The band's membership, past and present, has been composed mainly of musicians from the British Isles. London, Dublin, Spiddal, and Findhorn have all served as a home for the group. The band has played in a number of different styles, but most often their music can be described as a mix of Celtic folk music with rock and roll, or folk rock. After ten years of recording and touring, the band dissolved in 1993 and Scott pursued a solo career. The band reformed in 2000, and continues to release albums and tour worldwide. Scott himself emphasizes a continuity between The Waterboys and his solo work, saying that "To me there's no difference between Mike Scott and the Waterboys; they both mean the same thing. They mean myself and whoever are my current travelling musical companions."
More than thirty musicians have performed live as a Waterboy. Some have spent only a short time with the band, contributing to a single tour or album, while others have been long-term members with significant contributions. Scott has been the band's lead vocalist, motivating force, and principal songwriter throughout the group's history, but a number of other musicians are closely identified with the band.
Anthony Thistlethwaite was an original member of the band, and remained a member until 1991 when the band broke up, although he also joined a few recording sessions for A Rock in the Weary Land. After Scott and Wickham, Thistlethwaite has more songwriting credits than any other Waterboy. His saxophone, regularly featured in solos, was one half of the early group's distinctive brass section, but he has also played guitar, keyboards and a number of other instruments for the band. He pressed to return The Waterboys to a rock music sound after Room to Roam, but did not appear on Dream Harder, the result of that decision. He is now a member of The Saw Doctors, and has also released three solo albums.
Kevin Wilkinson, another original member, was The Waterboys' drummer from 1983–1984, and continued to play in some studio sessions afterwards. His most recent appearance was on A Rock in the Weary Land. He led the rhythm section of the group during its "Big Music" phase, sometimes without the assistance of any bass guitar. Scott describes Wilkinson's drumming as "bright and angular, an unusual sound".
Karl Wallinger joined the group in 1983, shortly after its formation. He left the group two years later, but in that relatively short period made important contributions to both A Pagan Place and This is the Sea. He co-wrote "Don't Bang the Drum", the environmentalism anthem on This is the Sea. His keyboards and synthesizer work expanded the group's sound, and he also did some studio work for demo sessions. Wallinger's World Party project was heavily influenced by his work with The Waterboys.
Roddy Lorimer's participation in the group began in 1983, contributing his trumpet playing "on and off" through 1990. He and Thistlethwaite took turns leading the brass section of the band, and Lorimer was also a featured soloist, most famously on "The Whole of the Moon" and "Don't Bang the Drum". He further contributed backing vocals to the song. His trumpet style is a combination of his classical training with an experimental approach encouraged by Scott. Lorimer returned for some studio work in 2006.
Steve Wickham transformed the group with his joining in 1985. His strong interest in folk music directly resulted in the band's change of direction. His initial involvement with The Waterboys ended in 1990 when Scott and Thistlethwaite wanted to return to rock and roll, but Wickham rejoined the group again in 2000, and, as of 2007, continues to perform with the band. Described by Scott as "the world's greatest rock fiddle player", he has written more songs for the band than anyone other than Scott, including the group's handful of instrumental recordings.
After 2000, Richard Naiff became one of the three core Waterboys members.Richard Naiff first recorded with the band in 1999, and joined permanently in 2000. As of 2007, he is a core member, along with Scott and Wickham. He is a classically-trained pianist and flautist, and plays keyboards for The Waterboys. Ian McNabb described him as Scott's "find of the century" and reviewers have described him as "phenomenally talented".
Other notable members of the band include bassist McNabb, leader of Icicle Works; Sharon Shannon, who became Ireland's all-time best-selling traditional musician; the experimental musician Thighpaulsandra, producer Guy Chambers, and Patti Smith Group drummer Jay Dee Daugherty.
Old England
The Waterboys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the rain turns to rust in his eye
Rumors of his health are lies
Old England is dying
His clothes are a dirty shade of blue
And his ancient shoes worn through
He steals from me and he lies to you
Old England is dying
Still he keeps his navy strong
And he sticks his flag where it ill belongs
Old England is dying
You're asking what makes me sigh now
What it is makes me shudder so well
I just freeze in the wind and I'm
Numb from the pummelin' of the snow
That falls from high in yellow skies
Down on where the well loved flag of England flies
Where homes are warm and mothers sigh
Where comedians laugh and babies cry
Where criminals are televised politicians fraternize
Journalists are dignified and everyone is civilized
And children stare with Heroin eyes
Old England!
Evening has fallen
The swans are singing
The last of Sunday's bells is ringing
The wind in the trees is sighing
And old England is dying
The Waterboys's song Old England describes the decline of England and its society as it is pushed further into the future. The imagery of the lyric “Man looks up on a yellow sky, And the rain turns to rust in his eye” is a powerful opening, portraying England's bleak atmosphere, where even the rain has lost its valuable life-giving property to become a symbol of decay. The patriotic, imperialistic sentiments that are attached to the empire song are deemed obsolete since the "old England" that it celebrates has crumbled away. The singer then proceeds to depict a society that is redefining its own norms in the wake of political and economic upheavals, where dirty blue clothes and old, worn-out shoes are the masses' recognizable fate.
The songwriter is critical of England's current state, remarking on how everything has changed from the days of the "well-loved flag of England flies," mothers sigh and where comedians laugh in the city. The double entendre of “He steals from me and he lies to you” may be interpreted in multiple ways, showing how the country is set up to fail and that deception may well be part of the ever-presented narrative. The final lines of “Evening has fallen, The swans are singing” wraps up the entire verse, giving the song an eerie sense of finality, as if all hope is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
Man looks up on a yellow sky
The man is gazing at the sky which has turned yellow due to pollution and decay.
And the rain turns to rust in his eye
The rain has become polluted and dirty, further hurting the eyes of the man.
Rumors of his health are lies
Despite rumors of good health, Old England is decaying and dying.
Old England is dying
The song continues to highlight the sad reality that England is dying.
His clothes are a dirty shade of blue
The man's clothing is old, worn out and stained, reflecting the declining state of England.
And his ancient shoes worn through
The man's shoes are very old and have developed holes, signifying how even the basic necessities of the people are not being met.
He steals from me and he lies to you
People of Old England have turned to thievery and lying to make ends meet during such difficult times.
Old England is dying
The song repeats the haunting fact that Old England is on the verge of death.
Still he sings an empire song
Despite the current situation, people still reminisce about the glorious empire and sing songs about it.
Still he keeps his navy strong
England's navy might still be robust but its people and ecosystems have crumbled and are weakening.
And he sticks his flag where it ill belongs
England continues to try and show off its strength despite the fact that it doesn't exist.
Old England is dying
The song sings of Old England's imminent demise
You're asking what makes me sigh now
The singer is asked what's making him sigh and bringing his attention to England's infamous legacy.
What it is makes me shudder so well
The troubles of Old England leave an unsettling feeling within the singer.
I just freeze in the wind and I'm
The singer is overwhelmed and incapacitated by the harsh reality of Old England's suffering.
Numb from the pummeline of the snow
The heavy snowfall is likened to being beaten down repeatedly, whilst blinding the community to their reality.
That falls from high in yellow skies
The snow falls from the same polluted skies, hinting at just how awful their lives are.
Down on where the well loved flag of England flies
The flag of the once great England is still flying, a nostalgic symbol for his fellow residents.
Where homes are warm and mothers sigh
The memory of England's loving families still remains.
Where comedians laugh and babies cry
The song highlights that even during the grimmest moments of life, life still goes on as it always has.
Where criminals are televised politicians fraternize
The line suggests that even the supposed role models in television like politicians themselves are corrupt and unsavory.
Journalists are dignified and everyone is civilized
Despite the great struggles of the people, society still tries to maintain a civilized veneer.
And children stare with Heroin eyes
The lyrics hint at the opioid crisis from years of economic downturn and the deprivation that the youth face.
Old England!
The song returns to refer to Old England once more.
Evening has fallen
A nod to the end of England's reign - evening, a metaphor for a sunset.
The swans are singing
The scene is peaceful, despite England's gloomy future - swans as an elegant symbol, and also used as an idiom for something coming to an end.
The last of Sunday's bells is ringing
Sunday is a reference to the Sabbath, where people are offered comfort and rest from the struggles of their lives in the hopes of having a brighter future.
The wind in the trees is sighing
Nature is personified as sighing - a reflection of England's mournful state.
And old England is dying
The song mourns the death of Old England, using natural symbols to emphasize the reality of the situation.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jamiecartwright5469
It's interesting when you learn just how much of the British Transatlantic Slave Trade was administered by Scots - and how vast swathes of Scotland became rich through Scots owned slave plantations in the Caribbean. New Town Edinburgh is built entirely on oversees exploitation.
A massively disproportionate Scottish involvement from the British Slave Trades wicked inception - yet to this day - England - (the nation that banned it) - carries all of the blame.
The Chinese opium wars are also interesting, particularly the founder of HSBC, a Scottish colonialist who reaped misery and division on the Chinese people for profit.
Northern Ireland aka Ulster of course was Scotlands first colony - populated by Scottish Presbyterians. William of Orange was Dutch.
Yet all of my life the English have carried the blame.
We were the nation that had its shopping centres bombed by the IRA. Scotland, of course - remained safe.
Then we have the Indian Raj, many of its top military brass were educated Scots - much like colonial Africa.
Not forgetting Nova Scotia and Canada. The indigenous people there were shown zero mercy by the industrious, imperial Scots.
Right up until very recently we have Blair, Edinburgh born and bred - taking us all into an illegal war against an Islamic country - sewing fresh division and resentment for centuries to come.
Of course - it was the English that had their public transport system bombed as a result.
The Scottish Bank meltdown, Sir Fred Goodwin and gormless Gordon. A catastrophic bail out we are all still paying for.
Hundreds of billions that could have been used for hospitals and education - spunked on inept, deluded Scottish capitalism.
Thank goodness for shallow pop music - always vital a source of disinformation for the gullible - much like the industrious Rupert Murdoch output - another wonderful Scot bringing sunshine into our lives. 🤭
@sandrinedecosterd2702
One of the top ten songs of humanity. A masterpiece. Thank you for that
@jambobwana6512
Wish I could click like more than one! At least 1000000 times would it :)
@gemslie
My son was born in 95 and he is just getting to the age where he can appreciate some of my fave music. My love and I can listen to this over and over and love it every time!!
@Belta-kw2bm
I accidentally click on report on your comment and that made me think, if one of the options on the report was good crack I’d select that one. No such option was there so I cancelled the report.. anyway the report is that’s good crack. Good luck brother and god bless the fucking lot of us
@chelseaacidcasual2825
Totally sublime song in every way…….part of one of the greatest albums ever……kudos brothers.
@keithbradley5243
Backing the 80's I worked in a shipping office on the Tyne. My colleague helped me learn to drive by letting me drive his car to his flat at a lunchtime. He would take his dog for a walk and I would prepare dinner in a slow cooker, curry, stew, or something, for him and his flat mates. When I had finished the prep, I would sit at an old upright piano they had and play this song. I'm a guitarist really but I could bash out a few piano chords. This song still sticks in my mind from all those years ago, mainly for the lyrics. How perceptive was Mike Scott ?? Still means something today. Great songwriter, seen 'Waterboys' 3/4 times over the years.
Today, our politicians still think Britain is influential in the world, we are not. We hang on to these 'imperialistic' ideas. Nobody gives a shit about us. We are nobody. Better get used to it, THE EMPIRE IS NO MORE, SLAVERY IS NO MORE ! Let it go. Let's just be nice and try and help people from all countries and all walks of life, without trying to influence them.
PLEASE, for my/your children and grandchildren's sake. X
@mehdibb4186
Anybody who knows the waterboys knows that the spirit of this song is the fathers from what you frustrated fools are trying to make it out to be. This song is about the struggle of working people.
@colinmclaughlin7020
Arise sir Mike Scott, he had it nailed all the way back then. Probably scared the shit out of them with his insight. This is the sea has been one of my most emotional albums since I was 17, I'm 47 now and it still does the damage ❤
@jaazon1299
True Words Friend. This albums kicked me so hard and at that times, I´ve listen to completly different music. This song could be one of the reason, why I love Scotland and the Irish Brothers. Greez from Hamburg, Harbor City, Germany. ´There always will be an England´.
@marcocastricum895
@@jaazon1299op