After learning to play the guitar, the fiddle, and the piano, as well as to sing, Rusby played at many local folk festivals as a child and adolescent. She came to wider attention through her duets with her friend and fellow Barnsley folk singer Kathryn Roberts on the 1995 album Kate Rusby & Kathryn Roberts.
At about this time she joined, and became the lead vocalist of, the all-female Celtic folk band The Poozies. This led to her becoming a founding member of the group Equation, which included Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Rusby left Equation (being replaced by Cara Dillon) to follow a more traditional direction and, in 1997, released her debut solo album Hourglass produced by Scottish fiddler John McCusker (to whom Rusby was married for some time).
In 1999 Rusby recorded Sleepless which earned her a Mercury Music Prize nomination and the BBC Folk Award for Best Album and Best Folk Singer.
Rusby continues to release albums mixing traditional and self-penned songs on her own Pure Records, winning fans as diverse as Graham Coxon (who provided the illustration for her album The Girl Who Couldn't Fly) and collaborator Ronan Keating.
2008 saw the release of Sweet Bells, an album of traditional Christmas songs interpreted by Rusby.
In 2010, Rusby released the album Make the Light, a collection of self-penned songs, and in 2011 issued a second collection of Christmas songs titled While Mortals Sleep.
www.katerusby.com
Fare Thee Well
Kate Rusby Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Then the sun will come shining through,
To show me the place I once new.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well.
The old man's here and he's fine,
He has come here from years down the line,
He has come to bring peace to all times for the few,
He has come to bring life to the new.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
Hold on steady and strong,
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Oh its easy to stand in the light with pain,
In the light I will ever remain.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
The song "Fare Thee Well" by Kate Rusby is a ballad that talks about the need to move on from the past and embrace the future. The opening lines, "Hold on steady and strong, Here's the dawn coming on won't be long," refer to the dawn of a new day, metaphorically representing the start of a new phase of life. The singer is optimistic about the future and believes that the sun will come shining through to guide her to the place she once knew. The phrase "the place I once knew" suggests that the singer has been away or lost for a while and is now ready to go back home or reclaim her former self.
The second stanza introduces an old man who has come back from the past to bring peace to the present and life to the future. This character could be interpreted as a symbol of the singer's ancestors or the collective wisdom of her community. The phrase "all times for the few" suggests that the man's message is intended for a select group of people who have the capacity to carry it forward. The song repeats the refrain "Fare thee well" multiple times, suggesting that the parting is permanent and that the singer is determined to move on from the past.
In summary, "Fare Thee Well" is a song about letting go of the past and embracing the future with optimism and grace. It encourages listeners to hold on steady and strong, even in the face of pain, and to trust the dawn that is coming.
Line by Line Meaning
Hold on steady and strong,
Stay firm and resilient,
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Morning is approaching soon,
Then the sun will come shining through,
The sun will light the way,
To show me the place I once new.
To lead me to where I once belonged.
Fare thee well,
Goodbye,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Goodbye and farewell,
With this song I'll be gone,
This song represents my farewell,
The old man's here and he's fine,
The wise elder has arrived and is doing well,
He has come here from years down the line,
He has traveled from the distant future,
He has come to bring peace to all times for the few,
His mission is to bring serenity and calmness to all times for a select few,
He has come to bring life to the new.
He is here to bring vitality to the fresh and novel.
Oh its easy to stand in the light with pain,
It is effortless to stay in the brightness despite affliction,
In the light I will ever remain.
I will always exist in the radiance.
Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jamesstuartbrice420
here are the lyrics from the Internet, but I do not know the background or what the song means or is about. Perhaps someone can write a comment on this.
Hold on steady and strong,
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Then the sun will come shining through,
To show me the place I once knew.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
The old man's here and he's fine,
He has come here from years down the line,
He has come to bring peace to all times for the few,
He has come to bring life to the new.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
Hold on steady and strong,
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Oh its easy to stand in the light with pain,
In the light I will ever remain.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
@paulhbrown
Hold on steady and strong,
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Then the sun will come shining through,
To show me the place I once new.
Chorus:
Fare thee well,
Fare thee well and adieu,
Fare thee well,
With this song I'll be gone,
Fare thee well.
The old man's here and he's fine,
He has come here from years down the line,
He has come to bring peace to all times for the few,
He has come to bring life to the new.
Chorus x2
Hold on steady and strong,
Here's the dawn coming on won't be long,
Oh its easy to stand in the light with pain,
In the light I will ever remain.
Chorus x2
@MrRicehard
I count myself lucky to have been listening to Kate's enchanting voice since I first purchased the Over The Hills And Far Away Music of Sharpe soundtrack on cassette back in the mid 90's. Bless you all whom have ears. The pipes make my blood stir also. :)
@nickcarophotography
The Barnsley Nightingale. Perfect as always.
@OKScottT
Kate has been given the voice of an angel, and this song is nothing short of angelic. so moving and so graceful.
@brucebundock1373
My grandmother, Bertha Greenwood Bundock ,was born in the area where Kate was born, only in 1889. She worked in the textile mills before they had child labor laws. Emigrated to the U.S. in 1911. She would have adored Kate's music, as I do. " Exile" alone went straight to my heart.
@karenreid5615
Absolutely riveting. So lovely, so poignant. She sings it so perfectly. What a great experience to listen to music and talent like Kate Rusby. And her music accompaniments. Thank you for adding joy to my life.
@Dorain1969
Karen Reid Such a beautiful comment! I agree and am glad that others appreciate the music as much as I do!
@kikisub
A unique voice, a soulful heart, and the face of an angel. Who could ask for more?
@wraithRaptor
She's done us Yorkshirefolk proud! Sing for the White Rose!
@stefs001
For me Kate is definetely the most inspiring voice of Britain's folk scene. Britain and Folk have a nightingale to cherish and let free to sing whenever she feels the need to....
@eddiesouthgate6654
Only thing better than hearing her is seeing her.