John Renbourn (August 8, 1944, Marylebone, London, England-March 26, 2015) … Read Full Bio ↴John Renbourn (August 8, 1944, Marylebone, London, England-March 26, 2015) was a British guitarist and songwriter. He is possibly best-known for his collaboration with guitarist Bert Jansch as well as his work with the folk group The Pentangle, although he maintained a solo career both before, during and after that band's existence (1967-1973).

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

Winter Is Gone
John Renbourn Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Winter is gone
And the leaves are green
Winter is gone
And the leaves turn green
Your innocent face
I wish I never had seen**

Come on, my love

And fare thee well
Come on, my love
And fare thee well
You cheated me
But I wish you well

Rope is bought
And the bough is swung
Rope is bought
And the bough is swung
An innocent man
This day will be hung

Come on, my love
And see me die
Come on, my love
And see me die
See me dancing
Dance 'NEATH the sky**
'Neath those gallows high
Come on and see me die

Winter is gone
And the leaves are green
Winter is gone
And the leaves ARE green**

Your innocent face
I wish I never had seen**

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to John Renbourn's "Winter is Gone" convey intense emotions of regret and despair, with a dark twist. The repeated phrase "Winter is gone and the leaves are green" represents the idea of rebirth and renewal, typically associated with the coming of spring. Renbourn seems to be using this imagery to signify a new beginning after a relationship has ended. However, the rest of the lyrics paint a much darker and more gruesome picture, suggesting that there has been a betrayal and a subsequent desire for revenge.

The lines "Your innocent face, I wish I never had seen" convey an overwhelming feeling of regret, suggesting that the singer has been hurt by someone they trusted. The next lines "Come on, my love, and fare thee well" are more ambiguous, suggesting either a parting of ways or a call for goodbye before the singer takes their revenge. The references to a "rope being bought" and the "bough being swung" suggest that the singer is seeking a violent form of revenge, possibly even hanging their betrayer. The final line "Come on and see me die," is simply haunting and ominous, suggesting that the singer is willing to risk death to avenge themselves.

Line by Line Meaning

Winter is gone
Spring has arrived and the harshness of winter has ended

And the leaves are green
The trees are in full bloom and have grown new green leaves

Winter is gone
The season of winter has passed us by

And the leaves turn green
The plants, trees and nature has begun the process of renewal

Your innocent face
The face of my lover that once seemed pure and naive

I wish I never had seen
I regret ever laying eyes upon their face

Come on, my love
I request the presence of the person I hold dear

And fare thee well
Bid farewell or goodbye to something or someone

You cheated me
You deceived, tricked or defrauded me

But I wish you well
I have no ill will toward you and hope for your happiness

Rope is bought
A rope has been purchased