and the consequences of one's actions. The opening lines convey the idea that when things start to become chaotic and unclear, instead of trying to adapt, some people try to stick to a straight line. They look for shortcuts or want more while doing less. Eventually, this catches up with them in a big way, and "It changes shape and shifts" and "takes you over." It's a warning sign that change is coming and that the past actions of the individual have consequences.
The second verse is a metaphorical explanation of how individuals make deals with the devil. In this context, "dancing with the devil" signifies doing something that is not good for you, but you do it anyway, and it leads to bad things. The lyrics emphasize that time is running out, and the individual must course-correct before it's too late. The message is clear: one must take responsibility for their actions before it's too late.
In the bridge, the lyrics express how some people relate to the situation as they feel they have seen it all. But eventually, they realize that they have just been waiting to fall. The chorus repeats the saying that the writing's on the wall and that it's seven hundred stories tall. It's a metaphor for the inescapable reality of one's actions catching up with them.
Line by Line Meaning
When it bends you try to walk a straight line
When faced with a challenge, you try to adhere to your principles.
Something more for less and in the meantime
Trying to get more while giving less, but the circumstance keeps changing.
It changes shape and shifts, it takes you over
The challenge becomes more complex and takes over your thoughts.
It's just a warning sign
This is just an indication of what is yet to come.
Coz the writing's on the wall
The signs are all there to be read and understood.
You make a deal, you swear that it's the last time
You make a promise to yourself not to repeat a mistake again.
No sudden moves or else your soul will be mine
One wrong move and it can lead to disastrous consequences.
Because when you dance you're dancing with the devil
When you play with fire, you are bound to get burnt.
You're running out of time
Time is ticking away and you need to act fast.
You can't relate, you still escape
Despite everything, you still try to avoid the problem.
Because you think you've seen it all
You believe that you have all the answers.
You're right on time until you find
You think you are doing well until you realize that you are not.
You've just been waiting for the fall
Deep down you knew all along that it was not going to end well.
Seven hundred stories tall
The signs are overwhelming and cannot be ignored.
Take your time, it's a state of mind
Be patient and calm, and approach the situation with a clear mind.
Take your time, just until you find
Don't rush things, take as much time as you need to find a solution.
The writing's on the wall
The signs are all there and cannot be ignored.
Seven hundred stories tall
The signs are numerous and overwhelmingly tall.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jwhen911
Such a underrated song… this is Rock
@thebigcheese5452
This song never fails to give me chills
@toxickissduo
Seven Circles is an AMAZING album!!!!!
@mitchmartin2659
Killer riff with a crazy hook.
@yoyomasta47
Love that they got back together!
@nataliegiroux381
Would love to see them again!!!
@spewsideways169
the thing I like about this song, and many other songs on this album....they make the guitar and other effects sound like an engine behind Jeff's voice. Gives it that extra oomph
@patgrondines4394
love this song
@JeffMasonProject
can we get a high def upload of this? It rocks
@maximpopov8651
Peace Love and Psychedelic Rock.