Roger Whittaker (born Roger Henry Brough Whittaker in Nairobi, Kenya, on 22… Read Full Bio ↴Roger Whittaker (born Roger Henry Brough Whittaker in Nairobi, Kenya, on 22 March 1936; died 13 September 2023 ) was a British singer-songwriter and musician remembered for his eclectic mix of folk music and popular song, his baritone singing voice, and his trademark whistling skills.

He became widely known for his version of "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1982), as well as his own compositions "Durham Town (The Leavin')" (1969) and "I Don't Believe in If Anymore" (1970), his 1970 hit "New World in the Morning" and his 1975 hit "The Last Farewell" (his only single to hit the US Billboard Hot 100, making it to the Top 20).

Whittakers first chart success came in 1969 when "Durham Town (The Leavin')" was his first UK Top 20 hit. In 1970 came two follow-up hits, "I Don't Believe In If Anymore" (Top 10) and "New World In The Morning" (Top 20), and 1971 brought two smaller hit singles "Why" and "Mamy Blue".

Whittaker was absent from the UK singles chart until 1975, when "The Last Farewell" went Top 3, after which it was another eleven years until "Skye Boat Song" returned him to the Top 10 of the singles chart.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Whittaker had success in Germany, with German language songs produced by Nick Munro (unable to speak German at that time, Whittaker sang the songs phonetically). In time he became more fluent in German and sang and was interviewed in German on Danish television in November 2008. Whittaker retired from touring in 2013.

Fairytale
Roger Whittaker Lyrics

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The first of the sun rays are cast on my home of pine needles
As I wake to the sounds of the wood from my dandelion bed
And I gaze through my small cobweb curtains, down through the arches
That are made from the wings of the bees & the moths that are dead

Fairytale children are dancing like jewels in the morning
Caterpillar skin boots & green velvet suits catch the sun
The butterfly aeroplanes land on a runway of roses

And the policemen cockroaches are standing by watching the fun
I hear three bluebells ringing in a steeple of heather & roses
I can hear them so clear as I glide by on dragonfly wings
And the gamekeeper fairy who lives in a mushroom nearby

Plays a lute made of pinewood & oak and plucks cotton wool strings
The last of the sun rays are leaving the floor of the wild wood
As the phantom black beetle arrives on the wings of the bat
The grasshopper coachmen are harnessing mice to my carriage

And the four coach light fireflies are put into place by the rat
Farewell to the Appleseed pavements and moss covered roadways
The tall mushroom castles, fairytale children and all

I may never again chance to fly upon dragonfly wings
Or wake where the morning sun shines on a pine needle wall

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Roger Whittaker's song "Fairytale" paint a vivid picture of a magical and enchanting world. The song describes the singer waking up in a forest made of pine needles, surrounded by the sounds of nature. As they look out of their small cobweb curtains, they see arches made from the wings of bees and moths.

The scene then shifts to fairytale children, who are depicted as dancing like jewels in the morning sunlight. They wear caterpillar skin boots and green velvet suits that catch the sun's rays. The butterflies land on a runway of roses, while policemen cockroaches observe the spectacle.

The singer mentions hearing three bluebells ringing in a steeple made of heather and roses. This suggests a sense of harmony and tranquility in their surroundings. They describe themselves gliding on dragonfly wings, able to hear the bells clearly. Nearby, a gamekeeper fairy resides in a mushroom and plays a lute made of pinewood and oak with cotton wool strings.

As the day progresses, the sun starts to set, and the last of its rays leave the floor of the wild wood. The arrival of a phantom black beetle carried on the wings of a bat signals the end of the magical experience. Grasshopper coachmen start harnessing mice to the singer's carriage, and rat-driven fireflies are lit as the four coach lights.

In the final verse, the singer bids farewell to this wondrous world, including the Appleseed pavements, moss-covered roadways, tall mushroom castles, and fairytale children. The sense of longing is evident in the lines "I may never again chance to fly upon dragonfly wings" and "wake where the morning sun shines on a pine needle wall," indicating the deep desire to return to this fantastical realm.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HEDLEY ROBIN KAY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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