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
The Old Man's Song
June Tabor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may say you saw me leaving
If they ask you did I crawl
You may say that I was riding
If they ask you was I bent with care
Or did I hang my head in sorrow
You may say that I rode tall
Looking forward to tomorrow
All you have for me is questions
Living in the past they say
Why should I have all the answers
Let me make my way
If they ask you did I travel light
With no provisions close besides me
Say my saddlebags were filled
With all the dreams I need to guide me
If they laugh and say he's lost his mind,
Did they aver stop to wonder
Just what the fool would hope to find
On the road that leads to yonder
If they ask you where the old man's gone
You may say you saw me leaving
The Old Man's Song by June Tabor is an introspective and philosophical song about a man who, in his old age, is ready to leave his past behind and explore the unknown future. The lyrics are conversational in nature with the singer instructing the listener on what to say if anyone asks about his whereabouts or his journey. It's a poignant reminder that life is a journey and that we must all eventually take the road that leads yonder.
The singer addresses multiple possible questions that people may have about his departure, from whether he crawled or rode tall, to whether he carried provisions or just his dreams. He seems to challenge the idea that living in the past is a negative, instead asserting that it's up to him to decide how he moves forward. The lyrics encourage us to let go of the need to have all the answers, and to embrace the adventure of life with an open mind and a sense of purpose.
Overall, the song speaks to the human need for exploration, self-discovery, and growth throughout life. It's a beautiful and contemplative piece that encourages us to embrace change, eschew convention, and pursue our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
If they ask you where the old man's gone
If anyone asks about my whereabouts
You may say you saw me leaving
You may tell them that you saw me leaving
If they ask you did I crawl
If anyone asks whether I was crawling
You may say that I was riding
You can say that I was riding instead
If they ask you was I bent with care
If anyone asks if I was saddened or burdened
Or did I hang my head in sorrow
Or if I was just bowing my head due to shame or guilt
You may say that I rode tall
You can tell them that I carried myself with pride
Looking forward to tomorrow.
And that I was optimistic about the future
All you have for me is questions
All you seem to do is ask questions about my past
Living in the past they say
Others often comment that I seem to be stuck in the past
Why should I have all the answers
I don't have all the answers to my own life
Let me make my way
Allow me to live my life and make my own choices
If they ask you did I travel light
If anyone asks if I carried my burdens lightly
With no provisions close besides me
With no other resources to rely on
Say my saddlebags were filled
Tell them that my luggage contained
With all the dreams I need to guide me
All the aspirations that will guide me to success
If they laugh and say he's lost his mind,
If people mock me and say I am crazy
Did they ever stop to wonder
Did they ever think
Just what the fool would hope to find
What a foolish person like me hopes to achieve
Contributed by Keira I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
vivavinyl
I'm amazed that nobody has commented on this wonderful song (and performance) and also on your splendid video! Really enjoyed both enormously, so thank you very much for putting this up!
John Catanach
Always loved this song and June's version of it, I'm a great fan of hers, thank you for your efforts...
Dickie Twort
OMG that is such a gut wrenchingly sad (and beautiful) song. Thanks for posting up this version - June Tabor sings it beautifully, and great images to go with it. I heard the John Tams version on a Home Service vinyl years ago, but have never been able to find it since. Graeme Taylor did a nice twiddle on the guitar, and of course I love John Tams's melancholia
Kelda Ogg
Well done.