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
Cold and Raw
June Tabor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well i'm all used up and the fields have turned brown
I went to church on sunday, she passed by
Well my love for her has taken such a long time to die.
Well, i'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
It's almost like, almost like i don't exist.
I'm twenty miles out of town, cold irons bound.
Can't see over to the other side
It's such a sad thing to see beauty decay
But it's sadder still to feel your heart turn away.
One look at you and i'm out of control
Like the universe has swallowed me whole.
I'm twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound.
There's too many people, too many to recall
I thought some of 'em were friends of mine, i was wrong about 'em all
Well, the road is rocky and the hillside mud
Up over my head, nothing but clouds of blood.
I found my world, found my world in you
But your love just hasn't proved true.
I'm twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound
Twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound.
Well the winds in chicago ah, they torn me to shreds
Reality has always had too many heads
I tried to love and protect you because i care
I'm gonna remember forever the joy we've shared
I'm looking at you and i'm on my bended knee
You've no idea what you did to me
I'm twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound
Twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound.
The song "Cold and Raw" by June Tabor is a melancholic piece that illustrates the feeling of being trapped and isolated from the world. The first verse depicts the main character as being alone and hearing voices, which signifies the start of his mental breakdown. He expresses his despair as being "all used up" while the fields have turned brown and he feels as if he doesn't exist. Despite the passing of time, the love he harbors for a woman who has obviously moved on is still very much alive, making him feel bound to her. The line "I'm twenty miles out of town, cold irons bound" is repeated twice in the song, highlighting his feeling of being trapped and stuck in his situation.
The second verse talks about the walls of pride, which is referring to how the world around the singer seems to be crumbling down, and he can't do anything about it. The sadness he feels at seeing beauty decay is amplified by the fact that his own heart has turned away, referencing his feelings of hopelessness and depression. The line "one look at you and I'm out of control like the universe has swallowed me whole" refers to how emotionally dependent on the woman, the singer is. He is trapped in his own thoughts without hope of escape.
The third verse focuses on the feeling of isolation and the sense of betrayal. The singer feels that there are too many people around him, yet there's no one he can count on. He reflects on how he was wrong about assuming people were his friends, and he feels lost and alone. The metaphorical images of a rocky road and hillside mud represent the singer's chaotic life. The lines "I found my world in you, but your love just hasn't proved true" sums up the heartache he has felt since his emotional connection with the woman.
Overall, the song "Cold and Raw" by June Tabor resonates with people who have experienced the feeling of being trapped and isolated from the world. It represents the struggle of coping with personal limitations and emotional pain, making it a timeless piece that remains relatable to many.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm beginnin' to hear voices and there's no one around
I am becoming paranoid and distressed, although nobody is present to speak.
Well I'm all used up and the fields have turned brown
I am depleted and the environment around me is bleak.
I went to church on Sunday, she passed by
I attended religious service and saw the woman I once loved.
Well my love for her has taken such a long time to die
It has been a lengthy process to overcome my affection for her.
Well, I'm waist deep, waist deep in the mist
I am surrounded by intense fog that engulfs me up to the waist.
It's almost like, almost like I don't exist
The mist creates a feeling of isolation and insignificance.
I'm twenty miles out of town, cold irons bound
I am physically far from civilization and restrained by cold metal shackles.
Well, the walls of pride, well they're high and they're wide
A barrier of arrogance obstructs my view and limits my reach.
Can't see over to the other side
My perspective is restricted and I cannot perceive beyond this obstacle.
It's such a sad thing to see beauty decay
The process of beauty deteriorating is a melancholic sight.
But it's sadder still to feel your heart turn away
The feeling of your heart distancing from mine is even more sorrowful.
One look at you and I'm out of control
Your presence overwhelms me and I lose my composure.
Like the universe has swallowed me whole
The intensity of my emotions feels all-encompassing and inescapable.
There's too many people, too many to recall
There are countless individuals, too many to remember.
I thought some of 'em were friends of mine, I was wrong about 'em all
I mistakenly believed I had friendships with certain people, but they all failed me.
Well, the road is rocky and the hillside mud
The terrain is rough and dangerous, making the journey treacherous.
Up over my head, nothing but clouds of blood
Above me, I see an ominous sky filled with violent red clouds.
I found my world, found my world in you
In you, I discovered my entire universe and identity.
But your love just hasn't proved true
Your affection did not remain steadfast or genuine.
Well the winds in Chicago ah, they torn me to shreds
The strong winds in Chicago have destroyed and devastated me.
Reality has always had too many heads
The world is complex and multilayered, making it difficult to comprehend.
I tried to love and protect you because I care
I made an effort to love and safeguard you out of concern.
I'm gonna remember forever the joy we've shared
The positive experiences we shared will remain etched in my memory indefinitely.
I'm looking at you and I'm on my bended knee
I gaze at you with reverence and humility.
You've no idea what you did to me
You are unaware of the impact you have had on me.
I'm twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound
I am still far from civilization and shackled by cold metal restraints.
Twenty miles out of town and cold irons bound
I remain distant from others and trapped by my physical bounds.
Contributed by Tristan W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tom Samuel
So glad one finally uploaded this beautyful song; been longing to hear it for a very long while.
Adam Rasmussen
I wonder whether there are earlier recorded versions of this ballad. The lyrics here are more complete than in later renditions.