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.
My Girl
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And l couldn't hide how hard it was to live not knowing you
And l still believe that long ago in some forgotten pain
I swore to close the door on loving anyone again
Chorus:
With a way of her own is shaking me
with a way of her own is taking me
And l gently took my fingers and l brushed away your hair
The day began in silver dawning on your brow
And l shook hands with the morning for letting me love you now
Chorus:
Bridge:
Come up with the wind of what is done begins to blow
Run off every time you feel the need to see me show we go together
Instrumental Break
The walks to where the sun is and the standing in the cold
Brown leaves in the autumn and always you to hold
I could watch your ways forever and speak my mind begins
Happy in your happiness and tearful in your tears
Chorus:
Ending:
With a way of her own is shaking me
Can't you see that I'm different she's waking me.
In "My Girl," Fairport Convention singer Sandy Denny opens up about her vulnerabilities and fears of falling in love. She acknowledges that in the past, the bad times have overshadowed her life, and it was difficult to live without the person that she is now singing about. She believes that at one point in her life, she made the decision to not love anyone again. However, that all changes after meeting the person she is singing about. She describes how she wakes up to find them sleeping without care and gently brushes their hair away. She appreciates the small moments that they share and is grateful for the happiness that this person brings into her life. The song includes lyrics about the walks they take, standing in the cold, and watching the autumn leaves fall together. Sandy Denny ends the song repeating the chorus, which emphasizes how much this person has changed her and how grateful she is to have them in her life.
Line by Line Meaning
Theres been times in my past when the bad times have shone through
I have faced difficult times in the past where the pain was too much to hide and I struggled to live without knowing you.
And l couldn't hide how hard it was to live not knowing you
It was difficult for me to cope with not having you in my life and I couldn't keep my struggles hidden.
And l still believe that long ago in some forgotten pain
I strongly feel that in the past, during some painful experience, I decided to never love again.
I swore to close the door on loving anyone again
I made a promise to myself that I will never let myself fall in love with someone else again.
With a way of her own is shaking me
Her unique personality and charm is having an effect on me that I cannot ignore.
with a way of her own is taking me
Her individuality is leading me down a path that I cannot resist following.
I was happy when l woke to find you sleeping without care
Finding you sleeping peacefully made me realize how much I cherish you and how happy you make me feel.
And l gently took my fingers and l brushed away your hair
I lovingly touched your hair and gently brushed it away from your face.
The day began in silver dawning on your brow
Your peaceful face in the early morning light was a sight to behold, and it touched me deeply.
And l shook hands with the morning for letting me love you now
I felt grateful to have you in my life and felt blessed to be able to love you at this moment.
Come up with the wind of what is done begins to blow
As the winds of change blow, we must accept that what is done cannot be undone.
Run off every time you feel the need to see me show we go together
Whenever you feel the urge to leave, remember that we're always in this together and that we must stick together.
The walks to where the sun is and the standing in the cold
We take long walks where the sun shines bright, and we stand together even when it's cold outside.
Brown leaves in the autumn and always you to hold
As the leaves turn brown in the autumn, I always have you to hold and cherish.
I could watch your ways forever and speak my mind begins
I could spend forever watching you and being enamored with everything you do, and I feel comfortable enough to speak my mind around you.
Happy in your happiness and tearful in your tears
I am happy when you're happy and saddened when you cry, and I am always here for you.
With a way of her own is shaking me
Her unique personality and charm is having an effect on me that I cannot ignore.
Can't you see that I'm different she's waking me.
I hope you can see that I have changed and that it is because of the influence of this special person in my life, she is awakening something new in me.
Contributed by Sebastian G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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...