The band has kept up the mix of traditional Irish or Scottish songs and self-written tracks, though the self-written tracks have progressively become less and less folky. The band's influences are wide and varied, but obviously heavily influenced by Celtic rock bands like the Pogues, the Waterboys and Great Big Sea. Recent albums also see a clear influence from Gothic rock music. Having enjoyed growing success in and around Germany, the band reached 1000 played concerts in 2004 (the only band member to play them all is bass player Rainer Schulz), which was celebrated with a concert at Castle Hoheneck. This concert was filmed and released on two DVDs: Celebrate! and Jubilate! The concert saw participation from former band members and other guest musicians. Main lyric and music writer Peter Pathos has left the band in summer 2006 and was replaced by Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara. A live DVD Folk's not dead was released to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary in 2010
Members:
Ralf 'Albi' Albers - Vocals, Guitar, Bouzouki
Tobi Heindl (Tobias Anton Heindl) - Violin, Vocals (since 2000)
Rainer Schulz - Bass
Stefan Klug - Accordion, bodhrán (since 1991)
Frank Jooss - Drums, percussion (since 2001)
Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara - Guitar, vocals (since 2006)
Former members:
Dr. Robert Oppel (1990 - 1991) - Violin
Eric Obst (1990 - 1995) - Drums
Wolfram Kellner (1995 - 2000) -Drums
Tobias Rempe (1991 - 1995) - Violin
Tobias Schäfer (1995 - 2000) - Violin
Peter Pathos (Peter Müller) (1990 - 2006) - Guitar, whistle, mandola
Discography:
Fiddler’s Green (1992)
Black Sheep (1993)
King Shepherd (1995)
Make Up Your Mind (1996)
On and On (1997)
Spin Around (1998)
Stagebox (1999) (Live)
Another Sky (2000)
Folk Raider (2002)
Nu Folk (2003)
Celebrate! (2005) (Live)
Celebrate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Jubilate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Drive Me Mad! (2007)
Sports Day at Killaloe (2009)
Folk's not dead DVD (2010) (Live)
Wall of Folk (2011)
Winners and Boozers (2013)
London
Fiddler's Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Near where the chartered Thames does flow
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe
In every cry of every man
In every infant's cry of fear
In every voice, in every ban
How the chimney-sweeper's cry
Every blackening church appalls
And the hapless soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace walls
But most through midnight streets I hear
How the youthful harlot's curse
Blasts the new born infant's tear
And blights with plaques the marriage hearse
London calling
Big city of fear
London calling
Can't you hear
The above lyrics are from the song "London" by Fiddler's Green. The song is a commentary on the societal and economic conditions of London during the 19th century. Through these lyrics, the songwriter illustrates a dark and dismal image of the city, where poverty, misery, and exploitation are prevalent.
The opening lines of the song depict the Thames River, which flows through central London. The singer wanders through the streets, observing the faces of people he meets, and he notes the signs of weakness and sorrow in them. The following lines depict the cry of every man, the fear in the infants, and the shackles that they face within their minds. The songwriter is highlighting the psychological bondage experienced by the people living in London, where they are oppressed by the society in which they live.
The next verse details some of the specific scenarios that contribute to the misery and despair of the people of London. The chimney sweeper's cry is heard alongside the blackening church, signifying the pollution, and the church's complicity in the injustice. The hapless soldier's sigh runs in blood down palace walls, implying the violence and bloodshed that had occurred in the city. In the following lines, we can hear the youthful harlot's curse, which brings the tears to the newborn infant's eyes, and plagues the marriage hearse with diseases, further detailing the terrible consequences of societal oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
I wander through each chartered street
I stroll down every designated road
Near where the chartered Thames does flow
I pass by the river Thames where it flows through the city
And mark in every face I meet
And I observe on every face I come across
Marks of weakness, marks of woe
Signs of frailty and sadness
In every cry of every man
In each and every man's cry
In every infant's cry of fear
In every newborn's fearful wail
In every voice, in every ban
In every spoken word, in every spoke threat
The mind-forged manacles I hear
I can hear the imaginary restraints people place on themselves
How the chimney-sweeper's cry
I take note of the chimney sweep's lament
Every blackening church appalls
The sight of every soot-covered church distresses me
And the hapless soldier's sigh
The hopeless soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down palace walls
Resounds throughout the palace as a result of bloodshed
But most through midnight streets I hear
But most frequently, I hear it in the streets past midnight
How the youthful harlot's curse
The speech of a curse coming out of a young prostitute's mouth
Blasts the new born infant's tear
Causing a newborn's tear to well up
And blights with plaques the marriage hearse
A wedding procession that is plagued with sorrow
London calling
London is beckoning
Big city of fear
The metropolis of terror
Can't you hear
Don't you perceive it
Contributed by Landon M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.