Beginning with a psychedelic sound indebted to space rock and shoegazer music, by the mid-1990s the band had released several EPs and two acclaimed records. They also endured name and lineup changes, breakups, health problems, drug abuse and various lawsuits. The band's commercial breakthrough was Urban Hymns and its single Bitter Sweet Symphony, which became a massive worldwide hit.
Soon after this commercial peak, the band quit amid creative struggles within, and Ashcroft went onto a successful solo career. Tong briefly joined Blur as a replacement for Graham Coxon. It is rumored that Simon Jones did a studio album with Ari Pap of the Floor Monks called 'Aint Nothing To It' and was never released because they both had bigger projects going on at the time. Close family and friends assure us its a fabulous indie/rock/alternate album and they really wish it would have been released.
The Verve were chosen to close the 2008 Glastonbury festival which they did with a set based on the classic 1997 album 'Urban Hymns'.
Discography:
A Storm in Heaven • 21 June 1993 • #27 (UK)
A Northern Soul • 3 July 1995 • #13 (UK)
Urban Hymns • 29 September 1997 • #1 (UK) #23 (US)
Forth • 25 August 2008 • #1 (UK) #23 (US)
The Sun The Sea
The Verve Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because the day has come when you have won
It's myself I feel
She calls me calls me the sun the sea yeah
I know it's not for today
It's not for today, it's for you and me yeah you and me
Alone in my room you're there on the floor
Learned to love on TV
Learned to come on TV
Can I help you?
Can I guide you?
It amazes me how I broke free
Then got brought back in
'Cause when the feelings there shattered and scared
I know you've won goodbye I'm gone
Alone in my room, you're there on the floor
Open up your eyes let me get inside
Said you learned to come on TV then hold on to me
Can I help you? Can I guide you?
The Verve's song The Sun The Sea is a beautiful and introspective song about the complexities of love and relationships. The opening lines "I see I hear it's very clear, because the day has come when you have won" suggests that the singer is coming to a realization about what love is truly about. The next line "It's myself I feel, she calls me the sun the sea yeah" indicates that the singer has found someone who makes them feel complete, like the sun and sea which are fundamental and necessary elements of life.
The following lines "Alone in my room you're there on the floor, open up your eyes let me get inside" depict a moment of vulnerability where the singer is trying to connect with their partner on a deeper level. The next lines "Learned to love on TV, learned to come on TV" explore the idea that society has created unrealistic standards of love and sex through media and the singer is trying to understand what true love and connection really means. The lines "Can I help you? Can I guide you?" could be interpreted as the desire to help their partner navigate through their own insecurities and doubts.
The chorus "It's not for today, it's for you and me yeah you and me" reinforces the idea that love is something to be nurtured and developed over time. The bridge of the song starts with the lines "It amazes me how I broke free then got brought back in" which suggests that the singer may have gone through a period of self-discovery or even a break-up before finding their current partner. The final lines "I know you've won goodbye I'm gone" indicate a sense of resignation, however, it's possible to interpret this as a willingness to let go of ego and control and allow love to take its course.
Line by Line Meaning
I see I hear it's very clear
I clearly perceive the truth and comprehend it
Because the day has come when you have won
The day has finally arrived where you have emerged victorious
It's myself I feel
I am experiencing my own emotions
She calls me calls me the sun the sea yeah
She affectionately refers to me as both the sun and the sea
I know it's not for today
I am aware that this is not meant for today
It's not for today, it's for you and me yeah you and me
This is not something that applies only for today, but rather for both of us
Alone in my room you're there on the floor
I am alone in my room, and I see you on the floor
Open up your eyes let me get inside
Allow me to enter your heart and soul by opening your eyes to the truth
Learned to love on TV
We have learned how to love by watching it on television
Learned to come on TV
We have learned how to present ourselves on television
Can I help you?
May I be of assistance to you?
Can I guide you?
May I provide guidance to you?
It amazes me how I broke free
I am astonished by my ability to break free from my previous state of being
Then got brought back in
But soon after, I was forced back into that state of being
'Cause when the feelings there shattered and scared
Because when those emotions emerged, they were overwhelming and terrifying
I know you've won goodbye I'm gone
I acknowledge that you've emerged victorious, and I am now departing
Said you learned to come on TV then hold on to me
You mentioned that you've learned how to present yourself on television, so now hold on to me
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: NICK MC CABE, PETER SALISBURY, RICHARD ASHCROFT, SIMON JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind