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.
Lord Marlborough
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That knocks down churches and castle walls but now to death must yield
We must go and face our daring foes and with a sword and shield
I often fought with my merry men but now to death must yield
I am an Englishman by birth, Lord Marlborough is my name
And I was brought up in London town, a place of noted fame
I was beloved by all my men, and kings and princes likewise
And then all the towns we took to all the world's surprise
And at the battle of Ramillies we boldly did advance
The sun was down, the earth did quake, so loudly did he cry
"Fight on, my boys, for old England's sake, we'll conquer or we'll die"
But now we gained the victory and bravely kept the field
We took great numbers of prisoners and forced them all to yield
That very day my horse got shot, 'twas by a musket ball
And as I mounted up again, my aide-de-camp did fall
Now I on a bed of sickness lie, I am resigned to die
You generals and champions bold stand true as well as I
"Stand true my lads and fly no man but fight with courage bold"
I led my men through smoke and fire but ne'er was slight with gold
The song "Lord Marlborough" by Fairport Convention is a ballad about a proud and valiant Englishman, Lord Marlborough, who was brought up in London town and served King Charles the Second in the battle against the French. The song opens with the rallying cry of generals and champions, who are ready to face their foes with swords and shields, but now they must yield to death. Marlborough reflects on his life as an Englishman, his love for his men, and the many battles he fought alongside them. Marlborough's bravery was recognized by kings and princes alike, and he was known for taking towns to the world's surprise.
The song then narrates the battle of Ramillies, where Marlborough's troops faced the French, even as the sun set and the earth shook. The general cried out to his boys to fight for England's sake, promising that they would conquer or die. The victory was theirs, but not without loss. Marlborough's horse was shot, and his aide-de-camp fell as he tried to mount up again. Now, Marlborough is dying on a bed of sickness, urging the generals and champions to stand true and fight with courage. He reminds them that he never fought for gold, only for the honor of leading his men through smoke and fire.
Line by Line Meaning
You generals all and champions bold that takes delight in fields
Addressing all the brave soldiers who enjoy battlefield combat
That knocks down churches and castle walls but now to death must yield
Despite their destructive abilities, the soldiers now have to face the inevitability of death
We must go and face our daring foes and with a sword and shield
Prepared to fight against daring enemies with swords and shields
I often fought with my merry men but now to death must yield
Acknowledging that he and his men used to fight with each other, but now they all have to face death
I am an Englishman by birth, Lord Marlborough is my name
Introducing himself as an Englishman named Lord Marlborough
And I was brought up in London town, a place of noted fame
Lord Marlborough grew up in the famous city of London
I was beloved by all my men, and kings and princes likewise
Praised by both his soldiers and royalty
And then all the towns we took to all the world's surprise
Explaining how they took over many towns, surprising the world with their success
King Charles the Second I did serve to face our foes in France
Describing how Lord Marlborough served King Charles II in fighting against enemies in France
And at the battle of Ramillies we boldly did advance
Describing the brave advance made by Lord Marlborough's soldiers in the battle of Ramillies
The sun was down, the earth did quake, so loudly did he cry
Describing the intensity of the battle with the sun down and the ground shaking, and the loud cries for victory
"Fight on, my boys, for old England's sake, we'll conquer or we'll die"
Encouraging his soldiers to keep fighting for the sake of England, even if it means death
But now we gained the victory and bravely kept the field
Describing the victory achieved and how they bravely kept the battlefield
We took great numbers of prisoners and forced them all to yield
Explaining how they took many prisoners who were forced to surrender
That very day my horse got shot, 'twas by a musket ball
Describing how Lord Marlborough's horse got shot by a musket ball during the battle
And as I mounted up again, my aide-de-camp did fall
Explaining how Lord Marlborough's aide-de-camp fell while he mounted his horse again
Now I on a bed of sickness lie, I am resigned to die
Revealing how Lord Marlborough is lying on a sickbed, accepting his imminent death
You generals and champions bold stand true as well as I
Urging other brave soldiers to stay true to themselves, just as Lord Marlborough did
"Stand true my lads and fly no man but fight with courage bold"
Encouraging bravery among soldiers and to never flee from the enemy
I led my men through smoke and fire but ne'er was slight with gold
Explaining how Lord Marlborough led his soldiers through dangerous conditions, not driven by greed for wealth
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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...