While most commonly labelled a folk musician, Renbourn's musical tastes and interests take in early music, classical music, blues and world music. His most influential album, Sir John Alot (1968), featured his take on songs from the Medieval era.
He died on March 26, 2015.
Career
John Renbourn studied classical guitar at school and it was during this period that he was introduced to Early Music. In the 1950s, along with many others, he was greatly influenced by the musical craze of "Skiffle" and this eventually led him to explore the work of artists such as Leadbelly, Josh White and Big Bill Broonzy.
In the 1960s the new craze in popular music was Rhythm and Blues, also the impact of Davey Graham was being felt. In 1961 Renbourn toured the South West with Mac MacLeod and repeated the tour in 1963. Renbourn briefly played in an R'n'B band while studying at the Kingston College of Art in London. Although the British 'Folk Revival' was underway at this time, most folk clubs were biased towards traditional, unaccompanied folk songs and guitar players were not always welcome. However the Roundhouse in London had a more tolerant attitude and here, John Renbourn joined Blues and Gospel singer Dorris Henderson, playing backing guitar and recording two albums with her.
Possibly the best known London venue for contemporary folk music in the early 1960s was "Les Cousins" in Greek Street, Soho, which became the main meeting place for guitar players and contemporary singer-songwriters from Britain and America. Around 1963, Renbourn teamed up with guitarist Bert Jansch who was visiting London from Edinburgh and together they developed an intricate duet style that became known as "folk baroque". Their album "Bert and John" is a fine example of their playing.
Renbourn released several albums on the Transatlantic label during the 1960s. Two of them, "Sir John Alot" and "Lady And The Unicorn" sum up Renbourn's playing style and material from this period. "Sir John Alot" has a mixture of jazz/blues/folk playing alongside a more classical/early music style. "Lady And The Unicorn" is heavily influenced by Renbourn's interest in early music.
At around this time, Renbourn also started playing with Jacqui McShee who sang traditional British folk songs. Together with Bert Jansch, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox, they went on to form Pentangle. The group became very successful, touring America in 1968, playing at the Carnegie Hall and at the Newport Folk Festival.
Renbourn went on to record more solo albums in the Seventies and Eighties. Much of the music is based on traditional material with a Celtic influence, interwoven with other styles. He also collaborated with American guitarist Stefan Grossman in the late 1970s recording two albums with him, which at times hark back to the folk baroque days with Bert Jansch.
In the mid-1980s Renbourn went back to university to earn a degree in composition, since which time he has focused mainly on writing classical music, while still performing in folk settings.
Renbourn continues to record and tour. In 2005 he toured Japan (his fifth tour of that country) with Tokio Uchida and Woody Mann. In 2006 he played at number of venues in England, including appearances with Robin Williamson and with Jacqui McShee. He is working on a new solo album and collaborating with Clive Carroll on the score for the film Driving Lessons directed by Jeremy Brock. In 2008, he toured with the reformed Pentangle.
John Renbourn Group
Bert Jansch & John Renbourn
Dorris Henderson & John Renbourn
John Renbourn & Jacqui McShee
John Renbourn & Stefan Grossman
John Renbourn & Robin Williamson
Clive Carroll & John Renbourn
Candy Man
John Renbourn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Candy man, he's been and gone
My Candy man, he's been and gone
My Candy man, he's been and gone.
Now I love everything in this Godalmighty world
God knows I do.
Peppermint stick got a little brass band
I got a peppermint stick I got a little brass band
And I'm goin' down to the gate to score the Candy man stand.
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
'Cause I love everything in this Godalmighty world
God knows I do.
Candy man, he's been and gone
My Candy man and his name was John
My Candy man he's Morocco bound
Now I'd give everything in this Godalmighty world
To bring my Candy man home.
Black skin man give me some bad brew
Oh black skin man give me some bad brew
Oh black skin man give me some bad brew
Now I'd give everything in this Godalmighty world
To bring me my Candy man home.
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
'Cause I love everything in this Godalmighty world
God knows I do.
Candy man, I love the man,
Yeah the Candy man, he gets me high
My Candy man, yeah I love the man,
And I'd give everything in this Godalmighty world
To bring my Candy man home.
The lyrics to John Renbourn's "Candy Man" tell the story of a woman who is desperately trying to bring her Candy man home. The Candy man is a drug dealer, as evidenced by her references to "scoring" and her desire to get some "bad brew" from a black skin man. Despite this, the woman professes her love for the Candy man and everything else in the world. The repetition of the line "Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer" throughout the song adds to the sense of desperation and urgency in the woman's voice.
The song reflects both the everyday struggles of impoverished communities and the darker side of drug addiction. The Candy man is a figure of temptation, offering a temporary escape from life's hardships. However, his absence is also felt acutely once he is gone, as the woman longs for his return. The peppermint stick and brass band mentioned in the song may represent the simple pleasures that are overshadowed by addiction and the Candy man's absence.
Line by Line Meaning
Candy man, he's been and gone
The Candy man has already left
My Candy man, he's been and gone
My Candy man has left as well
Now I love everything in this Godalmighty world
God knows I do.
The world is full of things I enjoy and appreciate
Peppermint stick got a little brass band
I got a peppermint stick I got a little brass band
I got a peppermint stick I got a little brass band
And I'm goin' down to the gate to score the Candy man stand.
I have a peppermint stick and can hear music playing near the Candy man's booth, so I'm going to go there
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
Run fetch a pitcher get the baby some beer
'Cause I love everything in this Godalmighty world
God knows I do.
I want some beer for the baby and I love everything in the world
My Candy man and his name was John
My Candy man he's Morocco bound
My Candy man's name is John and he's traveling to Morocco
Now I'd give everything in this Godalmighty world
To bring my Candy man home.
I would do anything to bring my Candy man back home
Black skin man give me some bad brew
Oh black skin man give me some bad brew
Oh black skin man give me some bad brew
Now I'd give everything in this Godalmighty world
To bring me my Candy man home.
I want to drink some bad brew from a black man to get my Candy man back home
Candy man, I love the man,
Yeah the Candy man, he gets me high
My Candy man, yeah I love the man,
And I'd give everything in this Godalmighty world
To bring my Candy man home.
I love my Candy man and he makes me feel great. I would do anything to bring him back home.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN WILLIAM MARK RENBOURN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
speleojazzer
on Can't Keep from Crying
These are NOT the lyrics to JR's Can't keep from Crying