Born James Alan Hull in Benwell, Newcastle upon Tyne on 20th February1945, he became a member of the band The Chosen Few alongside keyboard player Mick Gallagher in 1962. He supported himself one year by working as a nurse at a mental hospital while appearing as a folk singer and guitarist in local clubs before helping to form Brethren and Downtown Faction, which evolved into Lindisfarne in 1970. He also released a one-off solo single, "We Can Swing Together", which was re-recorded with the group on their first album, Nicely Out of Tune, and became a regular favourite in their stage performances.
As the group's most prolific songwriter and joint lead vocalist, Hull came to be regarded as its leader. In 1972, dissatisfied with the sound and critical reception of their third album Dingly Dell, he considered leaving the group, but instead he and joint lead vocalist Ray "Jacka" Jackson formed a new six-piece Lindisfarne the following year, leaving the three other original members to form Jack the Lad. He also released a first solo album, Pipedream, in the same year, and published a book of poems, Mocking Horse.
Lindisfarne disbanded in 1975, and Hull released a second solo album, Squire, then formed the short-lived Radiator, which also included drummer Ray Laidlaw of Lindisfarne and Jack the Lad. At the end of 1977 the original line-up of Lindisfarne reformed after a well-received Christmas show at the Newcastle City Hall which was broadcast on local radio. Thereafter he combined his musical career as front man of the group with a solo career. He was also a staunch Labour Party activist.
In 1994, he recorded Back to Basics, a live all-acoustic survey of the best of his songwriting from 1970 onwards. On 17th November 1995 whilst working on a new album, Statues & Liberties, Hull died suddenly of a heart thrombosis, at the age of fifty.
Winter Song
Alan Hull Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When Winter's shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie about the cold around your feet
Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat
When winter..... comes howling in.
And your rain splattered windows make you decide to stay in bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp who wishes he was dead
Or do you pull the bedclothes higher, dream of summertime instead ?
When winter..... comes howling in.
The creeping cold has fingers, that access with permission
And mystic crystal snowdrops only aggravate the condition
Do you spare a thought for the gypsy with no secure position
Who's turned and spurned by village and town, at the magistrate's decision ?
When winter..... comes howling in.
When the turkey's in the oven, and the Christmas presents are bought
And Santa's in his module, he's an American astronaut
Do you spare a thought for Jesus, who had nothing but his thoughts,
Who gut busted just for talking, and befriending the wrong sorts ?
When winter..... comes howling in.
When winter..... comes howling in.
When winter' shadowy fingers first persue you down the street
And your boot's no longer lie about the cold around your feet
Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat
When winter .......... comes howling in.
The lyrics of Alan Hull's song "Winter Song" are full of thought-provoking questions that encourage the listener to reflect on the effects of winter, both physically and emotionally. The first verse starts with the image of winter creeping up on you, followed by the realization of the palpable coldness affecting your feet. This prompts the question of whether the listener remembers the warmth and memories of summer, now lost and decaying.
In the second verse, the wind is personified as a strange singer, and rainy windows urge the listener to stay in bed. The question posed here is whether one thinks of the less fortunate, like the homeless, who are left out in the cold with little hope or comfort. The third verse draws attention to the gypsy, who is ostracized and treated unfairly by society, especially in winter's harsh conditions when they find it hard to get by. The question here is whether the listener spares a thought for those who are marginalized and persecuted.
The final verse ties in the holiday season with the true meaning of Christmas. The turkey is roasting, and presents are bought, yet the listener is asked if they remember the peaceful mind of Jesus, a person who had nothing but his thoughts and was shunned by society. The song's chorus iterates once more the image of winter's cold fingers and lost summer memories. The winter is described not only as a physical season but also as a metaphor for the hardships faced by those who are misunderstood or overlooked in life.
Line by Line Meaning
When Winter's shadowy fingers first pursue you down the street
When cold weather approaches and you feel it around you
And your boots no longer lie about the cold around your feet
When your feet start to feel cold even when you're wearing boots
Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete
Do you remember the warmth of summer which has now passed
Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat
Summer memories now seem destroyed and the ruins of heat remain
When winter..... comes howling in.
When winter arrives with force
When the wind is singing strangely, blowing music thru your head
When the wind makes eerie sounds and affects your thoughts
And your rain splattered windows make you decide to stay in bed
When the rain on your windows makes you not want to leave bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp who wishes he was dead
Do you think about the plight of the homeless person who wishes to die
Or do you pull the bedclothes higher, dream of summertime instead ?
Do you ignore their plight and dream of summer warmth instead
The creeping cold has fingers, that access with permission
The cold has a way of creeping in and affecting you deeply
And mystic crystal snowdrops only aggravate the condition
The snow and ice only make it worse
Do you spare a thought for the gypsy with no secure position
Do you consider the plight of people who have no home or security
Who's turned and spurned by village and town, at the magistrate's decision ?
The people who have been rejected by society and the legal system
When the turkey's in the oven, and the Christmas presents are bought
When you're busy with holiday preparations
And Santa's in his module, he's an American astronaut
When you're wrapped up in the commercialism of Christmas and Santa seems more like a space adventurer
Do you spare a thought for Jesus, who had nothing but his thoughts,
Do you remember the true meaning of Christmas, and the humble origins of its namesake
Who gut busted just for talking, and befriending the wrong sorts ?
Who suffered greatly for simply speaking out and befriending people who were considered outsiders
When winter..... comes howling in.
When winter returns with a vengeance
When winter' shadowy fingers first persue you down the street
When the first signs of winter start to show themselves
And your boot's no longer lie about the cold around your feet
When your boots can no longer conceal the cold you're feeling
Do you spare a thought for summer whose passage is complete
Do you remember the summer that's now gone
Whose memories lie in ruins and whose ruins lie in heat
Summer memories may be ruined now that it's gone, and its warmth is missed
When winter .......... comes howling in.
When winter arrives abruptly
Contributed by Victoria F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mark Rae
Saw Lindisfarne at the City Hall so many times. Alan Hull was a total genius! So proud that my passport says "Place of birth: Newcastle-upon-Tyne" :-)
Lisa S
love Lindisfarne and Alan Hull. This is one of those songs that tug at the heartstrings. Alan lives on in the beautiful meaningful songs that he wrote. God bless you
Steve O'
I watched the BBC4 documentary last night , brought it all flooding back, we went to a Newcastle city hall Christmas show from Watford in the 70s no hotel or bnb slept in the car overnight and woke to frost inside the car but worth every bit to see Lindisfarne in their home town , over the years I saw Alan many times , sad loss to music and the people
Woody Turner
A beautiful song, they don't write them like this anymore.....
Geoff Parkes
50 years later, I still well up when I hear this song. I created a bass line to accompany my friend on acoustic for our tribute to Alan. RIP ole bud.
scruttles
Thanks Alan, I've had a few bottles o dog now, but your message comes over every bit as clear as it did in '71 when I first heard it. Eternal. God bless...
michael mcnally
Great song by one of the finest song writers.
brian c
Alan had a great way of saying poetic things which made one think "why did I not say that" ?
The answer is ... "he was a genius and you are not"
I saw him several times at Newcastle City Hall and also at York Uni
Blue Planet for Sale
A gorgeous, beautiful and melodic tone. Oldwolfcottage considers this a little gemstone.
Lisa Perry
Looking forward to Sam Fender's version of this. I know he'll do it justice.