During the 1980s, his reputation was established through frequent touring and recurring performances on A Prairie Home Companion. Subsequently, his work has been nominated for Grammy awards. He also founded his own record label and named it Red House Records after a home he lived in in Iowa. Red House Records is an independent record label specializing in folk music, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Well known folk artists have signed with Red House Records over the years include Ramblin' Jack Elliot, Tom Paxton and Loudin Wainwright III. A Red House Records compilation, A Nod to Bob, was said to be a tribute from a Minnesota label to a favorite native son - guess who?
On November 21, 2002 he married the singer-songwriter Iris DeMent. His daughters (from a previous marriage) are also musicians.
From: Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Brown_%28folk_musician%29
The Tyger
Greg Brown Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
And what shoulder and what art
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand and what dread feet?
What the hammer? what the chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did He smile His work to see?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
Tiger, tiger, burning bright
In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
The poem "The Tyger" by William Blake, which is the source of the lyrics for Greg Brown's song, is a meditation on the enigma of creation. The singer asks a series of rhetorical questions about the tiger, wondering how such a fierce and powerful creature could have been made. The repeated refrain of "what immortal hand or eye" emphasizes the mystery and awe that the tiger inspires.
The questions suggest that the tiger is not just a natural phenomenon, but something that was intentionally created by a higher power. The poem does not offer a clear answer to this mystery, but instead creates a sense of wonder and reverence for the natural world.
Brown's musical interpretation of the poem captures this sense of awe and reverence, with his deep, resonant voice and simple, acoustic guitar accompaniment. The melody and rhythm of the song are simple and repetitive, emphasizing the somber mood and reflective tone of the lyrics.
Overall, "The Tyger" is a powerful piece of poetry that invites contemplation of the mysteries of existence, and Greg Brown's musical adaptation is a fitting tribute to this classic work.
Line by Line Meaning
Tiger, tiger, burning bright
Oh, majestic tiger, illuminated by a fiery aura
In the forests of the night,
Roaming in the darkness, at one with the wilderness
What immortal hand or eye
What divine force or omnipotent vision
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Could create such a fearsome, yet balanced being?
In what distant deeps or skies
From what faraway abyss or heavens
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
Did your piercing eyes gain their burning intensity?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What boldness does it take to attempt to capture your essence?
What the hand dare seize the fire?
Which hand has the fortitude to grab hold of your essence?
And what shoulder and what art
And what strength and what skill
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
Could control the very fibers of your heart?
And, when thy heart began to beat,
And when your heart first started to pulse
What dread hand and what dread feet?
What frightening hand and feet made you come to life?
What the hammer? what the chain?
What tools were used - hammer and chain?
In what furnace was thy brain?
In what fiery furnace was your mind molded?
What the anvil? what dread grasp
What anvil was used? What chilling hold
Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
Could contain the terror you inspire?
When the stars threw down their spears,
When the stars hurled their weapons
And watered heaven with their tears,
And rained their tears down onto the heavens
Did He smile His work to see?
Did the creator find joy in making you?
Did He who made the lamb make thee?
Did the same divine creator make both you and the gentle lamb?
Tiger, tiger, burning bright
Oh, majestic tiger, illuminated by a fiery aura
In the forests of the night,
Roaming in the darkness, at one with the wilderness
What immortal hand or eye
What divine force or omnipotent vision
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Would dare create such a fearsome, yet balanced being?
Contributed by Nicholas I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.