The band received some media criticism for Jeff Martin's Jim Morisson-like stage persona in some of its videos and their Led Zeppelin-esq riffs, although he seemed determined to be striving to create his own image and sound. His looks certainly do draw some comparison, however, to The Doors' late front man.
Their sound is hard to categorize as each album possessed different themes and influences. Splendor Solis (1993) was a more acoustic, blues-based record, while Edges of Twilight (1995) was much darker with strong Middle Eastern influences on several tracks. Transmission (1997) saw a dramatic change to a darker, more industrial-tinged sound, and it was distributed in the USA by Atlantic Records. The last three albums by the band featured various efforts to attract a wider commercial audience, with the single "Heaven Coming Down" reaching No.1 on the Canadian mainstream charts in 1999.
In 2000, Capitol Records finally released a retrospective compilation in the USA of their Canadian singles entitled Tangents after only releasing their first two albums south of the border.
The Tea Party released The Interzone Mantras in 2001, but it did not possess the singles of its predecessors.
In October 2005, a year after their final album Seven Circles was released, Jeff Martin left the band and embarked on a solo career, releasing an album in early 2006. Jeff Burrows (drummer) and Stuart Chatwood (bass/synthesiser) have also had post-Tea Party successes, the former in several projects and the latter in soundtrack composition. Burrows and Chatwood worked together on a new project called The Art Decay before Burrows joined Crash Karma in 2008.
On April 12th 2011, an official Facebook page was launched with a biography section that closed with "The band is scheduled to play a select number of dates in 2011. No other info was available at this time." The following day, the local radio station K106.3 announced the Sarnia Bayfest lineup including The Tea Party, which was later confirmed by drummer Jeff Burrows on his radio show on April 13th. Burrows further stated that a Canadian tour was also in the works.
The Tea Party performed at the Cisco Systems Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario on July 14th, 2011, and the band will be playing a Canadian tour commencing on November 15th, 2011 in Vancouver. The band's website and tour is called "THE TEA PARTY - No Politics... Just Rock and Roll". In September 2011, the band was reportedly approached to sell its website URL for over a million dollars by the extremely popular American political movement bearing the same name: www.teaparty.com.
Messenger
The Tea Party Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i read it when it came.
it said that you were wounded,
you were bound and chained.
you were ravaged, you were handled,
you were poisoned, you were pained...
oh no...
you were naked, you were shamed.
you could almost touch heaven,
right there in front of you.
liberty just slipped away on us,
now there's so much work to do.
oh, the door that closes tightly,
is the door that can swing wide,
oh no...not expecting to collide
for a minute i let my guard down,
not afraid to be found out.
completely forgot, dear,
what our fears were all about.
oh no...there's no need to be without.
if there's a chance, i would take it.
this desire i can't kill.
take my heart, please don't break it.
i will crawl to your foothill.
i'm frightened, but i'm coming.
please, baby, please lay still.
oh no...i'm not coming for the kill. (x3)
The song "The Messenger" by The Tea Party seems to be about receiving news of someone's misfortune and wanting to help them. The lyrics suggest that the messenger who delivers the letter is possibly someone who is close to the person mentioned in the letter. The letter reveals that the person is hurt, bound, and chained. They are "ravaged, handled, poisoned, and pained," and they are also "naked and shamed." This vivid description of the person's condition creates a feeling of sympathy for whoever the person may be.
The song then takes on a political tone with the mention of liberty slipping away, and how there is much work to be done. It is unclear what the specific political issue is, but the song suggests that it is something that requires action. The line "the door that closes tightly, is the door that can swing wide" may be referring to the idea that when things seem the bleakest, there is still a chance for change.
The song then switches gears and becomes more personal. The singer admits that they had let their guard down and forgotten about their fears. They express a desire to be with the person mentioned in the letter, even if it means crawling to their foothill. The final line confirms that they are not coming for the kill but instead to offer support.
Overall, "The Messenger" by The Tea Party is a powerful song that uses vivid imagery and shifting perspectives to convey a sense of empathy, political urgency, and personal vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
got a letter from a messenger,
I received a message from someone informing me about something.
i read it when it came.
I read the message immediately after receiving it.
it said that you were wounded,
The message stated that you were injured.
you were bound and chained.
It also mentioned that you were tied up and restrained.
you were ravaged, you were handled,
Furthermore, it said that you were harmed and mistreated.
you were poisoned, you were pained...
The message described how you were poisoned and experienced great suffering.
oh no...
This news was upsetting to me.
you were naked, you were shamed.
Additionally, it revealed that you were exposed and humiliated.
you could almost touch heaven,
At one point, you had an opportunity to achieve something great.
right there in front of you.
It was within your reach.
liberty just slipped away on us,
Unfortunately, we lost our chance at freedom.
now there's so much work to do.
As a result, there is now a lot of work to be done to regain our liberty.
oh, the door that closes tightly,
It can be difficult to open a door that has been closed tightly.
is the door that can swing wide,
But that same door has the potential to open up completely.
oh no...not expecting to collide
I was not anticipating any setbacks or opposition.
for a minute i let my guard down,
At one point, I allowed myself to be vulnerable.
not afraid to be found out.
I was not worried about someone discovering something about me.
completely forgot, dear,
I had entirely erased something from my memory.
what our fears were all about.
I had forgotten what it was that we were afraid of.
oh no...there's no need to be without.
However, it is unnecessary to remain lost or confused.
if there's a chance, i would take it.
If there is an opportunity, I will seize it.
this desire i can't kill.
I have an intense longing that I cannot suppress.
take my heart, please don't break it.
I am entrusting you with my heart, and I hope you won't harm or betray me.
i will crawl to your foothill.
I will do whatever it takes to get to you.
i'm frightened, but i'm coming.
Although I am scared, I am still coming to you.
please, baby, please lay still.
I am pleading for you to be calm and still.
oh no...i'm not coming for the kill. (x3)
I am not coming to hurt you or cause harm in any way.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jeffreybarkin3177
Sadly, this #Artist was relegated Early in the USA as a "Doors Copycat", initially, and labeled "that they we're not innovative or creative..."Sadly!
Their work is Very #Impressive and addresses many societal concerns that Haunt Us.
Radio #programmers are becoming more Open-Minded and will reconsider TEA PARTY's significant work...
From their original singles, "Save Me" and "The River" to popular CDN radio staples like"Temptation", "Heaven Coming Down" and imaginative DANIEL LANOIS and RICHARDS/JAGGER covers...
INCREDIBLE Musicianship with creative arrangements.
Hopefully, they will become more Played and appreciated for their Contributions, as they SURELY Deserve This.
Thank you TEA PARTY and your magnificent production Team for So Many admirable
Videos and albums. Know that your local Canadian
Leadership is not overlooked...You Really ROCK!
😂 ❤ 😅 ❤ 😊
@chriscorbin3190
Strange how we listen to these songs when we are younger, but years later we can actually hear what they are saying to us...
@darrylammons4446
Strong 💪 Lyrics
@mattlaviolette3030
Oh man, you said it.
@rngd0875
And some of us, young as we were, had learned about Inanna and other esoteric myths he was singing about. And some of us actually cared more about listening to the lyrics than a pretty song.
And some never listen to lyrics.
@GodFaThEr09877
One of the best bands to come out of Canada.
@margotolsen8148
One of the best bands. !
@jrhetch
I didn’t know they were Canadian… that makes it better
@danielpaquet3963
one of the best bands to come outta anywhere.
@ZLeZx
Seen them in concert a few yrs ago..was epic..magic
@ZLeZx
Not only are they from Canada but from what I hear they were in my city