Turin Brakes has been compared to many of the New Acoustic Movement's bands spawned in the late 90s such as Elbow, Starsailor, I Am Kloot (who were a support band for Turin Brakes on their Ether Song tour) and the Norwegian band the Kings of Convenience.
Their debut album "The Optimist LP" (2001) was nominated for the Mercury Prize that same year. In 2003 "Ether Song" got to #3 in the UK album charts and spawned a Top 5 single "Pain Killer". Further commercial success was not achieved. In 2005 "JackInABox" meant some sort of return to the first album, but this time with more production and a more diverse sound. Again the critics loved it, but the buying public seemed not to. It got to no. 9 in its first week (without a hit single - "Fishing For A Dream" got to #35), but had no further commercial success. This might have been the effect of the decision by the band and the record company to take the slow path (doing just a short UK tour and not doing as much promotion as they used to), so that Olly Knights (the singer) could also focus on his new family life.
In the summer of 2005 the boys toured the USA and Canada, followed by an acoustic tour taking the band to Germany, The Netherlands and Italy. 2005 ended with a longer acoustic UK tour, of which the closing night in the Palladium in London was recorded and released as a download only live album the day after. The album sold quite well on iTunes, riding the top of the download charts in several countries.
The band spent the first half of 2006 writing new songs, occasionally performing both new and old work at small gigs across the UK. The band did an intimate tour in November 2006 to try out new material. In January 2007 the band entered a small studio in London to record their 4th album with producer Ethan Johns. After three weeks the band took a break (on January 29th Gale's wife gave birth to a daughter), but the sessions were resumed several weeks later in a bigger studio (also in London). On the last day of March 2007 the band announced that they had finished the recording sessions, and recorded 17 songs.
Their 2007 album, "Dark on Fire", was preceded by a download-only single "Stalker".
The band released their 5th studio album in March 2010 titled "Outbursts".
Their sixth album, We Were Here, was released 30 September 2013, and their seventh album Lost Property (recorded at Rockfield Studios with producer Ali Staton) was released on 29 January 2016.
On 26 January 2018 the band released their eighth album Invisible Storm.
Feeling Oblivion
Turin Brakes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Needing icescreaming and all the pleasures of June
I'm in a parked car.
Flowers seem friendly and people in hall ways feel walls.
Now it is night time maybe we?e cruising avoiding the anti-cruise.
Oh I don't really know where we are.
If things get real promise to take me somewhere else,
By the time fear takes me over will we still be rolling and feeling oblivion.
Like a man with glasses catching a sunbeam and burning the skin of a kid.
Hypereal fragments disturbing the stagnants of almighty fear.
Well I'll just go under the water.
If things get real promise to take me somewhere else,
By the time fear takes me over will we still be rolling and feeling oblivion.
So don't leave me here on my own.
So don't leave me here on my own.
If things get real promise to take me somewhere else,
By the time fear takes me over will we still be rolling and feeling oblivion
The lyrics to Turin Brakes's song Feeling Oblivion seem to be describing a sense of anxiety and uncertainty, perhaps a feeling of being lost without direction. The mention of cub scouts screaming and needing ice cream could be interpreted as a childlike desire for pleasure and escape from responsibilities. The singer states that they are in a parked car, which could symbolize being stuck or stagnant. The mention of flowers seeming friendly and people feeling walls in hallways could indicate a sense of familiarity or comfort in one's surroundings, but also a feeling of being trapped or confined.
As night falls, the singer mentions cruising and avoiding anti-cruise, which could imply a sense of rebellion or nonconformity. However, there is a sense of uncertainty about where they are heading. The mention of feeling oblivion suggests a desire to escape from reality or forget one's problems. The lie in the laughter potentially refers to a sense of disillusionment with the world around them. The repeated phrase "if things get real promise to take me somewhere else" could be interpreted as a plea for help or a desire to escape from reality.
Overall, the lyrics to Feeling Oblivion seem to describe a sense of disorientation and anxiety, but also a desire to escape from these feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
Cubscouts are screaming,
The excitement of youth is screaming within me.
Needing icescreaming and all the pleasures of June
I yearn for simple pleasures and the carefree days of summer.
I'm in a parked car.
I am feeling stuck and stagnant in my current situation.
Flowers seem friendly and people in hall ways feel walls.
Even nature and human connection give off a sense of confinement and isolation.
Now it is night time maybe we?e cruising avoiding the anti-cruise.
We are driving around aimlessly, trying to escape the mundaneness of life.
Oh I don't really know where we are.
We are lost, physically and emotionally.
If things get real promise to take me somewhere else,
When reality becomes too much, please help me escape to a better place.
By the time fear takes me over will we still be rolling and feeling oblivion.
Will we still be able to maintain our sense of escapism even in the face of fear?
Once in a while the lie in the laughter can burn through a hole in my ears,
Sometimes, even joy and laughter can feel fake and painful.
Like a man with glasses catching a sunbeam and burning the skin of a kid.
Even something as innocent as catching the sun can end up causing harm and pain.
Hypereal fragments disturbing the stagnants of almighty fear.
My dreams and imagination are constantly being disrupted by the overwhelming fear within me.
Well I'll just go under the water.
I will try to numb and escape my emotions by submerging myself in water.
So don't leave me here on my own.
Please don't abandon me in my struggles.
If things get real promise to take me somewhere else,
Once again, please help me escape when reality becomes too much.
By the time fear takes me over will we still be rolling and feeling oblivion.
Can we maintain our sense of escapism even when fear becomes overwhelming?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GALE PARIDJANIAN, OLIVER KNIGHTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wayne Simpson
Just love Turin Brakes. I have been lucky enough to have seen them live about 20 times. I have also seen them in two Churches, one in Brighton and one in Ashford, as well as Canary Wharf. As far as I am concerned two of the best song writers of my generation
James Wendorff
Very jealous of you. Known of their work since Ether Song but thanks to crap in life never been to see them yet but think will be a few dates on new tour I'll have to take in.
Shar Ernst
You lucky bugger! X
Gary Stroud
Still playing this album years later and this is one of my favourite tracks. Makes me want to pick up my guitar more often.
Paulopala
In this Quarentine, more than ever, I am feeling Oblivion
Lynn Smith
Absolutely love Turin breaks. There songs are just pure lyrical genius.
Tom Franklin
Indeed. . People in hall ways feel walls . .
Nige Kent
I heard this when I was I hospital I got mixed up with heroin so I went into hospital and got off it relapsed then stopped again and haven't looked back since you cant sleep when your withdrawing I was to young with to much money no one elses fault but mine first time I had it it was in a joint a duster it's called beginning of a nightmare I hurt a lot of people not physically but let them down but now I'm clean have been for years and the main thing I'm alive when all my friends are dead of overdose
Darren Williams
Thank you for sharing that Nige , it's people like you that makes this world a lot more interesting .
John Collins
Good luck to you mate