1) Magna Carta… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist with this name, including:
1) Magna Carta was a British progressive folk-rock group originally formed in London in April 1969.
2) Magna Carta was a Greek progressive metal band that released just one album in 1990.
3) Magna Carta was an American post-punk band from Saskatoon SK.
1) Magna Carta was a British progressive folk-rock group originally formed in London in April 1969 by Chris Simpson (guitar, vocals), Lyell Tranter (guitar, vocals) and Glen Stuart (vocals). Their first concert was on 10 May 1969. They played their final farewell concert on 25 January 2020.
The band were renowned for their gentle ballad style and mythical subject matter. Although never purely a folk band, they managed to successfully bridge the gap between folk and folk rock. The trio released albums for Fontana Records and Vertigo Records, enjoying particular success with 1970s Seasons before Tranter returned to Australia. Davey Johnstone joined the line-up as his replacement, recording Songs From Wasties Orchard and In Concert with the band before leaving to work with Elton John.
Simpson and Stuart were then joined by Stan Gordon recording and releasing the much-lauded Lord Of The Ages (texts from this album and Seasons were used as part of the English syllabus in several European countries). Graham Smith who had played on the sessions for Lord Of The Ages, was also added to the line-up but shortly afterwards both he and Gordon left.
There followed a period of much change and upheaval as Simpson and Stuart added a new rhythm section, but Glen Stuart did not feel comfortable with the new direction. This short-lived set-up soon gave way to Simpson and Stuart being joined by Tommy Hoy (ex-Natural Acoustic Band), before Stuart left to run a pet shop in Richmond, Surrey.
Nigel Smith joined in time to help record 1976's Putting It Back Together. In 1977 Hoy's former bandmate in the Natural Acoustic Band, Robin Thyne joined the band, along with Lee Abbott. Soon afterwards, Pick Withers was added. Withers stayed only briefly, leaving to join Dire Straits. Amid much acrimony Thyne and Hoy left in 1979 to form Nova Karta. Tom McConville appeared on the Live In Bergen release, before the line-up changed again to include Al Fenn and George Norris.
Between 1980 and 1982, Doug Morter was added to the line-up, together with a variety of drummers, including Paul Burgess. The 1981 release, Midnight Blue, contained "Highway To Spain", a popular track on radio station playlists around the world. Norris, Burgess and Morter all left, the latter moving on to the Albion Band.
Chris Simpson's solo release, Listen To The Man, came out during this period and featured backing from Abbott, Linda Taylor and Willie Jackson. Between 1984 and 1986, Simpson and Taylor went to the Middle East to run a music club, before returning home to re-form Magna Carta. By 1986 the extremely fluid line-up now included, in addition to Simpson, Taylor and Abbott, Gwyn Jones, John Carey , Paul Burgess, and Simon Carlton. In 1988, One To One was released on the Tembo label, Jones left the band the same year.
In 1990, Simpson and Taylor married, and, with the semi-retirement of Lee Abbott, they continued to play as Magna Carta as a duo, as well as with a larger line-up for extensive touring.
The 1992 Dutch release, Heartlands, was followed by a sell-out tour of the Netherlands. The duo continued to maintain a busy live schedule. Several live albums appeared over the course of the decade.
In 2001, Seasons In The Tide was released on the Gold Circle label.
In early 2011, Midnight Blue was released in a double album package with the live album Live & Let Live
The final album, "The Fields of Eden", was released in 2015.
They played their final farewell concert on 25 January 2020.
2) Magna Carta was a Greek progressive metal band that released just one album in 1990. Marked with a sound not too dissimilar to bands such as Fates Warning or Magellan.
3) Magna Carta was an American post-punk band from Saskatoon SK.
Line-up was Ethan Mierau (Vocals), Justin Cyr (Guitar), Nicole Sanderson (Bass), Travis Becker (Drums). Their debut album was Crisis & Debt
Bandcamp
Facebook page
Fragments
Magna Carta Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why is she all alone
And what would be her answer
If I ask to walk her home
Dare I ask, to walk her home
Lost inside this space and time,
The lady of the sands
She seems to understand and
If by chance I ever get,
To rest upon her shore
Could I ever ask for more
Dare I really ask for more
Than to be with you my friend
Just to sing tonight and then
I will take the road and again
Must I take the road again
Misty winds that kiss the grass,
They pass to touch your hair
High upon the snowy hills,
We take the cleaner air
Stretching out a searching hand,
Into the evening sky
There I gazed into your eyes
Dare I gaze into your eyes
Just to be with you my friend
Just to sing this song and then
I will take the road and again
Must I take the road again
Now I find strange music plays,
Within the dance of time
I close my eyes to find her face,
If only love were wine but
Maybe in some other place,
And on that distant time
I will dare to say love's mine
Will I ever say love's mine
The song "Fragments" by Magna Carta tells the story of a man who is lost in space and time, searching for answers to some of life's most difficult questions. He sees a lady dancer who seems to have all the answers, and wonders if he should ask her to walk him home. The lady dancer, described as "the lady of the sands," has a stunning gaze that seems to understand everything, and the man is struck by her beauty.
Throughout the song, the man continues to examine his life and search for answers. He wonders if he will ever be with his friend again to sing and take the road together. As he gazes into the lady dancer's eyes, he wonders if he is daring enough to ask for more in his life. Eventually, he reflects on love and wonders if he will ever say "love's mine."
The lyrics of "Fragments" are filled with uncertainty and introspection. The man is searching for meaning and wondering if he is taking the right path in life. By incorporating the image of the lady dancer and her hypnotic gaze, the song suggests that life is often like a dance, full of mysterious twists and turns that can lead one to unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
Who's the lady dancer
Who is the woman dancing alone?
Why is she all alone
What is the reason for her solitude?
And what would be her answer
How would she respond
If I ask to walk her home
To my polite request to accompany her back
Dare I ask, to walk her home
Do I have the courage to ask to walk her home?
Lost inside this space and time,
Feeling disoriented in time and place
The lady of the sands
A woman in the desert
Eyes that gaze into your mind,
Her sharp, penetrating gaze
She seems to understand and
She appears to comprehend
If by chance I ever get,
If I should ever have the opportunity
To rest upon her shore
To pause and take a break with her
Could I ever ask for more
Would I dare to ask for anything else?
Dare I really ask for more
Do I have the courage to ask for more?
Than to be with you my friend
The only desire is to spend time with a dear friend
Just to sing tonight and then
Celebrating by singing a song for a little while
I will take the road and again
I will resume traveling soon
Must I take the road again
I wonder if I should keep on moving
Misty winds that kiss the grass,
The gentle breeze caressing the meadow
They pass to touch your hair
Playing with your hair and dancing around
High upon the snowy hills,
Traversing the peaks blanketed in snow
We take the cleaner air
Enjoying the fresh mountain air
Stretching out a searching hand,
Reaching out to explore the surroundings
Into the evening sky
Up into the darkening blue sky
There I gazed into your eyes
And looked deeply into your eyes
Dare I gaze into your eyes
Am I bold enough to look into your eyes?
Now I find strange music plays,
Discovering unfamiliar rhythms
Within the dance of time
Within the flow of time
I close my eyes to find her face,
When I shut my eyes, I see her face
If only love were wine but
If only love were as simple as wine
Maybe in some other place,
Perhaps in a different location and time
And on that distant time
At some point in the remote future
I will dare to say love's mine
I might be brave enough to profess my love for her
Will I ever say love's mine
Will I ever be ready to tell her my feelings?
Contributed by Isabella P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.