Archie Fisher was born in Glasgow on 23 October 1939. In 1960 he moved to Edinburgh and appeared regularly at a folk club called "The Howff" run by Roy Guest. In 1962 Ray & Archie Fisher released a single on the Topic label, "Far Over the Forth". They appeared on the BBC programme 'Hootenanny'. In 1965 the whole family released an album "Traditional and New Songs from Scotland" under the name The Fisher Family.
Bert Jansch visited The Howff in 1960 and received guitar lessons from another regular performer, Len Partridge. Archie met Robin Williamson, Clive Palmer and Mike Heron, later to become The Incredible String Band.
By 1964 the Edinburgh Fringe could boast a folk festival in its own right. An album of the participants was released on Decca. It was called "Edinburgh Folk Festival vol 2" and contained tracks by Ray Fisher, Archie Fisher, Anne Briggs, and the Ian Campbell Folk Group (including Dave Swarbrick). Jansch and Briggs performed together but this was never recorded. At an early stage Archie recognised the power of Barbara Dickson's singing and in 1969 invited her to guest on his albums. His live act included 'All Around My Hat', later to become a hit for Steeleye Span. His song "Witch of the Westmorland" was recorded by Barbara Dickson in 1971 on her album "From the Beggar's Mantle", by Archie on "The Man With a Rhyme" in 1976, by Stan Rogers in 1979 and by Golden Bough in 1983.
In 1983 he started hosting a folk programme on Radio Scotland, called Travelling Folk. It is still running. He appeared as the lead guitarist on Tom Paxton's 1986 album, The Very Best of Tom Paxton. After Barbara Dickson achieved fame as an easy listening singer it was many years before she sang folk songs again. When she did, Archie was invited back to join her. Archie has toured Canada and the USA. His style of singing is very gentle and he avoids all electronic instruments. "Dark-Eyed Molly" has been recorded by Fairport Convention, Eva Cassidy, Stan Rogers, and Sheena Wellington. He now lives in the north of England.
Discography:
Ray & Archie Fisher
* Far Over the Forth (1962)
The Fisher Family
* Traditional and New Songs From Scotland (1965)
Solo Recordings
* Archie Fisher (1968)
* Orfeo (1970)
* Will Ye Gang, Love (1976)
* The Man With A Rhyme (1976)
* Sunsets I've Galloped Into (1995)
* Windward Away (2010)
With Barbara Dickson
* The Fate o' Charlie (1969)
* Thro' The Recent Years (1970)
With Garnet Rogers
* Off the Map (1986)
Silver Coin
Archie Fisher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though not old enough to know
What it is to be lonely
What it is to be without a home
I've a friend around
Who loves me rain or shine
Don't ask me why
But her younger eyes are so much
I thought I was well read
Wouldn't have to ask her for a lead
Till I read what her eyes said
Then I knew there was nothing more to read
Nothing more to do
And nothing more to say
But give all my words away
To someone who needs them
But can't find a girl like you
I ran all the way here
To be the first to see the morning star
There were others before me
For the sounds of beauty travel far
I hear it loud and clear
And it rings like a silver coin
Thrown down on stone
Though I'm lost in a crowd
I know you're around me somehow
I hear it loud and clear
And it rings like the silver coin
Thrown down on stone
Though I'm lost in a crowd
I know you're around me somehow
The lyrics to Archie Fisher's song Silver Coin touch on themes of growing older, loneliness, friendship, and the search for beauty and meaning in one's life. The singer reflects on his own age and lack of life experience, acknowledging that he has not yet experienced the same depths of loneliness and homelessness that others do. Despite this, he has a friend who loves him unconditionally - someone he looks up to as a mentor despite being younger than him.
As the song progresses, the singer realizes that he does not have all the answers and that there are things he still needs to learn. His friend's eyes contain a wisdom that he cannot find in books, and reading them reveals a depth of knowledge he has yet to encounter. Realizing this, the singer offers his words to anyone who needs them but cannot find someone like his friend.
The song ends with the singer searching for a sign of beauty - the morning star - and realizing that others have come before him. However, the beauty he seeks is still present, symbolized by the ringing of a silver coin on stone. Despite being lost in a crowd, the singer feels the presence of his friend and the comfort that comes from their friendship.
Overall, the lyrics of Silver Coin emphasize the importance of friendship and mentorship, as well as the ongoing search for knowledge and beauty in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Now that I'm older
As I've grown, I've gained some perspective
Though not old enough to know
Despite not yet experiencing everything life has to offer
What it is to be lonely
The feeling of isolation and solitude
What it is to be without a home
The struggle of not having a place to call one's own
I've a friend around
Luckily, I have someone by my side
Who loves me rain or shine
She is always there for me, no matter what
Don't ask me why
I cannot explain, but it is true
But her younger eyes are so much
Despite her youth, she has a wise perspective
Older eyes than mine
That I have not yet attained
I thought I was well read
I believed I had all the knowledge I needed
Wouldn't have to ask her for a lead
I thought I could figure things out on my own
Till I read what her eyes said
But once I saw the wisdom in her eyes
Then I knew there was nothing more to read
I realized there was still so much I didn't know
Nothing more to do
And there was no action I could take to change that
And nothing more to say
I couldn't put it into words
But give all my words away
Instead, I wanted to give them to someone who could use them
To someone who needs them
Someone who hasn't yet gained that same wisdom
But can't find a girl like you
But even though I want to help someone, I cannot find someone with the same level of wisdom as my friend
I ran all the way here
I went to great lengths to be here
To be the first to see the morning star
Specifically for this experience
There were others before me
But I was not the only one with this idea
For the sounds of beauty travel far
Others can hear the same beauty I am seeking, no matter where they are
I hear it loud and clear
I can hear it vividly
And it rings like a silver coin
It sounds clear and pure
Thrown down on stone
As if someone tossed a silver coin onto a hard surface
Though I'm lost in a crowd
Even though I am surrounded by many people
I know you're around me somehow
I still feel connected to my friend, no matter how many people are here
I hear it loud and clear
Again, I can hear it vividly
And it rings like the silver coin
It sounds just as clear and pure as before
Thrown down on stone
As if someone tossed a silver coin onto a hard surface
Though I'm lost in a crowd
Even though I am surrounded by many people
I know you're around me somehow
I still feel connected to my friend, no matter how many people are here
Contributed by Julia S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.