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.
Polly On The Shore
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Never lead your single life astray or into bad company
As I myself have done, being all in the month of May
When I, as pressed by a sea captain, a privateer to trade
To the East Indies we were bound to plunder the raging main
And it's many the brave and a galliant ship we sent to a watery grave
Ah, for Freeport we did steer, our provisions to renew
When we did spy a bold man-of-war sailing three feet to our two
Surrender now unto my command or else your lives you'll lose"
And our decks they were sputtered with blood and the cannons did loudly roar
And broadside and broadside a long time we lay till we could fight no more
And a thousand times I wished myself alone, all alone with my Polly on the shore
She's a tall and a slender girl with a dark and a-rolling eye
And here am I, a-bleeding on the deck and for a sweet saint must lie
Farewell, my family and my friends, likewise my barley too
I'd never have crossed the salt sea wide if I'd have been ruled by you
And a thousand times I saw myself again, all alone with my Polly on the shore
The song "Polly On The Shore" by Fairport Convention is a cautionary tale of a sailor who warns young men about the perils of leading a reckless life and falling prey to bad company. The singer recounts his own misadventures when he was pressed into service by a sea captain to plunder the raging sea. As they sailed towards the East Indies, they were intercepted by a man-of-war, which fired upon them and demanded their surrender. In the ensuing battle, the singer is injured and he wishes he had never gone to sea and instead stayed with his beloved Polly on the shore.
The song is a vivid portrayal of the dangers and hardships faced by sailors during the heyday of sea-faring. The lyrics capture the brutal reality of life at sea, where battles were fought with cannons and ships were sent to a watery grave. Despite the violence and bloodshed, the singer's longing for his sweetheart on land brings a sense of tenderness and vulnerability to the song.
Overall, "Polly On The Shore" is a powerful ballad that combines themes of adventure, love, and regret. Its haunting melody and poignant lyrics have made it a classic in the folk music canon.
Line by Line Meaning
Come all you wild young men and a warning take by me
Listen up, young men, and heed my warning
Never lead your single life astray or into bad company
Don't stray from the right path or hang out with the wrong crowd
As I myself have done, being all in the month of May
I, too, made that mistake in May
When I, as pressed by a sea captain, a privateer to trade
When I was forced by a sea captain to join his pirate crew
To the East Indies we were bound to plunder the raging main
We sailed to the East Indies to loot the seas
And it's many the brave and a galliant ship we sent to a watery grave
We sunk many brave and fearless ships
Ah, for Freeport we did steer, our provisions to renew
We set sail for Freeport to restock our supplies
When we did spy a bold man-of-war sailing three feet to our two
We spotted an enemy ship sailing faster than ours
Oh, she fired across our bows, "Heave to and don't refuse
They warned us to surrender or face the consequences
Surrender now unto my command or else your lives you'll lose"
They threatened to kill us if we didn't surrender
And our decks they were sputtered with blood and the cannons did loudly roar
Our ship was covered in blood and the cannons sounded deafening
And broadside and broadside a long time we lay till we could fight no more
We fought hard until we were too exhausted to continue
And a thousand times I wished myself alone, all alone with my Polly on the shore
I longed to be with my loved one, Polly
She's a tall and a slender girl with a dark and a-rolling eye
Polly is a beautiful girl with dark, alluring eyes
And here am I, a-bleeding on the deck and for a sweet saint must lie
I am injured on the ship, and may die for my love, Polly
Farewell, my family and my friends, likewise my barley too
Goodbye to my loved ones and my crop of barley
I'd never have crossed the salt sea wide if I'd have been ruled by you
I never would have gone to sea if I listened to your advice
And a thousand times I saw myself again, all alone with my Polly on the shore
I imagined being with Polly again countless times
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: STEPHEN BROWN, BARRY CLARKE, DAVID COSTA, DP, CELIA HUMPHRIES
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...