The band expressed Denny's vision of the potential of folk rock to express complex meaning and deep personal emotion, using traditional ballad forms, but with the power of a rock band. Their self-titled first album (Fotheringay) was also only one of two albums, as they broke up a year later, in January 1971, while working on their second (recently released). The cause appears to have been personal difficulties, made worse by lack of success and thus income! Oddly for such talented musicians the band were widely reported to have been poor in live performance, which may well have also contributed to their short life as a band. Tracks later surfaced on her three-disc compilation.
The rhythm section was formed by Gerry Conway and Pat Donaldson, lauded by Denny as the best in the business. In the absence of Richard Thompson, who was prepared to tour with her, and act as session musician but wanted to follow his own career, lead guitar was taken by Jerry Donahue, whose transatlantic country roots and softer personality brought a different, less edgy feel to the music. However he was a skilled technician, with great feel, as he showed on their album, and later Fairport Convention records. The group was completed by rhythm guitarist and second lead vocalist Australian Trevor Lucas, whom Denny was to marry, and who also later accompanied her back into Fairport.
Fotheringay contains a majority of tracks by Sandy Denny, with one each by Bob Dylan, Gordon Lightfoot and Trevor Lucas, as well as the atmospheric trad arr. Fotheringay, The Banks of the Nile.
In 2007 the BBC announced that Donahue would be attempting to complete the abandoned project (which he accomplished using previously unheard takes from the original archived tapes). Permission had finally been granted and the work was completed by summer of the following year. The resulting album, titled Fotheringay 2, was released by Fledg'ling Records on 29 September 2008.
John The Gun
Fotheringay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wherever I should chance to go
John The Gun did say.
'If you should chance to meet me
As I wander to and fro,
Sad would be your day.
My life is mine and the light did shine
So now I shall never fall.
Ideals of peace are gold which fools have found
Upon the plains of war.
I shall destroy them all.'
Put away your guns of steel,
Death comes too soon for all.
Your Master He may need you soon,
And you must heed His call.
'I am the master of the games
That you will hardly ever play,
So I will teach your sons.
And if they should die
Before the evening of their span of days,
Why, then they will die young.
Put away your guns of steel,
Death comes too soon for all.
Your Master He may need you soon,
And you must heed His call.
'I am the master of the games
That you will hardly ever play,
So I will teach your sons.
And if they should die
Before the evening of their span of days,
Why, then they will die young.
'Condemn me not,
For always will I play the game of war,
In moonshine or in sun.
And if any cross the path I choose to tread,
Their chances they are poor.
My name is John The Gun.'
Put away your guns of steel,
Death comes too soon for all.
Your Master He may need you soon,
And you must heed His call.
'I am the master of the games
That you will hardly ever play,
So I will teach your sons.
And if they should die
Before the evening of their span of days,
Why, then they will die young.
"John the Gun" by Fotheringay is a song that speaks to the destructive power of war, and the callousness of those who conduct it. The song opens with a haunting verse where the singer tells us about his shadow following him wherever he goes - this shadow is symbolic of the violence he has seen, and it follows him as a constant reminder of what he has experienced. He then goes on to warn the listener that if they encounter him, they will have a sad day because of the violence he represents. The singer goes on to tell us that he used to believe in idealistic ideas of peace, but his beliefs were shattered by the reality of warfare, and he now intends to destroy the illusions of those who believe in it.
The chorus is a repeated call to lay down one's arms, and to put an end to violence. The singer tells us that death comes too soon for all, and that we should be ready to serve our master (a religious reference to God) when called upon to do so. He then proclaims himself the master of a game that most will never play, and that he will teach our sons to follow in his footsteps. He offers us the grim reassurance that those who fall in battle will die young.
The final verse sees the singer defiantly proclaiming that he will always be a participant in the game of war, and that those who get in his way should be prepared for a violent end. He repeats his warning that those who take up arms do so at their peril, and that war is an equal opportunity destroyer. This song is a powerful warning about the cost of war and a potent reminder of the terrible consequences of violence.
Line by Line Meaning
My shadow follows me
Wherever I should chance to go
John The Gun did say.
John The Gun is always followed by his actions and the consequences he faces
'If you should chance to meet me
As I wander to and fro,
Sad would be your day.
Meeting John The Gun will lead to undesirable outcomes
My life is mine and the light did shine
Till the guns they did go through me,
So now I shall never fall.
John The Gun lost his way after being exposed to violence and destruction
Ideals of peace are gold which fools have found
Upon the plains of war.
I shall destroy them all.'
John The Gun opposes pacifist beliefs and aims to eliminate them
Put away your guns of steel,
Death comes too soon for all.
Your Master He may need you soon,
And you must heed His call.
Death is inevitable and one must be prepared for their ultimate calling
'I am the master of the games
That you will hardly ever play,
So I will teach your sons.
John The Gun sees himself as an expert on violence and violence-related activities
And if they should die
Before the evening of their span of days,
Why, then they will die young.
John The Gun believes that a violent death is a noble one
'Condemn me not,
For always will I play the game of war,
In moonshine or in sun.
John The Gun is unapologetic about his love for violence and will always engage in it
And if any cross the path I choose to tread,
Their chances they are poor.
My name is John The Gun.'
John The Gun will harm anyone who opposes him
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: SANDY DENNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Richard Parker
Truly a brilliant song and Sandy's voice is hauntingly beautiful
Robert Laberge
Gerry Conway on drums is totally unique and always brilliant.
David Andrews
Absolutely, the sound they developed when Sandy was there - fantastic! I'd not want to detract from either Judy Dyble or Linda Thompson - both of whom have voices that have taken me to really beautiful places in my head; but Sandy was ... really a folk singer in the floor-singer sense. A bit husky, and just .... dare I say - sexy? *blush*
Paul Durongapidya
When a group of true musical artists who shared the love of traditional folk got together at the right time and place, the result is Fairport Convention and Fotheringay. Right through the heart !!!
james edwards
And rocked it up a bit!
LoveIndigo678
Best ever version of this song!
Portcullis
I think my favourite version of this wonderful song is the live solo piano version on the 'Sandy Denny at the BBC' box set. She really pounds the piano and sings a haunting version.
Rino Rodriguez
WOW...where did you find this? UnbeLievable. And THANK YOU for the excellent video. This up-tempo version is not only better musically than the published version, it's better audio quality too! We California Sandy Denny fans thank you!!! And thanks to everyone who has made her youtube collection grow- such a great singer- such an unsung heroine.
Alf Gilzean
A masterpiece
Alex Kawa Martins
Em Sandy Denny tudo é extraordinário! E a voz ...eterna! Com os Fotheringay deu-nos algumas das suas obras de arte. Saudades dela e da arte que transportava na sua música e voz! Esta falta nunca tem fim....