Heron began by playing in R&B and pop bands in Edinburgh, including The Saracens. In late 1965 he successfully auditioned to join a new trio, The Incredible String Band, with Robin Williamson and Clive Palmer.
While with ISB, Heron released a solo recording, Smiling Men with Bad Reputations, released in 1971. This took eclecticism to a new extreme, blending rock, folk and world music into an atmospheric whole. Contributing musicians included Pete Townshend, Keith Moon, Duncan Browne and Ronnie Lane (as "Tommy & The Bijoux"!), John Cale, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, Simon Nicol, Dave Pegg, Dudu Pukwana, Elton John, and Steve Winwood.
After the ISB broke up in 1974, Heron formed his own band, Mike Heron's Reputation, with three other members of the final "electric" ISB line-up - Graham Forbes, John Gilston, and Malcolm Le Maistre. Later known simply as Heron, the band recorded and toured until 1977.
In 1977/78, while still living in the Glen Row cottage near Innerleithen which had been the Incredible String Band's home and headquarters, Heron recorded songs which were eventually issued as The Glen Row Tapes. In 1979, he released a solo album on Casablanca Records, but then withdrew from performance for several years. In the 1990s he re-emerged with a new group, Mike Heron's Incredible Acoustic Band, and released the album Where The Mystics Swim.
In 1997 he reunited with Williamson for some concerts, and from 1999 to 2006 performed occasionally with a reformed version of the Incredible String Band.
He has also recorded a song with his daughter Georgia Seddon, based on a poem by John Burnside, for the Ballads of the Book album released in March 2007.
Website: www.mikeheron.co.uk
Warm Heart Pastry
Mike Heron Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
John Cale: viola
Sue Sunny, Liza Strike: backing vocals
Hey I know your faces and you've sent them here before
Drinking my wine, dropping your ash on my floor, I'm waiting
And when you call, bring it all
I'm thin and I'm getting thinner
Yeah I'll bid for the puzzle 'cos I think I know how it fits
You could be fat as a hog, still you want to chew it
One day you're gonna find out - hot dog doesn't do it
Warm heart pastry
Talkin' bout warm hot pastry sure nuf I am
Hey I'm a hungry man and you know I ain't talkin'bout grits
Just look at you, you got a sour lemon stuck where a smile oughta fit
In Mike Heron's song "Warm Heart Pastry," he seems to be venting his frustration with individuals he has encountered who have a habit of visiting him uninvited, drinking his wine, dropping ashes on his floor, and generally just being a nuisance. There is a sense of resignation in his tone as he acknowledges that he knows these individuals and they have come to visit him before. He also expresses his hunger and desire for something more substantial than just "grits," using the metaphor of a puzzle to represent the complexity of his hunger.
The title of the song itself, "Warm Heart Pastry," seems to be the solution to his hunger, a metaphor for the warmth and comfort he seeks but cannot seem to find in these unwanted visitors. The line "you could be fat as a hog, still you want to chew it" could be interpreted as an indictment of materialism, perhaps a comment on how people are always searching for more, even if they are already well-fed. The final lines, "just look at you, you got a sour lemon stuck where a smile oughta fit," suggest that these individuals are not content and perhaps even unhappy, despite appearing to be outwardly satisfied.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey I know your faces and you've sent them here before
I recognize you and remember that you've come here before
Drinking my wine, dropping your ash on my floor, I'm waiting
You've been disrespectful in my home, but I'm still waiting for you to arrive
And when you call, bring it all
I expect you to bring everything you promised when you call me
I'm thin and I'm getting thinner
I'm in a difficult situation and it's getting worse
Hey I'm a hungry man and you know I ain't taling 'bout grits
I'm in need of something more substantial than grits
Yeah I'll bid for the puzzle 'cos I think I know how it fits
I'm willing to invest in this situation because I believe I understand it
You could be fat as a hog, still you want to chew it
You may have everything you need, but you still want more
One day you're gonna find out - hot dog doesn't do it
You will eventually realize that what you want is not what you need
Warm heart pastry
Something comforting and satisfying
Talkin' bout warm hot pastry sure nuf I am
I'm really emphasizing how good this warm pastry is
Hey I'm a hungry man and you know I ain't talkin'bout grits
I need something more substantial than grits to satisfy me
Just look at you, you got a sour lemon stuck where a smile oughta fit
You're not as happy as you should be and it's noticeable
Contributed by Ella D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@emilyoshiro
Lovely track, featuring my high school idols, Moonie, Townshend, and, Ronnie Lane.
@laviniablackwall8359
Absolutely love this!!!!!!
@TheRussianAngle
Love it!
@nildesperandum4776
My family tree research brought me here... Mike's my cousin! Thanks for posting!
@charlesachurch7265
So what! My cousin is Robin Williamson.
@maryanneweldon8040
love this cut! Moon on the skins...thankyou for this😊😊😊
@fernandoazevedo1550
John Shariff on the drums
Fantastic
@drummer78
So it’s not Keith Moon?
@maynardmoleman
smashing!
@hannutakalo931
Yes, guess the WHO!