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.
Iron Lion
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I've been an engine driver all of my days
That's the only thing I can do
I hold a good head of steam everywhere that I'm seen
Wherever my wheels rolled through
Wherever my wheels rolled through
Well, I was nearly shut down in a Midwest town
Her hair was red, her eyes were blue
So I bid that girl adieu
Yes, I bid that girl adieu
Blow whistle, steel wheels keep on humming
Hold on darling your engine driver's coming
He's coming through
Some day I'll have to give up the iron line
And then I'll know just what I will find
I'll find me some shack by some old railroad track
So I can hear them motors whine
So I can hear them motors whine
Blow whistle, hear them steel rails humming
Hold on darling your engineer is coming
He's coming through
Now I've been an engine driver all of my days
That's the only thing I can do
I hold a good head of steam anywhere that I'm seen
Anywhere my trains rolled through
Anywhere my trains rolled through
Blow whistle, hear that steel rail humming
Hold on girl your engine driver's coming
Coming to you
The lyrics to Fairport Convention's song "Iron Lion," written by Trevor Lucas, tell the story of a lifelong engine driver. The singer expresses his love for his job, and how it's the only thing he knows how to do. He takes pride in his work and his ability to "hold a good head of steam" wherever he goes. The singer recounts a moment where he was almost derailed when he met a girl with "red hair" and "blue eyes" in a midwest town. However, the wheels kept calling him back to his job, and he had to bid the girl farewell. The song ends with him looking towards the future, imagining a time when he can retire and live near railroad tracks to listen to the engines whine.
The song's lyrics express a love for the railway and the unique sense of freedom that comes with being a lifelong engine driver. The singer's passion for his work is evident in the way he describes the feeling of being on the tracks and the lure they have over him. He's torn between the desire to settle down with the girl he met and the call of the wheels to continue on with his work. The song's lyrics suggest that the singer's passion for his job is so strong that he will likely never be able to let it go completely, even when he retires.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I've been an engine driver all of my days
I have spent my entire life working as a train driver
That's the only thing I can do
Being a train driver is the only skill I possess
I hold a good head of steam everywhere that I'm seen
I am always ready and capable of driving trains with great energy and enthusiasm
Wherever my wheels rolled through
Everywhere I have driven a train
Well, I was nearly shut down in a Midwest town
I almost gave up being a train driver in a town in the Midwest
Her hair was red, her eyes were blue
I met a girl with red hair and blue eyes
But the wheels on the track kept calling me back
I couldn't resist the lure of driving trains again
So I bid that girl adieu
I said goodbye to the girl and went back to being a train driver
Blow whistle, steel wheels keep on humming
The sound of the train whistle and the steel wheels rolling is constant and reassuring
Hold on darling your engine driver's coming
I am on my way to you, my love
He's coming through
I am arriving soon
Some day I'll have to give up the iron line
One day, I will have to retire from being a train driver
And then I'll know just what I will find
When I retire, I will finally know what my future holds
I'll find me some shack by some old railroad track
I will likely retire near an old railroad track and live in a small shack
So I can hear them motors whine
I want to be close enough to hear the sound of trains passing by
Blow whistle, hear them steel rails humming
The sound of the train whistle and the steel rails is still present in my memory
Hold on darling your engineer is coming
I am still on my way, my love
Now I've been an engine driver all of my days
I have spent my entire life working as a train driver
That's the only thing I can do
Being a train driver is the only skill I possess
I hold a good head of steam anywhere that I'm seen
I am always ready and capable of driving trains with great energy and enthusiasm
Anywhere my trains rolled through
Everywhere I have driven a train
Blow whistle, hear that steel rail humming
The sound of the train whistle and the steel rails is still present in my memory
Hold on girl your engine driver's coming
I am on my way to you, my love
Coming to you
I am approaching my destination
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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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...