The band was formed in 1995 and all the songs on the debut album, Her handwriting (the title is a quote from Part company by The Go-Betweens) were recorded in Mitcham, south London, in December '95/ January '96, with long-time The Field Mice/Northern Picture Library producer Ian Catt, also known for his work as producer/arranger/co-songwriter for Saint Etienne. Released on Shinkansen Records (the label launched by Matt from Sarah Records) the album, which intimately details the break-up of a relationship, received universally good reviews.
Subsequent albums, Lips that taste of tears (1998) and Broken by whispers (2000), showed a band constantly improving their skills, combining their usual melancholy with transparent pop.
In 2001 the fourth album Alive to every smile appeared featuring a new line-up with many ex-Sarah Records band members in its ranks: Keris Howard from Brighter/Harper Lee, Beth Arzy from Aberdeen and Harvey Williams from Another Sunny Day/The Field Mice. Annemari Davies (ex-The Field Mice) also collaborated with the band. The album was very well received in Spain due to a release on Elefant Records (eventually TBS' main label) and in February 2002 the band visited Spain for the first time.
In 2003 A certain evening light was released, a compilation of singles and B-sides.
In 2004 the band left Shinkansen; The seven autumn flowers was released by Elefant Records worldwide.
In September 2005 Bobby Wratten announced that the band would no longer appear live. He had been uneasy about performing for some time, and had decided to concentrate on studio recordings instead. April 2007 saw the release of The Last Holy Writer.
2010 is expected to see the release of their new album, titled "Fast Trains And Telegraph Wires".
Last Port of Call
Trembling Blue Stars Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We may be long ago
Still, I remember everything
Never think I don't
You come back to me
Over and again
In dreams and memories
Nothing will ever change all you are
Nothing could ever dim your star
I still think of you every day
You're still with me every step of the way
I remember whispering while you were sleeping
"I don't want you to go"
Can't you see it's all for show?
I guess I hated you when you went away
Of course, I loved you all the same
Is it true your soul has seen too much?
If I was any help, I wasn't nearly enough
Should I have been the one to calm the storm?
Should I have been your last port of call?
Should I have shown you the eastern sky?
Should I have shown you first light?
We will never be together again
But we'll be alright in our new lives
I may not be yours, nor you mine
But a dance about on a winter's day
She will find her place
She'll be everything again
For who could fail to see what's blinding?
Should I have shown you the eastern sky?
Should I have shown you first light?
I remember the thrill I'd get
On my way to meet you
A pound in my chest I could hardly contain
Walking those London streets
Heading for Euston
To see you step down from your train
Should I have been the one to calm the storm?
Should I have been your last port of call?
Your last port of call
The lyrics of Trembling Blue Stars' song "Last Port of Call" speak of a profound sense of longing, loss, and regret over a lost love. The singer seems to be reflecting on a past relationship that has ended, leaving them with nothing but memories that continue to haunt them. The opening lines set the tone for the whole song - the singer acknowledges that time has passed, and they are now far away from their loved one, but they remember everything and cannot forget. Despite the distance, the singer feels their love's presence in their dreams and memories, and they acknowledge that nothing could ever change who their love was or lessen their star.
The second verse of the song reveals the singer's inner turmoil and regret over not being able to keep their loved one near. They remember whispering to their sleeping love and not wanting them to go, but even then, they knew that it was for show because they could not hold on to them. The singer then questions whether they could have done more for their love, calmed the storm or been their last port of call. The last verse is an acceptance that the two will never be together again, but there is still hope for a new beginning with someone else, who will be everything again.
Line by Line Meaning
We may be far away
Distance doesn't lessen my memory of you
We may be long ago
Even though a long time has passed
Still, I remember everything
I remember everything about you
Never think I don't
Don't ever doubt that I do
You come back to me
You visit me in my thoughts
Over and again
Repeatedly
In dreams and memories
In my dreams and memories of us
You dance back in
You reappear in my mind with joy
Nothing will ever change all you are
You will always be the same amazing person
Nothing could ever dim your star
Your greatness cannot be lessened
I still think of you every day
You're always on my mind
You're still with me every step of the way
I feel your presence in my life
I remember whispering while you were sleeping
I recall whispering to you as you slept
"I don't want you to go"
I expressed my sadness at the thought of your leaving
Can't you see it's all for show?
Did you not believe my genuine sadness?
I guess I hated you when you went away
I may have resented you for leaving me
Of course, I loved you all the same
But I still loved you despite my resentment
Is it true your soul has seen too much?
Has your soul experienced too much pain?
If I was any help, I wasn't nearly enough
Even if I tried to help, I could never do enough
Should I have been the one to calm the storm?
Maybe I should have been the one to bring you peace
Should I have been your last port of call?
Should I have been the person you turned to in the end?
Should I have shown you the eastern sky?
Should I have shared something lovely with you?
Should I have shown you first light?
Should I have been the one to show you something new?
We will never be together again
We won't have the chance to be together
But we'll be alright in our new lives
We'll survive in our new separate lives
I may not be yours, nor you mine
We won't have each other
But a dance about on a winter's day
We'll always have memories of dancing in the snow
She will find her place
Someone else will find their place in my life
She'll be everything again
They may make me feel complete again
For who could fail to see what's blinding?
The love we experienced was undeniably beautiful
I remember the thrill I'd get
I reminisce about the excitement I felt
On my way to meet you
When I was on my way to see you
A pound in my chest I could hardly contain
I felt a pounding in my chest from nervousness
Walking those London streets
Traveling on the streets of London
Heading for Euston
Going to Euston train station
To see you step down from your train
To see you when you arrived on your train
Your last port of call
Should I have been the one you sought before leaving?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind