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.
Restless
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Restlessness has ruled me since I can't remember when
There's something in the wind seems to call me like a friend
So I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
There are dreams that I have carried all my lifetime
And the dreams have made me a stranger
In the eyes of many a man
And down the line and on my way, on my way again
Oh, rolling along like a shipwrecked sailor
Who never finds a home
Broken lines and signs of failure
Rub me to the bone
Well, I'm weary of the company of strangers
I'm weary of the city with its heart of hollow stone
Something in the wind seems to call me like a friend
So I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
There's something in the wind seems to call me like a friend
So I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
Yes, I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
Yes, I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again [Repeat: x 6]
The lyrics to "Restless" by Fairport Convention are about a person who is constantly seeking adventure and cannot stay in one place for too long. The singer mentions being born between a river and a railroad, which suggests that they have always been surrounded by movement and change. This restlessness has been a constant in the singer's life; they cannot remember a time when they were not called to travel and explore.
The lyrics suggest that the singer has dreams that have made them a stranger in the eyes of many people. They do not conform to society's expectations of settling down and living a predictable life. Instead, they are driven by something intangible, something in the wind that calls them like a friend. The singer acknowledges that they are tired of the company of strangers and the hollowness of city life, but they cannot resist the call to adventure.
The repeated refrain of "on my way again" emphasizes the singer's restlessness and their inability to stay still. They are like a shipwrecked sailor who never finds a home, constantly moving from one place to the next. Even though they have experienced failure and disappointment along the way, they cannot give up on their quest for something more.
Overall, the lyrics to "Restless" capture the essence of wanderlust and the yearning for something beyond the constraints of everyday life. The singer is driven by a sense of adventure and longing that cannot be tamed.
Line by Line Meaning
Born between a river and a railroad
I was born in a place where nature meets the man-made world
Restlessness has ruled me since I can't remember when
I've always felt the urge to wander, to leave behind the stagnant and familiar
There's something in the wind seems to call me like a friend
I feel an inexplicable force luring me towards the horizon, beckoning me to explore
So I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
I'm giving in to my wanderlust once more and hitting the open road
There are dreams that I have carried all my lifetime
Throughout my life, I've harbored aspirations and ambitions that have driven me forward
And the dreams have made me a stranger
My dreams and pursuits have led me away from the conventional and put me on an unconventional path
In the eyes of many a man
To others, I may seem like an outsider, a lone wolf who refuses to conform
For I do not count the time and my reasons do not rhyme
I don't measure my days in minutes and hours, and my motivations don't always make sense to anyone else
Oh, rolling along like a shipwrecked sailor
My life has been tumultuous, full of highs and lows like waves crashing against a rocky shore
Who never finds a home
Despite my travels, I've never really found a place to call my own
Broken lines and signs of failure
My journey has been fraught with obstacles and setbacks, marked by dashed hopes and shattered illusions
Rub me to the bone
All the trials and tribulations have taken a toll on me, wearing me down to my very core
Well, I'm weary of the company of strangers
Although I've met many interesting people on my travels, I long for a sense of community and belonging
I'm weary of the city with its heart of hollow stone
Urban life, with its coldness and artificiality, has lost its appeal to me
Yes, I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again
Once again, I'm succumbing to the wanderlust that's always been inside me and embarking on a journey of discovery
I guess that I'll be on my way, on my way again [Repeat: x 6]
The chorus underscores my restlessness and desire to travel, to keep moving forward towards an uncertain but exciting future
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILLY ROBERTSON, WILLIAM ROBERTSON
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...