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)
Star Of Belle Isle
Archie Fisher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
One evening for pleasure I rambled
To view the fair fields all alone
Down by the banks of Loch Erin
Where beauty and pleasure were known
I spied a fair maid at her labor
I thought her the Goddess of Beauty
The blooming bright star of Belle Isle
I humbled myself to her beauty
"Fair maiden, where do you belong?
Are you from the heavens descended
Abiding in Cupid's fair throng?"
"Young man, I will tell you a secret
It's true I'm a maid who is poor
And to part from my vows and my promise
Is more than my heart can endure
Therefore I'll remain at my service
And go through all hardship and toil
And wait for the lad that has left me
Alone on the banks of Belle Isle"
"Young maiden I wish not to banter
Tis true I came here in disguise
I came to fulfill my last promise
And hoped to give you a surprise
I own you're the maid I love dearly
You've been in my heart all the while
For me there is no other damsel
Than the blooming bright star of Belle Isle
The song "Star of Belle Isle" by Archie Fisher describes the story of a young man who discovers a beautiful maiden working on the banks of Loch Erin. The man is so taken by her beauty that he mistakes her for the Goddess of Beauty herself. He approaches the maiden and asks where she comes from and whether she is from the heavens. The fair maiden tells him that she is a poor maid and she cannot break her vows and promises to wait for her lost love to return, despite the hardship and toil.
The man then reveals that he is not a stranger, but the one she has been waiting for. He declares his love for her, stating she is the only one he desires, the "blooming bright star of Belle Isle.” The lyrics in the song tell a story of love and loyalty, as well as perseverance and devotion to loved ones, even in the most challenging circumstances.
The song has a slow and sweet melody, which enhances the emotions behind the lyrics, and the narrative is in a simple and straightforward style. The use of imagery like Loch Erin and Belle Isle romanticizes the story, making it even more compelling.
Line by Line Meaning
One evening for pleasure I rambled
One evening, I went for a walk in the hope of finding some pleasure.
To view the fair fields all alone
I wanted to admire the beauty of the open fields, by myself.
Down by the banks of Loch Erin
I went down to the banks of Loch Erin.
Where beauty and pleasure were known
I believed that the banks of Loch Erin were a place where both beauty and pleasure could be found.
I spied a fair maid at her labor
I saw a woman working.
Which caused me to stay for a while
I was intrigued, so I decided to stay a little longer.
I thought her the Goddess of Beauty
I was captivated by her beauty and believed she was like a goddess.
The blooming bright star of Belle Isle
I saw her as a shining star, the most beautiful woman on Belle Isle.
I humbled myself to her beauty
I was in awe of her beauty and humbled myself before her.
"Fair maiden, where do you belong?
I asked her where she came from, trying to engage in conversation.
Are you from the heavens descended
I asked if she was a heavenly being.
Abiding in Cupid's fair throng?"
I asked if she was with Cupid, the god of love.
"Young man, I will tell you a secret
The woman began to share a secret with me.
It's true I'm a maid who is poor
She revealed that she was a poor maid.
And to part from my vows and my promise
She said that breaking her promises was not something she could do.
Is more than my heart can endure
She felt that breaking promises would hurt her too much.
Therefore I'll remain at my service
She decided to continue her service and remain true to her promises.
And go through all hardship and toil
She was willing to go through any hardship or difficulty to stay true to her vows.
And wait for the lad that has left me
She was waiting for a man to return, who had left her alone on Belle Isle.
Alone on the banks of Belle Isle"
She was waiting for him alone.
"Young maiden I wish not to banter
I responded to her confession.
Tis true I came here in disguise
I admitted to coming there in disguise.
I came to fulfill my last promise
I revealed that my intention was to keep my promise.
And hoped to give you a surprise
I wanted to surprise her with my return.
I own you're the maid I love dearly
I professed my love for her.
You've been in my heart all the while
I revealed that she had been in my heart the whole time.
For me there is no other damsel
I declared that to me, no other woman could compare to her.
Than the blooming bright star of Belle Isle
I referred to her as the beaming star of Belle Isle, emphasizing her radiance and beauty.
Writer(s): traditional
Contributed by Isaiah T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vita9n
A lovely video sung by a great bard Archie Fisher.
@MrAurelius77
the best scotish folk singer.
@MrMusicguyma
Great job by Archie, Ed Trickett and Cathal McConnell also do a good job this Newfoundland tune.
@TheGB1950
Great music Thanks.
@darrenwestmore6784
I only know this song because of Steve Harley
@regexRex
I am pretty sure half of those views are mine