1) an English folk-rock gr… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name:
1) an English folk-rock group from Newcastle-upon-Tyne;
2) a Black Metal band from Volgograd, Russia;
3) a Pagan/Folk Black Metal from Solingen, Germany;
1) Lindisfarne were an English folk-rock group from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, formed in 1968. The original line up was Alan Hull, Ray Jackson, Ray Laidlaw, Rod Clements, and Simon Cowe.
The group released their debut Nicely out of Tune in 1970. Their second album, Fog on the Tyne, was produced by Bob Johnson, who had also worked with Bob Dylan, to whom Alan Hull was being compared at the time. Following their third album, Dingly Dell, the group split and Lindisfarne (Mark II) continued with new members, and produced a few more albums before disbanding in 1975, seemingly for good.
1978 saw the original group re-form, with the album Back and Fourth, and the hit single "Run for Home". This line-up continued for many years. New member Marty Craggs came in for the 1986 album Dance Your Life Away. Ray 'Jacka' Jackson eventualy left to work in London, and then Si Cowe left to run a brewery in Canada. Jackson now (2008) has a career as an artist, specialising in colourful paintings of buses, a passion since he was a boy. He also played the mandolin on Rod Stewart's "Maggie May".
The group celebrated their twenty-fifth anniversary of performing at Newcastle City Hall in the summer of 1995. Less than six months later Hull died of a heart attack. There was a period of consolidation for the group, which decided to continue - going back to their folk roots, and new members Billy Mitchell, Dave Denholm and Ian Thompson. This line up continued for several years until the departure of Marty Craggs. After this the three remaining members continued to tour as an acoustic trio before calling it a day with a final gig on 17th May 2004.
2) a Black Metal band from Russia, Volgograd.
3) a Pagan/Folk Black Metal from Germany, Solingen.
Winter Song
Lindisfarne Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
First pursue you down the street
And your boots no longer lie
About the cold around your feet
Do you spare a thought for summer
Whose passage is complete
Whose memories lie in ruins
When winter comes howling in
When the wind is singing strangely
Blowing music through your head
And your rain splattered windows
Make you decide to stay in bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp
Who wishes he was dead
Or do you pull your bedclothes higher
Dream of summertime instead?
When winter comes howling in
The creeping cold has fingers
That caress without permission
And mystic crystal snowdrops
Only aggravate the condition
Do you spare one thought for the gypsy
With no secure position
Who's turned and spurned by village and town
At the magistrate's decision
When winter comes howling in
When the turkey's in the oven
And the Christmas presents are bought
And Santa's in his module
He's an American astronaut
Do you spare one thought for Jesus
Who had nothing but his thoughts
Who got busted just for talking
And befriending the wrong sorts?
When winter comes howling in
When winter comes howling in
The lyrics of Lindisfarne's Winter Song paint a vivid picture of the cold and desolate season, and explore the different ways in which people cope with it. The first verse sets the scene for the rest of the song, describing the onset of winter and the physical discomfort it brings. The imagery of boots that can no longer keep out the cold, along with the "shadowy fingers" of winter pursuing the singer down the street, create a palpable sense of chilliness and foreboding. However, the second line introduces a contrast: "And your boots no longer lie/ About the cold around your feet". This implies that the singer may have some form of shelter, however humble it may be, unlike other characters who are introduced later in the song.
In the second verse, the focus shifts to the emotional aspect of winter. The wind and rain are personified as musical elements that affect the singer's state of mind, inspiring feelings of melancholy and lethargy. At the same time, the lyrics introduce the idea of empathy and compassion, through the figure of the homeless tramp who is condemned to spend the winter out in the open. The singer invites the listeners to reckon with the suffering of others, and consider their own privilege in comparison. The third verse expands on this theme, as the physical discomfort of winter transforms into a more existential form of dislocation. The "creeping cold" is no longer just a seasonal feature, but a metaphor for the workings of society that exclude and marginalize certain groups, such as the gypsy who is ostracized wherever he goes.
The final verse reveals the song's more explicit political message, as it contrasts the commercialized version of Christmas with the original story of Jesus. The lyrics make a pointed critique of the consumerist culture that has come to dominate winter, which has forgotten the values of kindness and compassion embodied by Jesus' teachings. The reference to Santa Claus as an American astronaut emphasizes the globalized and trivialized nature of contemporary culture, which has little room for genuine spiritual insight. Throughout the song, the repeated chorus of "When winter comes howling in" serves as a refrain that underlines the unity of experience shared by all those who face the challenges of winter, regardless of their social position or beliefs.
Line by Line Meaning
When winter's shadowy fingers
When the dark and cold of winter sets in
First pursue you down the street
At the first signs of winter's grip on the outdoors
And your boots no longer lie
When your boots fail to protect your feet
About the cold around your feet
From the harsh, numbing cold that is present
Do you spare a thought for summer
Do you ever think of summer and its warmth?
Whose passage is complete
That has passed completely, leaving nothing behind
Whose memories lie in ruins
The memories of summer left behind are destroyed
And whose ruins lie in heat
The ruins of summer are preserved in heat
When winter comes howling in
When winter's cold and bleakness arrives
When the wind is singing strangely
When the howling winter wind's sound seems unusual
Blowing music through your head
The sound of winter is like music to your ears
And your rain splattered windows
When the rain is beating against your windows
Make you decide to stay in bed
Making it tempting to stay in bed
Do you spare a thought for the homeless tramp
Do you think of the homeless person out in the cold?
Who wishes he was dead
Who may be suffering so much it would be better for them to be dead
Or do you pull your bedclothes higher
Do you block it out by staying warm and cozy?
Dream of summertime instead?
Do you turn to dreams of summer to get you through the cold winter?
The creeping cold has fingers
The cold is felt as if it were fingertips that can touch you without permission
That caress without permission
The cold feeling is unwelcome but present
And mystic crystal snowdrops
The snowflakes are seen as magical and mysterious
Only aggravate the condition
But the cold and snow only make the situation worse
Do you spare one thought for the gypsy
Do you ever think of those who have no secure place to stay?
With no secure position
The gypsy has no place they can really call their own
Who's turned and spurned by village and town
Who has been rejected and treated poorly by the people of the community
At the magistrate's decision
This decision is often outside of their control
When the turkey's in the oven
During the holiday season when cooking is being done
And the Christmas presents are bought
And the holiday shopping is complete
And Santa's in his module
And Santa Claus is being portrayed as an astronaut
He's an American astronaut
Being described as an American astronaut seems out of character for Santa Claus
Do you spare one thought for Jesus
Do you remember the humble origins of Christmas?
Who had nothing but his thoughts
Jesus had no material possessions, only his beliefs
Who got busted just for talking
Jesus was punished just for preaching his ideas
And befriending the wrong sorts?
And for socializing with individuals viewed unfavorably by society
When winter comes howling in
When winter's cold and bleakness arrives
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: James Alan Hull
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris England
Bob DeCosemo
Hi Bob, yes I managed to watch them live too, but only the once, In the tiny theatre in Halifax.
They were absolutely smashing.
Alan came out onto a stage that showed him the theatre was only around a third full, he wasn't fazed.
He slung on his guitar and said into the mic: "Well, you're only small, but perfectly INformed" haha.
Within five minutes there wasn't even standing room. The place was jam packed for them. Lovely.
He died not long afterwards, so I just made it to one of their last full shows, thank God,
I'd wanted to see them for years and years.
What a terrible shame that we lost such a truly good man.
I've seen the Costello version advertised, but didn't bother clicking on it, mainly because I'm not a fan of Costello to be honest.. and I didn't want to hear him ruin a song that I love.
But I'll have a look now, and see what he has to say..
Thanks.
paul kirsopp
I never get SICK of listening to this song......its one of Alan Hulls finest .I busk this song and it gives me great pleasure to promote this work of art when im out on the streets .Im so proud to be a geordie when I sing this song and when people enquire I can tell them that Alan Hull was one of the most underated singer/songwriters this country has ever produced and that he came from Newcastle..whey aye man!! So pleased i witnessed one of his last performances the year he died ,Lindisfarne performed at "The Half Moon" at Herne Hill, South East London..R.I.P Alan Hull you legend!!!
Tas Lad
i'm just the same , nearly 50 years and it still is as just as beautiful as it ever was, god bless you Alan Hull I don't think we truly appreciated your talent when you walked among us
FMHammyJ
I feel very fortunate that my late brother(who was a radio dj for a time) introduced me to Lindisfarne. Brother John always had fine taste in music, and Lindisfarne was one of his favourites. I can never play a Lindisfarne song without thinking of him.
Paul Kirkland
I was due to see them 1995, one of my friends band were supporting them, but Alan died about 3 weeks before the gig. However I saw a ‘ larger version and met them. Rod Clements and Ray Laidlaw were the only original members still brilliant,!
Bert Scrogshaw
Totally agree. Great lyrics and tunes and so underrated. I still remember seeing them as a young lad at Newcastle City Hall in 1976. The first and best gig that I've been to. Very exciting......and hairy. (As in a lot of long hair and beards at the time). Bought the live album and still love to listen to it today.
Lee Roberts
I watched the Alan Hull documentary on bbc four last night and this song in particular moved me to tears. Now i have to buy all their records.
Alan Duffy
You won't regret it, Lee.
bod Cole
check out Sam fenders cover...we are all geordies
jj key
My favourite Xmas song? I hate winter, I love this song - fantastic band, wonderful songwriter and a voice that conveys truth
alan madden
I saw lindisfarne in concert many times and while I really regret not seeing queen or many other major groups live, I am satisfied with my lot having been witness to a brilliant geordie band delivering fantastic tunes.