Like their peers The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield and Jefferson Airplane they were blessed with several considerable individual talents and produced music that -at least initially- was eclectic, as well as exploratory. This side of the band may best be heard on Heyday, a collection of tracks broadcast by the BBC. The move to a more British form of folk rock came primarily as a result of the enthusiasm of bassist Ashley Hutchings and producer Joe Boyd. Original singer Judy Dyble was replaced on their second LP What We Did On Our Holidays by Sandy Denny, an experienced folk singer and excellent composer in her own right. Fiddle virtuoso Dave Swarbrick joined, initially as sessioneer, on their third, Unhalfbricking. That LP has arguably their first two bona fide masterpieces. One is their version of the Sandy Denny song, Who Knows Where the Time Goes, popularized by Judy Collins, but characterised on their version by a perfect balance between Denny's vocals and the exquisite support of the group as a whole, and lead guitarist Richard Thompson in particular. The other is A Sailor's Life, the first to demonstrate the potential power of folk rock, the song exploding in an improvised and sophisticated instrumental coda that reaches beyond the words through the impassioned interplay of the whole band, led by the virtuosity of Thompson and Swarbrick in particular. Thompson also soon showed that he could create his own distinctive songs, notably the anthemic Meet on the Ledge, on Holidays.
The following LP Liege and Lief is perhaps Fairport's finest hour. Liege and Lief is generally remembered for its virtuoso versions of traditional folk songs but it also contains beautiful originals by Thompson and Denny. However the next, Full House -deliberately rockier in tone- has its particular gems, most notably Sloth, for its extended guitar/ fiddle duel and Poor Will and the Jolly Hangman, a perfect expression of Thompson's mordant humour; along with the sleeve notes, surely amongst the strangest and funniest ever.
The band continued with a series of personnel changes and albums, all with at least some high points, until it was temporarily disbanded in 1979, but played annual reunion concerts until it reformed in 1985. Since then, it has enjoyed stability and continues to tour and record regularly.
In part, the continuing success of Fairport Convention is due to the annual music festival it organizes. Cropredy Festival has been held every year since 1974 near Cropredy, a village five miles north of Banbury, Oxfordshire and can attract upwards of 20,000 fans.
In 2002 the band was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards. In 2006 Radio 2 listeners voted their 1969 album Liege & Lief as the Most Influential Folk Album of All Time. A mass reunion of living Fairport members performed at the ceremony.
After Halloween
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The charcoal branches lean against the rosy sky
You are so far away and I could touch you if I may
But don't you worry now, I'm only dreaming anyway
You may be lonely, you may be just on your own
It could be anywhere, some place that I have know
But who am I and do we really live these days at all
And are they simply feelings we have learnt and do recall
But I love her too, so maybe I love you
Tears are only made of salt and water
And across the waves the sound of laughter
October has gone and left me with a song
That I will sing to you although the moment may be wrong
Could it be the sea's as real as you and I?
I often wonder why I always have to say
I'm only dreaming anyway
Could it be the sea's as real as you and I?
I often wonder why I always have to say
I'm only dreaming anyway
The opening lines of Fairport Convention's song "After Halloween" sets the tone for the lyrics to come. Red and gold and Halloween have come and gone, and the charcoal branches of the trees stand out against the rosy sky. The imagery suggests that the colorful and vibrant festivities of Halloween have given way to a more muted and subdued time in which the singer is now lost in thoughts and memories. He is yearning for the presence of a loved one who is far away, and the distance between them seems to amplify his sense of loneliness. However, he is trying to reassure himself that it's just a dream, and he's not really alone. He wonders whether our experiences and feelings are just something we learn and recall, or whether they are real and meaningful in themselves. The sea makes the singer cry, but he also loves it, just as he may love the absent person he's thinking of. The contrast between tears made of salt and water and the sound of laughter creates a sense of nostalgia and longing. The song ends with a recurring question, "Could it be the sea's as real as you and I?", suggesting that the boundary between reality and imagination, between being awake and dreaming, is not always clear.
The lyrics to "After Halloween" are open to interpretation and can be seen as reflections on love, loss, memory, and existence itself. They have a dreamlike quality that evokes a sense of uncertainty and transience. Some analysts have suggested that the song may be influenced by the philosophy of existentialism, which emphasizes the individual's freedom and responsibility in creating meaning and purpose in a world that may be otherwise perceived as meaningless. The sea, which is a recurrent theme in the song, may symbolize the vastness of the universe and the mystery of existence. The song uses poetic language and metaphors to convey these themes, and the singer's voice has a plaintive and melancholic quality that adds emotional depth to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Red and gold and Halloween have passed us by
The festive season is over and we're in a transitional period.
The charcoal branches lean against the rosy sky
The trees appear black and make a striking contrast against the evening sky.
You are so far away and I could touch you if I may
You're distant, but I wish I could be near you.
But don't you worry now, I'm only dreaming anyway
Don't concern yourself; my thoughts are only fantasies.
You may be lonely, you may be just on your own
You might be alone and yearning for company.
It could be anywhere, some place that I have known
It's likely an indeterminate memory of somewhere I've been before.
But who am I and do we really live these days at all
I'm unsure of my own identity and if life has lost its meaning.
And are they simply feelings we have learnt and do recall
Are emotions just things we've learned and later recollected?
Oh, the sea has made me cry
The ocean has evoked a profound emotional response from me.
But I love her too, so maybe I love you
I feel deep affection for both the ocean and possibly you.
Tears are only made of salt and water
Crying is purely a physical response, just salt and water coming out of our eyes.
And across the waves the sound of laughter
I hear laughter on the waves, possibly from people enjoying themselves on boats.
October has gone and left me with a song
October has passed, but it has inspired me to create music.
That I will sing to you although the moment may be wrong
I'll share this song with you even if the timing isn't perfect.
Could it be the sea's as real as you and I?
Perhaps the ocean is just as tangible as human beings.
I often wonder why I always have to say
I frequently question why I feel compelled to express myself this way.
I'm only dreaming anyway
Ultimately, I understand that my thoughts are just fantasies.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SANDY DENNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ronno
on Book Song
Beautiful song, even if I can't understand what's going on: she's reading a book, he's writing one (and playing) .. I wanted it to be abouth former FC singer Judy Dyble , who would knit on stage if she wasn't singing. The girlfriend theory makes some sense, but if Ian said it was about his daughter...