The British folk revival of the 50s and 60s was more than just going along with Dylan and Pete Seeger and the American revival. It had a tone and sound of its own. Beginning with players like Davey Graham and Ewan MacColl, and his protégé, Anne Briggs, and bands like the Copper Family a new fresh attitude spread through the burgeoning scence.
At places like Bunjies and the Troubadour singer songwriters like Bert Jansch, John Martyn, Roy Harper, and Ralph MacTell spread a new view of the British songwriter. They went on to inspire Donovan, Nick Drake and others. Meanwhile there was an awakening interest in playing around with both electric instruments and traditional folk, among others, June Tabor, Maddy Prior with Steeleye Span,and Fairport Convention with Sandy Denny, Richard and Linda Thompson, and Pentangle all created real interest. Along with eccentrics like the Incredible String Band they ensured that British Folk was rediscovered all over the British Isles.
The next generation of bands went for something even more authentic - Bands like the Albion band, and singers like the Watersons were trying to be folk, rather than just ecletic- they took genuine folksongs and either reworked them or left well alone.
The British Folk scene is best represented by Cecil Sharpe House (Very traditional), Folk on 2 - A weekly radio show with Mike Harding, and the Cambridge Folk Festival. There are an increasing number of folk festivals throughout the British Isles.
3WW
alt-J Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Stepped out one morning
The ground to be his bed
The sky his awning
Neon, neon, neon
A blue neon lamp in a midnight country field
Can't surround so you lean on, lean on
So much your heart's become fond of this
Oh, these three worn words
Oh, let me whisper like the rubbing hands
Of tourists in Verona
I just want to love you in my own language
Well, that smell of sex
Good like burning wood
The wayward lad laid claim
To two thirsty girls from Hornsea
Who left a note when morning came
Girls from the pool say "Hi" (hi)
The road erodes at five feet per year
Along England's east coastline
Was this your first time?
Love is just a button we pressed
Last night by the campfire
Oh, these three worn words
Oh, that we whisper like the rubbing hands
Of tourists in Verona
I just want to love you in my own language
The song tells the story of a wayward lad who chooses to live an unconventional life, sleeping out in the open with the sky as his canopy. The neon lamp in the midnight country field represents an artificial light source in the midst of nature, highlighting the tension between human-made and natural surroundings. The singer refers to “these three worn words,” likely alluding to the phrase “I love you.” However, instead of simply stating his love, he desires to express it in his own unique way, using his own language. This idea is reiterated in the chorus, where he imagines whispering sweet nothings to his beloved like tourists whisper in Verona.
The song takes a turn towards a sexual encounter between the wayward lad and two girls from Hornsea. The smell of sex is compared to the burning of wood, suggesting that it is seen as a natural and primal act. The fleeting nature of the encounter is emphasized by the girls leaving a note and the road eroding at five feet per year, indicating that the memories of the experience will soon disappear. Despite this, the singer still desires to express his love in his own way, using his own language.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a wayward lad
A young man who lacked direction or purpose
Stepped out one morning
Set out on a journey or adventure
The ground to be his bed
He slept outdoors, without a proper bed or shelter
The sky his awning
He used the sky as a makeshift canopy or shelter
Neon, neon, neon
A bright, eye-catching element in a dark and lonely place
A blue neon lamp in a midnight country field
A single, flickering light in a desolate landscape
Can't surround so you lean on, lean on
In the absence of true companionship, one must rely on fleeting sources of comfort
So much your heart's become fond of this
Over time, one becomes attached to even the smallest sources of happiness
Oh, these three worn words
Deep, meaningful expressions of love that are often overused and clichéd
Oh, let me whisper like the rubbing hands
The gentle, intimate sound of hands being rubbed together in a tender gesture
Of tourists in Verona
The image of two lovers in a romantic and historic city, whispering sweet nothings to each other
I just want to love you in my own language
Expressing a desire for a unique and personal way of expressing love
Well, that smell of sex
A pungent, unforgettable scent that lingers after physical intimacy
Good like burning wood
A sense of satisfaction and warmth, like a cozy fire
The wayward lad laid claim
The young man took ownership or control of a situation
To two thirsty girls from Hornsea
He became involved with two young women who had a strong desire for him
Who left a note when morning came
The women quickly left after their encounter, leaving a written message behind
Girls from the pool say 'Hi' (hi)
A greeting or acknowledgement from a group of women, possibly with whom the young man had a casual relationship or acquaintance
The road erodes at five feet per year
A reference to the gradual, inevitable wear and tear of time and nature
Along England's east coastline
The specific location or setting for the story
Was this your first time?
A question or inquiry about someone's sexual experience
Love is just a button we pressed
A metaphor for the way love and physical intimacy can sometimes feel transactional or mechanical
Last night by the campfire
An idyllic or romantic setting for a sexual encounter or intimate moment
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Thomas Stuart Green, Augustus Figaro Niso Unger-Hamilton, Joe Jerome Newman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@volstrekt
"3WW"
(feat. Ellie Rowsell)
[Gus Unger-Hamilton:]
There was a wayward lad
Stepped out one morning
The ground to be his bed
The sky his awning
[Joe Newman:]
Neon, neon, neon
A blue neon lamp in a midnight country field
Can't surround so you lean on, lean on
So much your heart's become fond of this
[Joe Newman + Gus Unger-Hamilton:]
Oh, these three worn words
Oh, that we whisper
Like the rubbing hands
Of tourists in Verona
I just want to love you in my own language
[Joe Newman:]
Well, that smell of sex
Good like burning wood
The wayward lad laid claim
To two thirsty girls from Hornsea
Who left a note when morning came
[Ellie Rowsell:]
Girls from the pool say "Hi" (hi)
The road erodes at five feet per year
Along England's east coastline
Was this your first time?
Love is just a button we pressed
Last night by the campfire
[Joe Newman + Ellie Rowsell:]
Oh, these three worn words
Oh, that we whisper
Like the rubbing hands
Of tourists in Verona
I just want to love you in my own language
.........
@michaelforever
There was a wayward lad
Stepped out one morning
The ground to be his bed
The sky his awning
Neon, neon, neon
A blue neon lamp in a midnight country field
Can't surround so you lean on, lean on
So much your heart's become fond of this
Oh, these three worn words
Oh, that we whisper
Like the rubbing hands
Of tourists in Verona
I just want to love you in my own language
Well, that smell of sex
Good like burning wood
The wayward lad laid claim
To two thirsty girls from Hornsea
Who left a note when morning came
Girls from the pool say "Hi" (hi)
The road erodes at five feet per year
Along England's east coastline
Was this your first time?
Love is just a button we pressed
Last night by campfire
Oh, these three worn words
Oh, that we whisper
Like the rubbing hands
Of tourists in Verona
I just want to love you in my own language
@jamesprigioni
I often am just drawn back to this song
@missblack9488
And once again we call to you.
@tyronesmithers8967
Truly magical!
@Ari-el3xl
"I just want to love you in my own language" is one of the most beautiful lines I've ever heard
@fanfoua
Make so much sense to me. Be understood and understand the one you love. Find someone you know how to talk to and who knows what words to use to talk to you too.
@bobdoubter2977
A secret of life has been revealed. Speak and find the one that listens to You.
@sibkhan2364
Can you please explain to me what is this line means at the context of the song? I’m not an English speaking person and I’m afraid that I can’t get it not because of metaphor but because of bad language knowing and bad understanding of the whole lyrics of the song
@JB-pi9mf
@@sibkhan2364 So the lines before are "oh these three worn words, that we whisper, like the rubbing hands of tourists in Verona". In Verona there is a statue of Juliet, and an old legend states that rubbing the statue brings your relationship good luck. Sadly, the rubbing hands of so many tourists desperate to bless their relationship have eroded the statue, and now access is restricted. So the message is those three worn words (3ww) of "I love you" are said so often and potentially insincerely in order to force a relationship to work, maybe out of pressure, like the desperation to rub the statue, and have ruined the meaning like this erosion. Thus the lead singer wants to "love him/her in his own language", free from the outside pressure, clichéd ways and desperation to make the relationship work. Something meaningful to him and them.
@jakartaishell3073
@@JB-pi9mf Thanks for the explanation. Not the OP, but it is gold dust to find meaningful responses in YouTube comments.
@imaginewagons7169
When I lost my friend in a car accident I lost interest in all of my music, a few years later now I played along to this song with my cello for the first time in 5 years. A tear fell down my eyes, I was never one for showing emotions but this touched me deeply, I truly miss him.