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.
Wat Tyler
Fairport Convention Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Us commons covered the earth
More men than ever I did see
Poor honest men from birth
The men were up from Kent, and out of Essex too
Though naught but the Thames divides us and unites us onwards
Through all the villages of England and on to London town
Wat Tyler led us men from Kent, rough hands were shaken there
King Richard and the commons our bold resolve and prayer
We knew our king would hear us, our loyalty was clear
T'was the bloody lawyers' poll tax that had brought us labourers here
And yet he wouldn't see us, so to London we did roar
And the poor there and the Essex men burst down the prison door
What happened at the Tower was justice, rough in part
The murders of the Flemish boys sat uneasy in my heart
"And now the king must see us" said Tyler to his men
And the very next day young Richard came and met us at Mile End
And on the field at Blackheath
Us commons covered the earth
More men than ever I did see
Poor honest men from birth
Kent and Essex, Bedford, Sussex received King Richard's word
No harm nor blame would come to them if home they would return
And Lincoln, Cambridge, Stafford too received our young king's favour
And thirty thousand left us there, believing it was over
But Tyler, he was not convinced and told us to remain
"I want to hear his words again, for nothing much has changed"
So Tyler, he approached the king and took Richard by the arm
And his rough but friendly gesture caused Richard's knights alarm
"Ah my lord " said Tyler, "companions we shall be"
"I shall trust in you my lord, if you will trust in me"
And so he called for water, and then he called for ale
And his manner shocked young Richard's knights and I watched the Lord Mayor pale
"I know this man" a voice accused, "Wat Tyler is a thief"
The Lord Mayor feared he'd harm the king, that was his true belief
And there at Smithfield drew his sword, and cut our captain down
And the heart went out of all of us with his blood upon the ground
And on the field at Blackheath
Us commons covered the earth
More men than ever I did see
Poor honest men from birth
Young Richard, he was merciful and he pardoned one and all
But home to Kent like beaten dogs, still serfs we had to crawl
But how precious was our liberty and the hope that filled us all
That left poor Tyler's severed head upon a bloody pole
The song "Wat Tyler" by Fairport Convention is a historical narrative that recounts the events of the Peasants' Revolt in England, specifically the attempted negotiations between the peasant leader Wat Tyler and King Richard II. The song's narrator describes the gathering of poor, oppressed commoners from Kent and Essex on Blackheath, where they wait for their king to listen to their grievances over the poll tax. The men unite, led by Wat Tyler and guided by the desire for justice and liberty. The lyrics describe how Richard finally meets with Tyler and offers to fulfill their demands, but Tyler's untimely death cuts the movement short.
The song illustrates the class struggle and social unrest that marked medieval England. The peasants' revolt was a significant historical event that challenged the rigid social hierarchy and called for reforms in English society. The song portrays the courage and determination of the peasant class to stand up to the nobility and assert their right to freedom and justice.
Overall, "Wat Tyler" is a richly nuanced and evocative song that captures the spirit of a tumultuous period in English history. Its lyrics are a poignant reminder of the struggles and sacrifices that ordinary people have made to secure their basic human rights and liberties.
Line by Line Meaning
And on the field at Blackheath
The events being described took place on the field at Blackheath.
Us commons covered the earth
There were a large number of common people present and their presence extended across the field.
More men than ever I did see
The singer had never before seen so many men in one place before.
Poor honest men from birth
The common people present were poor and honest.
The men were up from Kent, and out of Essex too
The men present came from both Kent and Essex.
Though naught but the Thames divides us and unites us onwards
The Thames separated the two regions geographically, but everyone was united in their movement towards London.
Through all the villages of England and on to London town
The common people were travelling through England's villages on their way to London.
Where we poor men would meet our king and lay our grievance down
The common people wanted to plead their case to the king.
Wat Tyler led us men from Kent, rough hands were shaken there
Wat Tyler was a leader of the Kentish men and many hands were shaken in agreement with his leadership.
King Richard and the commons our bold resolve and prayer
Both King Richard and the common people were united in their resolve and prayer.
We knew our king would hear us, our loyalty was clear
The common people were loyal to the king and believed he would listen to their grievances.
T'was the bloody lawyers' poll tax that had brought us labourers here
The reason the common people were protesting was due to the poll tax imposed by the lawyers.
And yet he wouldn't see us, so to London we did roar
Despite their expectations, the king did not see them, so the common people let out a roar and went to London.
And the poor there and the Essex men burst down the prison door
The poor people and the Essex men forcibly opened a prison door.
What happened at the Tower was justice, rough in part
Something happened at the Tower, which was considered justice, but it was still rough in part.
The murders of the Flemish boys sat uneasy in my heart
The artist was troubled by the murders of the Flemish boys that had taken place.
"And now the king must see us" said Tyler to his men
Tyler believed that the king needed to see them.
And the very next day young Richard came and met us at Mile End
The next day, Richard met with the common people at Mile End.
Kent and Essex, Bedford, Sussex received King Richard's word
The regions of Kent, Essex, Bedford, and Sussex all heard and received King Richard's words.
No harm nor blame would come to them if home they would return
The common people were told they would not face any harm or blame if they returned home.
And thirty thousand left us there, believing it was over
Thirty thousand of the common people believed that the situation was over and left the field.
But Tyler, he was not convinced and told us to remain
Tyler wasn't convinced and told the others to stay put.
"I want to hear his words again, for nothing much has changed"
Tyler wanted to hear the king's words again, as he believed nothing much had changed.
So Tyler, he approached the king and took Richard by the arm
Tyler approached the king and took Richard by the arm.
And his rough but friendly gesture caused Richard's knights alarm
Tyler's rough, but friendly, behavior caused worry among Richard's knights.
"Ah my lord " said Tyler, "companions we shall be"
Tyler referred to the king as "my lord" and spoke of them as companions.
"I shall trust in you my lord, if you will trust in me"
Tyler told the king that he would trust in him if the king would trust in him.
And so he called for water, and then he called for ale
Tyler requested both water and ale.
And his manner shocked young Richard's knights and I watched the Lord Mayor pale
Tyler's behavior was shocking to Richard's knights and the Lord Mayor became pale.
"I know this man" a voice accused, "Wat Tyler is a thief"
Someone accused Tyler of being a thief and claiming to know him.
The Lord Mayor feared he'd harm the king, that was his true belief
The Lord Mayor was concerned that Tyler might harm the king.
And there at Smithfield drew his sword, and cut our captain down
The Lord Mayor drew his sword and killed Tyler.
And the heart went out of all of us with his blood upon the ground
The common people were devastated by Tyler's death.
Young Richard, he was merciful and he pardoned one and all
King Richard pardoned all those involved.
But home to Kent like beaten dogs, still serfs we had to crawl
The common people returned to Kent feeling defeated and still bound as serfs.
But how precious was our liberty and the hope that filled us all
Despite their difficult situation, the common people still valued their liberty and had hope.
That left poor Tyler's severed head upon a bloody pole
Tyler's severed head was left on a pole as a reminder of what had happened.
Contributed by Layla O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@rolyhammond8312
Thank you for keeping my ancestors memory alive !
@mikekaine7156
Just sent this to my teacher friend in Kenya who has to teach her students about the Peasants' Revolt tomorrow in her History class. Seemed like a good teaching aid!! 😊👍🏻
@keithkeller4156
Thanks Max!
@bradpenney3730
Walter Tyler was the greatest Englishman who ever lived, with the possible exception of Sir Thomas More
@MrRacecourser
Hear ye, hear ye!
@hewides
Yeah what a great song from a very fine album. For me this album was the best studio album they did after their reunion. Long live FC
@Donagalthegamer
Im annoyed I can't get this version on Spotify
@TheArtistOfKuroo
John the Miller, hath y-ground small, small, small.
@mapior
Pity they don't do these historical ballads any more. Better still write some new ones... But perhaps it's the Mattacks touch that gives some strength?
@therealniterex
Is anyone else here for online learning :)