Jones is widely recognised as one of the most enduring artists to come out of the 70s English folk revival. Although he originally styled himself as a folk singer, his fame rests largely on his skill as a guitarist and in composing memorable arrangements for traditional songs.
His early musical interests included acts like Ray Charles and The Shadows. He first learned to play guitar while at school. His interest in folk music was aroused in 1964 by some old school friends who had formed into a folk band called the Halliard. When the members of the Halliard decided to turn professional, one of them left to pursue a different career and Nic was invited to take his place. Whilst playing with the Halliard, Nic learned how to play the fiddle, and also how to research and arrange traditional material.
The Halliard split up in 1968 as the members decided to pursue individual interests. For Nic, after a period at home with his family, this meant forging a career as a solo artist. At first finding work as a session musician, his solo career eventually took off and he recorded five solo albums, plus contributions to another album with the folk act Bandoggs.
In February of 1982, he was involved in a serious car accident while driving home after perfoming at Glossop Folk Club. He broke a large number of bones and suffered some brain damage and was hospitalised for eight months. Although he survived, he still suffers co-ordination problems and feels he is unable to play the guitar well enough to perform and record. He can no longer play the fiddle at all.
Nic now lives in York and continues to play guitar and write songs for his own pleasure. He has also developed a passion for chess. His wife, Julia, set up the record label Mollie Music which has issued two albums of re-mastered live recordings from Nic's early career. In 2006 Topic released a third compilation of live recordings, Game Set Match.
Nic's guitar style was unique in its day and has often been imitated since. He played with a plastic thumb pick but not his fingernails. Instead he opted to grasp and pluck the strings of the guitar which led to the slapping down onto the fingerboard with no small force, a technique similar to that employed when plucking the lute. This created the percussive effect which became his signature sound.
Nic's first four albums were originally released on vinyl and have never been reissued, making them rather sought after. The label that now owns them, Celtic Music, has stated it will not release CD versions until all the existing vinyl versions are sold. However, in spite of repeated enquiries by fans, no-one has yet managed to buy one of the 'existing' vinyl copies.
With the Halliard:
* It's The Irish In Me - The Halliard (1967)
* The Halliard and Jon Raven (1967)
As a member of Bandoggs (Pete and Chris Coe and Tony Rose)
* Bandoggs (1978)
As a session musician with Maddy Prior and June Tabor
* Silly Sisters (1976)
Solo, now Unavailable:
* Ballads and Songs (1970)
* Nic Jones (1971)
* The Noah's Ark Trap (1977)
* From the Devil to a Stranger (1978)
Solo, still available:
* Penguin Eggs (1980)
* In Search of Nic Jones (1998) (remastered live material)
* Unearthed (2001) (remastered live material)
* Game Set Match (2006) (remastered live material)
In 1999, John Wesley Harding released a tribute album entitled Trad Arr Jones.
In 2001, Penguin Eggs was voted the 2nd best folk album of all time by listeners of the Mike Harding show on BBC Radio 2. The opening track on this album, Canadee-I-O, besides being an excellent example of Nic's guitar style is notable because it was recorded by Bob Dylan and included on his 1992 album Good as I Been to You. Whilst Canadee-I-O is a traditional folk song, some critics have accused Dylan of stealing Nic's arrangements for this song without credit or the offer of royalties. Others disagree, and believe the arrangements to be different. Another school of thought is that the arranger's copyright on recordings of traditional songs is little more than a legal fiction, allowing artists to receive "mechanical royalty payments" that would otherwise be kept by their recording labels. See the links below for further discussion on this issue.
Not having sung in public since the car crash some 28 years ago, Jones made a surprise appearance at the Sidmouth Folk Festival in August 2010. During a programme dedicated to performances of his work, he took to the stage to perform three songs with one of his past line ups, Bandoggs. It was an emotional event for audience and performers alike and Jones, having been rehearsing for the show at his home in north Devon, has now declared that he is considering performing again.
In 2012 Nic was a featured vocalist on the Kate Rusby album, 20, singing compelling yet tasteful harmonies with Kate on her self-penned song "The Lark". If this teaser is anything to go by we may be in for another treat from Nic Jones.
The Outlandish Knight
Nic Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he's courted a lady fair.
And he's said he would take her to those northern lands,
And there he would marry her.
"Go fetch me some of your father's gold,
And some of your mother's fee.
And two of the fine horses out of the stable,
So she mounts all on her milk white steed
And he on the dapple grey.
And they rode until they came to the seaside
Three hours before it was day.
"Light off, light off, your milk white steed
And deliver it unto me
For six pretty maidens have I drowned here
And the seventh will surely be thee.
"And take off, take off your silken clothes,
And deliver them unto me
For I do fear that they are too fine
To rot all in the salt sea."
"If I must take off my silken clothes
Then turn your back to me
For it is not fitting that such a rogue
A naked woman should see.
"And cut away the brambles so sharp
Those brambles from off the brim
For I do fear they will tangle my hair
And scratch my tender skin."
So he's turned his back all on that maid
And he's bent low over the brim
And she's taken him round his slender waist
And she's tumbled him into the stream.
He dropped high he's dropped low
Until he came to the side
"Catch hold of my hand me fair pretty maid
And then I will make you my bride."
"Lie there, lie there you false-hearted man,
Lie there instead of me.
For six pretty maidens have you drowned here
And the seventh hath drowned thee."
And she's mounted on her milk white steed
She's led the dappled grey.
She's rode 'til she's come to her father's house
Three hours before it was day.
The parrot hung in the window so high
And he's heard what the lady did say.
"Oh what ails thee, What ails thee,
My pretty lady? You've tarried so long away."
And the King he was in his bedroom so high
And he's heard what the parrot did say.
"What ails thee, What ails thee,
My pretty Polly? You're a-prattling so long before day."
"It's no laughing matter," the parrot did say
"So loudly I called to thee
For the cat she has got in the window so high
I fear she's the death of me."
"Well turned, well turned, me pretty Polly
Well turned, well turned for me.
Your cage will be made of the glittering gold
And the door of the best ivory."
The song "The Outlandish Knight" tells the tale of a young woman who meets a knight from the Northlands and is enamored by his charm. He promises to take her to his homeland and marry her there. However, on the way there, he reveals his true intentions of drowning her in the sea like he did to six other maidens before her. The clever young woman asks him to turn his back while she undresses and then tricks him into falling into the water, where he drowns. She then rides back to her father's house and is greeted by her pet parrot who informs her that the King has been listening to her conversation. The woman cleverly pretends that her concern for the parrot's safety was the cause of her chatter and is rewarded by the King who promises her a cage of gold and ivory.
The song conveys a cautionary message to young women to be wary of men who make false promises and to use their wit and intelligence to protect themselves. It also highlights the importance of having animal companions who can alert us to danger and provide comfort and companionship. The themes of deception, betrayal, and revenge are common in balladry, and this song is no exception. It shows that those who are caught in their own evil deeds will ultimately be punished.
Line by Line Meaning
An Outlandish Knight came from the North lands
A foreign man from the North came to the area
And he's courted a lady fair.
He started to pursue a beautiful woman
And he's said he would take her to those northern lands,
And there he would marry her.
He promised to bring her to his homeland in the North, where they would be wed
"Go fetch me some of your father's gold,
And some of your mother's fee.
And two of the fine horses out of the stable,
Where there stand thirty and three."
He asked the woman to steal money and horses from her parents' stables for their journey
So she mounts all on her milk white steed
And he on the dapple grey.
And they rode until they came to the seaside
Three hours before it was day.
The couple rode on their respective horses until they arrived at the shoreline just before dawn
"Light off, light off, your milk white steed
And deliver it unto me
For six pretty maidens have I drowned here
And the seventh will surely be thee.
He demanded that she surrender her horse and submit to him, threatening to kill her like he had six other women
"And take off, take off your silken clothes,
And deliver them unto me
For I do fear that they are too fine
To rot all in the salt sea."
He also ordered her to remove her fine clothing before throwing her in the water
"If I must take off my silken clothes
Then turn your back to me
For it is not fitting that such a rogue
A naked woman should see.
The woman requested privacy to undress, citing his lack of honor as the reason for her modesty
"And cut away the brambles so sharp
Those brambles from off the brim
For I do fear they will tangle my hair
And scratch my tender skin."
She also asked him to remove the sharp thorn branches near the water since she was afraid they would hurt her
So he's turned his back all on that maid
And he's bent low over the brim
And she's taken him round his slender waist
And she's tumbled him into the stream.
While he had his back turned, she pushed him into the water instead of him drowning her
He dropped high he's dropped low
Until he came to the side
"Catch hold of my hand me fair pretty maid
And then I will make you my bride."
The man struggled and briefly managed to climb out of the water, but begged the woman to save him in exchange for marriage
"Lie there, lie there you false-hearted man,
Lie there instead of me.
For six pretty maidens have you drowned here
And the seventh hath drowned thee."
She refused to save him and instead told him to stay in the water, blaming him for the deaths of six other women and his own demise
And she's mounted on her milk white steed
She's led the dappled grey.
She's rode 'til she's come to her father's house
Three hours before it was day.
The woman took back her horse and rode back to her father's house before dawn
The parrot hung in the window so high
And he's heard what the lady did say.
"Oh what ails thee, What ails thee,
My pretty lady? You've tarried so long away."
A parrot in the window overheard her and asked why she was gone for so long
And the King he was in his bedroom so high
And he's heard what the parrot did say.
"What ails thee, What ails thee,
My pretty Polly? You're a-prattling so long before day."
The king, who owned the parrot, also heard it talking and wondered why it was making noise so early
"It's no laughing matter," the parrot did say
"So loudly I called to thee
For the cat she has got in the window so high
I fear she's the death of me."
The parrot revealed that it was afraid of a cat and that's why it made noise, not because of the woman
"Well turned, well turned, me pretty Polly
Well turned, well turned for me.
Your cage will be made of the glittering gold
And the door of the best ivory."
The king was amused and complimented the parrot, promising to give it a gold cage with an ivory door
Contributed by Cole A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
chia rha
An Outlandish Knight came from the North lands
And he's courted a lady fair
And he's said he would take her to those northern lands
And there he would marry her
"Go fetch me some of your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee
And two of the fine horses out of the stable
Where there stand thirty and three"
So she mounts all on her milk white steed
And he on the dapple grey
And they rode until they came to the seaside
Three hours before it was day
"Light off, light off, your milk white steed
And deliver it unto me
For six pretty maidens have I drowned here
And the seventh will surely be thee
"And take off, take off your silken clothes
And deliver them unto me
For I do fear that they are too fine
To rot all in the salt sea"
"If I must take off my silken clothes
Then turn your back to me
For it is not fitting that such a rogue
A naked woman should see
"And cut away the brambles so sharp
Those brambles from off the brim
For I do fear they will tangle my hair
And scratch my tender skin"
So he's turned his back all on that maid
And he's bent low over the brim
And she's taken him round his slender waist
And she's tumbled him into the stream
He dropped high he's dropped low
Until he came to the side
"Catch hold of my hand me fair pretty maid
And then I will make you my bride"
"Lie there, lie there you false-hearted man
Lie there instead of me
For six pretty maidens have you drowned here
And the seventh hath drowned thee"
And she's mounted on her milk white steed
She's led the dappled grey
She's rode 'til she's come to her father's house
Three hours before it was day
The parrot hung in the window so high
And he's heard what the lady did say
"Oh what ails thee, What ails thee
My pretty lady? You've tarried so long away"
And the King he was in his bedroom so high
And he's heard what the parrot did say
"What ails thee, What ails thee
My pretty Polly? You're a-prattling so long before day"
"It's no laughing matter, " the parrot did say
"So loudly I called to thee
For the cat she has got in the window so high
I fear she's the death of me"
"Well turned, well turned, me pretty Polly
Well turned, well turned for me
Your cage will be made of the glittering gold
And the door of the best ivory"
Tomorrow We Live
I will never get over the instrumental bit in the beginning. I could listen to it endlessly.
Ian Zulick
This more than any other Nic Jones tune gives you an idea of just how good of a guitar player he is. To be able to do that much at once so cleanly is almost unbelievable.
chia rha
An Outlandish Knight came from the North lands
And he's courted a lady fair
And he's said he would take her to those northern lands
And there he would marry her
"Go fetch me some of your father's gold
And some of your mother's fee
And two of the fine horses out of the stable
Where there stand thirty and three"
So she mounts all on her milk white steed
And he on the dapple grey
And they rode until they came to the seaside
Three hours before it was day
"Light off, light off, your milk white steed
And deliver it unto me
For six pretty maidens have I drowned here
And the seventh will surely be thee
"And take off, take off your silken clothes
And deliver them unto me
For I do fear that they are too fine
To rot all in the salt sea"
"If I must take off my silken clothes
Then turn your back to me
For it is not fitting that such a rogue
A naked woman should see
"And cut away the brambles so sharp
Those brambles from off the brim
For I do fear they will tangle my hair
And scratch my tender skin"
So he's turned his back all on that maid
And he's bent low over the brim
And she's taken him round his slender waist
And she's tumbled him into the stream
He dropped high he's dropped low
Until he came to the side
"Catch hold of my hand me fair pretty maid
And then I will make you my bride"
"Lie there, lie there you false-hearted man
Lie there instead of me
For six pretty maidens have you drowned here
And the seventh hath drowned thee"
And she's mounted on her milk white steed
She's led the dappled grey
She's rode 'til she's come to her father's house
Three hours before it was day
The parrot hung in the window so high
And he's heard what the lady did say
"Oh what ails thee, What ails thee
My pretty lady? You've tarried so long away"
And the King he was in his bedroom so high
And he's heard what the parrot did say
"What ails thee, What ails thee
My pretty Polly? You're a-prattling so long before day"
"It's no laughing matter, " the parrot did say
"So loudly I called to thee
For the cat she has got in the window so high
I fear she's the death of me"
"Well turned, well turned, me pretty Polly
Well turned, well turned for me
Your cage will be made of the glittering gold
And the door of the best ivory"
Tunguska Lumberjack
I love this song. In it, I recognize lyrics from several other folk songs, such as Willie O’Winsbury, The False Lady, and others- is it meant to be a composite? Or did it come first and was later split into the others?
HawaYahya1
Haven't heard this in years. Thanks so much for posting it.
colin25250
The whole LP is fantastic, and Nic is a wonderfully nice man wife a great wife, Julia
Pangael
If I were just hearing this without the benefit of the visuals, I'd swear this was being performed by The Incredible String Band. Great version!
Arkybark
Or the Dransfields....
G ELGAR.
Perhaps with more 'discord'......!!
Michael Crusader
Fantastish-folk-song,voice,sing!!! Play!!!