Tabor's earliest public performances were at the Heart of England Folk Club (at the Fox and Vivian pub) in Leamington Spa in the mid 1960s. In the late 1960s an appearance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival led to folk club bookings and she contributed to various records. One of her earliest recordings was in 1972 on an anthology called Stagfolk Live. She also featured on Rosie Hardman's Firebird (1972) and The First Folk Review Record (1974). At the time she was singing purely traditional unaccompanied material but in 1976 she collaborated with Maddy Prior on the Silly Sisters album and tour, with a full band that included Nic Jones. It provided the launching pad that same year (1976) for her first album in her own right, Airs and Graces. She later joined again with Prior, this time using the name Silly Sisters for their duo. Starting in 1977 Martin Simpson joined her in the recording studio for three albums before he moved to America in 1987. (Simpson has returned from America to be a guest guitarist on albums in the 2000s.) After his departure, she started working closely with pianist Huw Warren.
In 1990, Tabor recorded an album with the folk-rock band OysterBand entitled Freedom and Rain. She went on tour with OysterBand, and the Rykodisc label published a limited-run promotional live album the following year. Many of her current fans first discovered her through this tour and album with the OysterBand. In 1992 Elvis Costello wrote "All This Useless Beauty" specifically for Tabor, and she recorded it on Angel Tiger.
Since then her solo albums have included:
A Quiet Eye (1999)
Rosa Mundi (2001)
An Echo of Hooves (2003)
At the Wood's Heart (2005)
Apples (2007)
Ashore (2011)
Ragged Kingdom is a 2011 album by June Tabor & Oysterband.
Since 2006, Tabor has also been working with Huw Warren and Iain Ballamy as Quercus.
Website: www.junetabor.co.uk
All Tomorrow's Parties
June Tabor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To all tomorrow′s parties?
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
To all tomorrow's parties
And where will she go and what shall she do
When midnight comes around
She′ll turn once more to Sunday's clown
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow's parties?
Why silks and linens of yesterday′s gowns
To all tomorrow′s parties
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
When Monday comes around?
She′ll turn once more to Sunday's clown
And cry behind the door
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
To all tomorrow′s parties?
The song "All Tomorrow's Parties" by June Tabor, which was originally written and performed by The Velvet Underground, is a poignant exploration of the struggles of ordinary people who find themselves in challenging circumstances. The song's protagonist is a poor girl who is trying to find her place in the world, but she constantly struggles with her own identity and feelings of insecurity. The lyrics describe her search for the right costume to wear to the various parties that she will attend, and the difficulty she has in finding something that she feels comfortable in.
The opening verse of the song sets up the central theme, as it asks what costume the poor girl will wear to all tomorrow's parties. The second verse introduces the idea of a hand-me-down dress, which adds to the sense of poverty and social disadvantage that the girl is experiencing. The later verses describe the girl's struggles to find a sense of identity and purpose, as she seeks out garments that are appropriate for each occasion but never quite feels that she fits in.
Despite the melancholic tone of the song, the lyrics also convey a sense of quiet resilience and determination. The girl is shown as continuing to strive to find her place in the world, even in the face of adversity and uncertainty. The use of imagery such as "Sunday's clown" and "Thursday's rags" reinforces the sense of a life that is defined by poverty and hardship, but the overall message of the song is one of hope and perseverance.
Line by Line Meaning
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
What clothing will the destitute girl dress in
To all tomorrow's parties?
For all the upcoming celebrations?
A hand-me-down dress from who knows where
Possibly an old, used dress from a source that is unclear
To all tomorrow's parties
For every social gathering in the future
And where will she go and what shall she do
Where will she head and how will she occupy herself
When midnight comes around
At the stroke of midnight
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown
She'll revert back to her regular self, feeling foolish and dejected
And cry behind the door
She'll weep privately, not wanting to draw attention to herself
Why silks and linens of yesterday's gowns
Why not repurpose the luxurious fabrics from previous outfits
To all tomorrow's parties
For every upcoming occasion
And what will she do with Thursday's rags
What use will she find for old, shabby clothes
When Monday comes around?
At the beginning of the week?
She'll turn once more to Sunday's clown
She'll again become the sad, foolish person she feels like on Sundays
And cry behind the door
Releasing her emotions privately, away from others' view
And what costume shall the poor girl wear
Once again, what will the destitute girl dress in
To all tomorrow's parties?
For each and every future celebration?
Writer(s): Lou Reed
Contributed by Nicholas G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Luigi Caputo
love this cover that are in the same time very personal and faithful to the original. june tabor voice is wonderful ( love the way she pay an hommage to Nico voices also if i think she was a much better singer) and the music is very poignant in his reproposition of velvet original music
mistery-ed
I love the singing of June Tabor and this is a lifetime fave song...I'm in heaven.
esteves, ayres
Excelente!
Gene Fowler
Thanks for posting this, got a June Tabor and The Oyster Band years ago and love this version
Keith Keller
Love this version and Posting/Sharing.......
Donna Rawlins French
June, a wonderful reading. A beautiful reference to dear Nico and her original narrative, plus a flawless reference to the song's modern conceit. I'll always hold this song sear to my heart. Thank you!
Keith Keller
Thanks and Sharing........