The band consisted of two of the superstars of British folk guitar, Bert Jansch (3rd November 1943 - 5th October 2011) and John Renbourn (both of whom also sang,) singer Jacqui McShee, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox. The original line-up lasted until the early 70s, when a series of ins and outs resulted in erratic output, which continued through the 80s and 90s.
The core of the band's identity was the eclectic virtuosity of Jansch and Renbourn, who added elements of Middle Eastern music, blues, jazz and Classical to their style. At various times, they also experimented with electric guitar and sitar.
In the UK, probably best known for providing 'Light Flight' as the theme to the BBC drama series 'Take Three Girls'.
Lord Franklin
Pentangle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
With one hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Through cruel hardships they mainly strove
Their ship on mountains of ice was drove
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell
And now my burden it gives me pain
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
To say on earth that my Franklin do live
"Lord Franklin" is a traditional ballad that has been performed by many artists over the years, but perhaps none with as much haunting beauty as the rendition by the folk rock band, Pentangle. The song tells the story of Sir John Franklin, a British explorer who led an ill-fated expedition to the Arctic in search of the fabled Northwest Passage in 1845. The lyrics evoke the loneliness and danger faced by Franklin and his crew as they battled the harsh conditions of the frozen north.
The song opens with the singer, who is likely a sailor, falling asleep in his hammock and dreaming of Franklin and his crew. The dream is one of despair, as Franklin's ship is driven onto mountains of ice, and only the Eskimo with his skin canoe is able to survive. The fate of Franklin himself is unknown, as he and his sailors may still dwell somewhere in the icy wilderness.
The lyrics are simple, but they convey a sense of longing and sadness that is powerful in its emotional impact. The singer's burden is pain, as he longs to know the fate of his lost friend, and would pay a high price to find out. The song resonates with a sense of loss and mystery that is universal, as all of us have people in our lives who have disappeared, leaving us to wonder what might have happened to them.
Line by Line Meaning
It was homeward bound one night on the deep
The author was sailing home one night on the sea
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
The author fell asleep while swinging in his hammock
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
The author had a dream that he thought was real
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
The dream was about Franklin and his brave crew
With one hundred seamen he sailed away
Franklin went to sea with 100 sailors
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
They set sail to the Arctic in May
To seek a passage around the pole
They were trying to find a way to sail around the North Pole
Where we poor seamen do sometimes go
This was a dangerous place for sailors
Through cruel hardships they mainly strove
Franklin and his crew faced many difficult challenges
Their ship on mountains of ice was drove
Their ship was crushed by ice in the frozen ocean
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
The only person who survived was an Eskimo using a small boat made of animal skins
Was the only one that ever came through
The Eskimo was the only survivor
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The disaster happened in Baffin's Bay where whales swim
The fate of Franklin no man may know
It's impossible to know what happened to Franklin and his crew
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
No one can describe what happened to Franklin and his crew
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell
Franklin and his sailors died in the Arctic
And now my burden it gives me pain
The author is sad about what happened to Franklin and his crew
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main
The author would do anything to find Franklin
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
The author would pay a lot of money to learn the truth about Franklin
To say on earth that my Franklin do live
The author wants to know if Franklin is alive or dead
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ADRIAN MAXWELL SHERWOOD, ALAN EDWARD BRANCH, CORA VENUS(CV LUNNY) LUNNY, DONAL LUNNY, PETE LOCKETT, SINEAD O'CONNOR, STEPHEN WICKHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kofemord
Pentangle
It was homeward bound one night on the deep
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
With one hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Where we poor seamen do sometimes go
Through cruel hardships they mainly strove
Their ship on mountains of ice was drove
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell
And now my burden it gives me pain
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
To say on earth that my Franklin do live
Traducir al español
thomas petsas
It was homeward bound one night on the deep
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
With one hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Where we poor seamen do sometimes go
Through cruel hardships they mainly strove
Their ship on mountains of ice was drove
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell
And now my burden it gives me pain
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
To say on earth that my Franklin do live
electra ruby
Dylan turns it into a lament for the lost innocence of youth.
While riding on a train going west
I fell asleep for to take my rest
I dreamed a dream that made me sad
Concerning myself and the first few friends I had.
With half damp eyes I gazed to the room
Where my friends and I spent many an afternoon
We'd want for nothing and were satisfied
Laughing and talking about the world outside
With hungry hearts through the heat and cold
We never much thought we could get very old
We thought we could sit forever in fun
And our chances really was a million to one
As easy, it was to tell black from white
It was all that easy to tell wrong from right
And our choices there was few
So the thought never hit
At the one road we travelled, we ever shatter or split
How many a year has passed and gone?
Many a gamble has been lost and won
And many a road taken by many a first friend
And each one I've never seen again
I wish, I wish, I wish in vain
That we could sit simply in that room again
Ten thousand dollars at the drop of a hat
I'd give it all gladly if our lives could be like that
James West
It was homeward bound one night on the deep
Swinging in my hammock I fell asleep
I dreamed a dream and I thought it true
Concerning Franklin and his gallant crew
With one hundred seamen he sailed away
To the frozen ocean in the month of May
To seek a passage around the pole
Where we poor seamen do sometimes go
Through cruel hardships they mainly strove
Their ship on mountains of ice was drove
Only the Eskimo with his skin canoe
Was the only one that ever came through
In Baffin's Bay where the whale fish blow
The fate of Franklin no man may know
The fate of Franklin no tongue can tell
Lord Franklin along with his sailors do dwell
And now my burden it gives me pain
For my long lost Franklin I'd cross the main
Ten thousand pounds I would freely give
To say on earth that my Franklin do live
Wayne Adams
Cruel Sister was one of the first albums I ever bought. It is long lost, but I have never forgotten the haunting beauty of this ballad. And now with the discovery of one of Franklin's ships, it comes back again. What a magnificent, enduring piece!
Lesley Vandyke
Yes I loved it then too, and it still brings a lump to the throat. When I read the news of the discovery of one of the ships I just had to revisit youtube to hear it again. Haunting beauty, you are so right :)
David Hartley Mark
It lives on, on amazon.
Rod Jones
Hi Wayne just saw your comment of 5 months ago. I agree it is a beautiful ballad, written by Lady Franklin I believe. I think the plight of Lord Franklin has again been in the news. Incidentally are you also a fan of Fairport Convention. This group is one of my all time favourite bands.
Brian Curran
Oh god, I never knew that. Thanks, I never thought of that, his wife. Even better. I want a wife like that. (rare these days.)
Gisbert Hadamitzky
Yes! Yes! Yes!
folkmusicgirl
Oh how I love this song; so very much. The beautiful haunting melody and Jacqui's wonderful sweet voice.
David Bellemare
J'ai encore ce vinyle. Et j'ai acheté aussi Cruel Sister en CD. J'ai eu la chance de les voir et entendre en spectacle à Québec il y a 20 ou 30 ans, au FEQ. Quelle richesse musicale incroyable. J'ai connu ce groupe au début des années 70, j'ai 5 ou 6 vinyles d'eux encore. ❤❤❤
Dee Westhill
Over 30 years ago I heard this sad and beautiful song on the radio on a Celtic music program, and all this time i just recalled the phrase "The Fate of Franklin no tongue can tell". I had thought "The Fate of Franklin" was the title.... I read about the findings of graves, artifacts, and finally the two ships.... This is the kind of song that instantly brings tears, as if it's a personal story of my own grief. I dare not listen to such music in a public place without a box of tissues ready to grab
Paul Camp
The title actually is Lady Franklin's Lament.