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.
Eastern Rain
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We watch it come
To hang like beaded curtains till the morning sun
Water dripping from our clothes
You, with raindrops on your nose,
Ask me sadly, "Please don't go away, no"
"Till the rain is done," I say, "I'll stay now"
Shadows by the fire
Slowly climb and fall
Kisses fade and leave no trace
Whispers vanish into space
None will send me on a chase to nowhere
What matters if I were the first to go there?
Morning comes up from the east
We watch it come
And far away now rolls the angry rain god's drum
You, with daybreak in your eyes
Afraid to speak for telling lies
I watch you search for some reply to lend me
But when the rain is done we'll stop pretending
The lyrics of Fairport Convention's "Eastern Rain" depict a night-long rainstorm that has been observed by two people. As they watch the rain from inside, it is compared to beaded curtains that hang until the morning sun. Even as water drips from their clothes, they remain together, and one of them asks the other not to abandon them. The subjects in the song seem to be waiting for the storm to pass, enjoying each other's company, and taking in the tranquillity that the rain provides.
The dramatic shift in tone of the last stanza, where the lyrics describe the arrival of the morning sun, and how the storm is now far away, from an angry rain god is evidence of a clear change in mood. The singer talks of the sun rising from the east and the romantic interest is filled with daybreak in their eyes, likely a metaphor for hope and new beginnings. The love shared between these two people is put to the test when they are deprived of physical contact by a lack of privacy, but they come together when the weather clears.
Overall, the song's lyrics capture the endearing and sometimes solemn moments shared between two lovers waiting for the rain to pass. It illustrates not only the passage of time but portrays the sentiments surrounding relationships that are strongly tested by circumstances beyond one's control.
Line by Line Meaning
Rain comes from the east one night
There was a sudden rain at night that came from the east
We watch it come
We witnessed the rain as it started to pour
To hang like beaded curtains till the morning sun
The rain continued till morning, appearing like beautiful hanging curtains of beads
Water dripping from our clothes
We were drenched in water and our clothes were wet from the rain
You, with raindrops on your nose, Ask me sadly, 'Please don't go away, no'
You had raindrops on your nose and said to me sorrowfully, 'Please don't leave me now'
Till the rain is done, I say, 'I'll stay now'
I decided to stay until the rain stops
Rain outside but inside we don't mind at all
Even though it was raining outside, it did not bother us inside
Shadows by the fire
The fire was casting shadows inside the room
Slowly climb and fall
The shadows moved steadily as the fire flickered
Kisses fade and leave no trace
Kisses do not last long and do not leave any physical mark
Whispers vanish into space
Whispers do not stay and disappear into the air
None will send me on a chase to nowhere
I have no intention of chasing something that leads me nowhere
What matters if I were the first to go there?
It does not matter if I am the first person to go somewhere if there is no real reward in doing so
Morning comes up from the east
Morning arrived from the east
We watch it come
We observed the arrival of the morning
And far away now rolls the angry rain god's drum
The sound of rain in the distance seemed like an angry drum played by a god
You, with daybreak in your eyes
You had a hopeful expression in your eyes as the sun rose
Afraid to speak for telling lies
You did not want to speak for fear of telling lies
I watch you search for some reply to lend me
I observed you searching for a response to give me
But when the rain is done we'll stop pretending
We will not pretend anymore once the rain has stopped
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: MITCHELL
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...