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.
Book Song
Fairport Convention Lyrics
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Would she know where to smile, what to say?
When she leaves from her book to be with me
Where's her mind as she stands while I play?
She left behind names in the pages
And the time she took out, they stayed in
Now she thinks that she maybe should tell them
Now she's looking at me while I'm writing
Does she know where to smile, what to say?
When she leaves from her book to be with me
What's she thinking about while I play?
The lyrics to Fairport Convention's "Book Song" are enigmatic and open to interpretation. The song tells the story of a woman who leaves behind her book to be with the singer. The singer is watching her and wondering what she is thinking as she stands there. The woman has left names in the pages of her book, and she thinks that she should tell them about the singer's book and the places she has been. As the singer writes, the woman looks at him, and he wonders what she is thinking.
The song may be about the power of books to transport and transform us. The woman in the song loves her book and the places it takes her, but she also loves the singer and the experiences he is offering her. The singer is aware of this tension and wonders if the woman truly understands what she is sacrificing by leaving her book behind. The lyrics may also be interpreted as a meditation on the nature of love and the difficulty of truly understanding another person's thoughts and feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
If she knew what I've seen while I'm watching
Wondering about whether the person he is with understands his thoughts and experiences that he has during their time together.
Would she know where to smile, what to say?
Questioning whether the person he is with is truly engaged in their relationship and if they know how to react to his emotions.
When she leaves from her book to be with me
Describing how the person he is with is stepping out of her comfort zone to spend time with him and be a part of his life.
Where's her mind as she stands while I play?
Wondering about the thoughts and feelings of the person he is with while he plays music.
She left behind names in the pages
Referring to the person he is with leaving a part of herself in her own personal history.
And the time she took out, they stayed in
Alluding to how memories and experiences can stay with a person forever despite the passage of time.
Now she thinks that she maybe should tell them
Suggesting that the person he is with may be considering sharing her past experiences with others.
Of my book and the places she's been
Referring to the places and experiences that the person he is with has been introduced to through their relationship.
Now she's looking at me while I'm writing
Describing the dynamic of the two people where he is writing and the other person is observing him.
Does she know where to smile, what to say?
Questioning whether the person he is with knows what to do in this situation or if she is genuinely connected with him.
What's she thinking about while I play?
Expresses his curiosity about what the person he is with is thinking while listening to his music.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: IAN MATTHEWS, Richard John (Gb1) Thompson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ronno
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...