Spanning The Years
Steeleye Span formed in 1969 from members of Fairport Convention and out of… Read Full Bio ↴Steeleye Span formed in 1969 from members of Fairport Convention and out of the ashes of Sweeney's Men creating a distinctive fusion of both British folk with electric rock music. The resulting first version of the band was formed by ex-Fairport bassist Ashley Hutchings and built around two pairs of vocalists, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior and Gay & Terry Woods. Rhythm was to be supplied largely by Hutchings' bass, and without drums.

Tensions between the band grew during the production in 1970 of their first album, Hark! The Village Wait to the point where they never again worked together after its completion, but the music itself shows no signs of these difficulties. While having a rock sensibility there is a greater sense of the authentic folk tradition than even in the best of Fairport, and a particular beauty arising from the two pairs of voices. The Woods being replaced by admired folk stalwart Martin Carthy, with violinist Peter Knight to widen the musical textures, the group late in 1970 recorded their most admired record Please to see the King. Ten Man Mop followed in 1971, more accomplished but generally felt to be less exciting. The expensive gatefold sleeve swallowed the band's royalties, and was referred to as a tombstone, since Hutchings and Carthy then left, to pursue Hutchings' new vision of a specifically English strand of folk rock with The Albion Band, and Steeleye Mk 2 folded.

However the inclusion of the less celebrated and more rock orientated replacements Rick Kemp and Bob Johnson led to the most commercially successful phase in the band's existence, vocalist Maddy Prior becoming the primary focus of the band, and a run of well received albums, from Below the Salt and Now we Are Six, their first with drummer Nigel Pegrum, to their eighth, and most commercially successful, All Around my Hat, in 1975.

Still active, they have a claim to be one of the longest-lived and perhaps the most commercially successful of all the folk rock bands of the era, thanks to their hit singles Gaudete and All Around My Hat, 3 top 40 albums and even a certified "gold" record with All Around My Hat.

Tim Hart died of lung cancer on 24 December 2009, aged 61.
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Spanning The Years
Steeleye Span Lyrics


Alison Gross Alison Gross that lives in yon tower The ugliest witch in…
All Around My Hat All around my hat I will wear the green willow And…
Black Jack Davy Late last night when the squire came home Inquiring for his…
Blackleg Miner It's in the evening after dark When the blackleg miner creep…
Cam Ye O'er Frae France Cam ye o'er frae France? Cam ye down by Lunnon? Saw…
Fighting For Strangers What makes you go abroad fighting for strangers When you cou…
Following Me Somebody's following, following me Somebody's following, fol…
Gaudete Gaudete, gaudete, Christus est natus Ex Maria virgine, gaude…
Gone To America Married him in April, lost him in July; Listen to my…
Hard Times Of Old England Come all brother tradesment that travel along O pray, come a…
John Barleycorn There were three men Came from the west Their fortunes for t…
Lady Diamond Johnson There was a lord, a lord lived in the North…
Let Her Go Down Sometime in October, We sailed from England's shore, When we…
London There's your lords and ladies fine, Riding in a coach and…
Long Lankin Said the Lord unto his Lady as he rode over…
Lovely On the Water As I walked out one morning In the springtime of the…
Marrowbones There was a woman in our town and in our…
My Johnny Was a Shoemaker Traditional My Johnny was a shoemaker and dearly he loved…
My Love Do you remember what we promised when we met, my…
New York Girls As I walked down through Chatham Street A fair maid I…
One Misty Moisty Morning One misty moisty morning when cloudy was the weather I met…
Rag Doll (Rag doll, ooh) (Hand me down) When she was just a…
Rave On Little things I like to say and do Make me want…
Rogues in a Nation Farewell to all our Scottish fame Farewell our ancient glory…
Sails of Silver What is it makes her to weep and to moan? I…
Tam Lin Oh, I forbid you maidens all That wear gold in your…
The Blacksmith A blacksmith courted me nine months or better He fairly won…
the false knight on the road "Oh, where are you going," says the false knight on…
The Fox Knight You can hound me now you've found me But I'm far…
The King Joy, health, love, and peace be all here in this…
The Victory I am a youthful lady My troubles they are great, My tongue…
Thomas The Rhymer True Thomas sat on Huntley bank And he beheld a lady…
To Know Him Is To Love Him Late last night when the squire came home Inquiring for his…


Ben - Moderator


on Bonny Moorhen

Hi Stuart, We have corrected the description above.

Stuart Tartan


on Bonny Moorhen

The song Bonny Moorhen by Steeleye Span is a traditional Scottish ballad that tells the story of a bird, the Bonny Moorhen, and its journey through the glen and over the sea. The narrator of the song expresses affection and admiration for the bird and asks others to toast its health when they are out drinking. The Bonny Moorhen is described as having a rainbow of feathers, including blue, which is unusual for a bird, and invites it to come to the narrator. However, in the second verse, the song takes a darker turn as the narrator reveals that the bird has gone over the sea and will not return until the summer. But when it does return, only certain people will know, suggesting that not everyone will be happy about the Bonny Moorhen's return. The third verse introduces a new element to the story, two men named Ronald and Donald who are out on the fen, presumably trying to hunt or harm the bird. The narrator calls for the Bonny Moorhen to come to them for safety. Overall, the song is a mix of admiration for the beauty of nature and a warning about the dangers that can lurk in it. The Bonny Moorhen represents something pure and innocent, but there are those who would try to harm it, and the song is a call to protect it.

This description of the song completely misses the point in every way. It IS NOT about a bird.
It is an allegorical Jacobite-era song about Bonny Prince Charlie (the bonny moorhen). The colours mentioned, for instance, are the colours of the Clan Stuart tartan.

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