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.
The Thrill Is Gone
The Waterboys Lyrics
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We can't pretend there's nothing wrong
Who'll be first to say it?
That the thrill is gone
And we never get it back
When we talk of old acquaintance and
Speak like two strangers all day long
The only four words that I hear
And we never get it back
When evening fall Magenta
And goodnight hangs on and on
I won't need to go to sleep and dream
To tell me
That the thrill is gone
And we never get it back
The Waterboys's song The Thrill is Gone is a melancholic and soulful tune that explores the theme of a relationship that has run its course. In the first verse, the singer admits that they are too tired to deceive their partner about the state of their relationship, emphasizing the difficulty in maintaining a façade of happiness when things are not going well. The singer acknowledges the inevitable truth that there is something wrong in their relationship, but neither of them is willing to admit it. It's a classic case of two people who still care for each other, but the spark has faded, and the reality of it is hard to accept.
The chorus, "That the thrill is gone, and we never get it back," summarizes the theme of the song. It speaks of a relationship that has lost its excitement and that no matter how hard the couple tries to revive it, they will never be able to get that same spark back. The song suggests that the couple has become strangers, unable to connect on a deeper level. The singer reveals that in their conversations, the only four words they say are "the thrill is gone," highlighting the futility of trying to hold onto something that is slipping away. The song ends with a sense of resignation as the singer acknowledges that even nightfall brings no solace or dreams that would hint at a possible rekindling of their relationship.
Overall, The Thrill is Gone is a poignant and relatable song that captures the pain of losing something that was once so meaningful. The lyrics are simple yet poignant, and the melody adds to the melancholic tone of the song that resonates with anyone who has experienced the same.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm too tired to deceive you
I'm too exhausted to keep pretending that everything is okay between us
We can't pretend there's nothing wrong
We can't keep ignoring the problems between us
Who'll be first to say it?
Who will be the first person to admit that we have lost our spark?
That the thrill is gone
That our excitement and passion for each other has disappeared
And we never get it back
And we can never regain what we have lost
When we talk of old acquaintance and
When we talk about our past memories and experiences and
Speak like two strangers all day long
It feels like we don't even know each other anymore and are just strangers who happen to live together
The only four words that I hear
The only thing that I can't stop thinking about or hearing is
Are: the thrill is gone
That we have lost the excitement and passion that we once had
When evening fall Magenta
As the evening wears on and the sky turns pink and purple
And goodnight hangs on and on
And saying goodnight takes longer and longer each night
I won't need to go to sleep and dream
I won't need to fall asleep and dream to realize
To tell me
That our relationship has lost its spark
That the thrill is gone
That we have lost our excitement and passion for each other
And we never get it back
And we can never regain what we have lost
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL SCOTT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind