Few survivors from the golden age of British folk-rock have kept their reputations intact. Of the generation of troubadours who came of age in the folk clubs of London in the mid-1960s, some have passed away, others have surrendered to the regurgitation of the blandest form of acoustic folk music. But among the survivors, there is one figure whose body of work, comprising 23 studio LPs and almost as many live and compilation releases, has come to stand for a particularly single-minded form of integrity. That man is Roy Harper.
Now officially โretiredโ, and living in a secluded corner of Ireland, Harper has recently been hailed as a key influence by a much younger generation of devoted starsailors who instinctively recognise his innovations, his refusal to compromise and his visionary world view. It is rumoured that Joanna Newsom insisted sheโd only play her recent UK shows if he would support her. The likes of Fleet Foxes, Joanna Newsom, and Jim OโRourke are avowed fans; and in previous decades he has enjoyed public endorsements and tributes from the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kate Bush, Pink Floydโs Dave Gilmour and many more.
Biography
Born in 1941, Harper lost his mother within a few weeks of his birth and was brought up in the outskirts of Manchester by his father and stepmother, a Jehovah's Witness. Harper developed a deep hatred of organised religion and ran away, aged 15, to join the Royal Air Force. The rigid discipline required did not suit him. In order to be discharged early he pleaded insanity and was committed to an institution where he received ECT. A former participant in the skiffle revolution in the mid-50s, around 1964 Harper found himself joining the stream of bohemian rambler-buskers hitching and singing their way around Europe and North Africa. On his return to Britain he pitched in to the London coffee-house folk scene and secured a residence at legendary folk club Les Cousins, where he was spotted by the obscure Strike label.
Beginning with 1966โs Sophisticated Beggar, Harperโs music has consistently rattled the cage of received ideas. His versatile, poetic sensibility was employed in a wide range of song styles from romantic love songs to late-night mantras to blackly comedic throwaway numbers. A brilliant, percussive guitar stylist in his own right, he extended the form of folk music over the next few years, allowing himself the space to stretch out in long, lyrically dense and mantrically repetitive odysseys of poetic thought. โI was writing long poems in the 50s,โ says Harper, โnone of which unfortunately made it past the first few moves of living quarters. My first inspiration was John Keatsโs Endymion.โ
The first inklings of his expansive approach on record came on the ten minute โCircleโ on 1967โs Come Out Fighting Genghis Smith โ produced by Shel Talmy โ and was vastly ramped up on the following yearโs Folkjokeopus, which contained an 18 minute โMcGoohanโs Bluesโ, named after the lead actor of TVโs The Prisoner and whose enigmatic verses were laced with anti-establishment rants.
By this time Harper was a favourite at the outdoor Hyde Park Festivals, where he was exposed to the wider attention of the underground scene. Now produced and managed by Peter Jenner, and signed to EMIโs progressive label Harvest, his 1969 LP Flat Baroque And Berserk reflected his reputation as a bloodyminded, truculent troubadour, reflecting turbulent times with anger, wrath and sardonic humour, singing โ like the mistle thrush after which his next opus would be named โ into the eye of the storm.
Stormcock (1971) is generally regarded as a masterpiece: a sprawling but focused suite of four lengthy tracks which explored the inner space of Abbey Road Studio to rhapsodic effect. Like Astral Weeks refracted through the pages of OZ magazine, the songs span an enormous spectrum of experience, from the frontline of social unrest to the secluded, birdsong-infested lanes of the English countryside. Led Zeppelinโs Jimmy Page added guitar, disguised as โS Flavius Mercuriusโ, highlighting a relationship with the group that had begun at the 1970 Bath Festival of Blues and Progressive Music. โHats Off To (Roy) Harperโ, an incoherent, gutsy blues workout on Led Zeppelin III, paid tribute to the singerโs status as a beacon of integrity for the underground scene.
Harper enjoyed a special relationship with Led Zeppelin, and his subsequent albums began to move into harder rock territory with the addition of various key collaborators including, as well as Page, orchestral arranger/keyboardist David Bedford, David Gilmour, Chris Spedding, Bill Bruford and John Paul Jones. Lifemask (1972) contained several songs written for the film Made, directed by John Mackenzie, which starred Harper as an edgy, high-maintenance rock star. Valentine (1974) was launched with a gig featuring Page and Bedford plus Ronnie Lane and Keith Moon. He was invited to sing lead on the single โHave A Cigarโ from Pink Floydโs classic album Wish You Were Here (1975). In the same year Harper released HQ, a rock based album notable for the closing track, โWhen An Old Cricketer Leaves The Creaseโ, an elegiac hymn to unchanging ways and mortality which BBC DJ John Peel insisted should be played in the event of his death.
With the dawn of the 1980s Harper took part in a musical exchange with Kate Bush, who guested on The Unknown Soldier (1980), while Harper returned the favour by appearing on Bushโs hit single โBreathingโ. Harper rode the unsteady waves of the music industry during the early 1980s but kept up a productive output that saw his music taking on a prophetic role, expressing more explicit concerns with environmental disaster, religious fundamentalism, urban poverty and the first Gulf War, on releases like Once (1990) and The Dream Society (1998), through to his most recent studio album, The Green Man (2000). In 1994, exhibiting typical desire for autonomy and self-sufficiency, he set up his own record label, Science Friction, to curate and rerelease his entire back catalogue, along with a clutch of CDs of live and unreleased material covering his entire career. In his book, The Passions Of Great Fortune (2003), he published his complete lyrics together with photos, annotations and re-evaluations of every one of his songs.
With a new series of reissues in 2011, Roy Harperโs incredible, visionary catalogue of work enters the digital domain in time for his music to take on a new, urgent and timely appeal, in an age in which the hypocrisies and injustices he railed against are more present than ever before. Itโs been a damned good innings and heโs still not out.
Woman
Roy Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is official right now
In 4 minutes or less
We going to crown
All of them right now
My momma your momma
Baby's mommas, mommas, mommas
Wife
Wherever you're at just turn to em
And say you are appreciated
I appreciate your smile (thank you)
I know how much it take to carry
And birth a child (thank you)
And the way you play dumb
Even when we living real foul
(Oooo thank ya)
And even as a single parent
Momma, you still hold it
Down some how (thank you momma)
Making ends meet somehow (thank you momma)
I appreciate your strength (thank you)
How you never bite your lip
To say what's on your mind (thank you)
How you a lady in the streets
And a freak when it's bedroom time (thank you)
How you gon' ride with me roll with me
And tell me what's yours is mine
Fellas, If you aint got one better
Search the world to find
Woman, woman, woman
Strong woman, woman, woman
Grown woman, woman, woman
Special woman, woman, woman
Beautiful woman, woman, woman
Strong woman, woman, woman
Grown woman, woman, woman
Special woman, woman, woman
I appreciate your glow (Thank you)
And when you get angry
With us the way
That you let us know (thank you)
And i think it's so cute
When you get so emotional (thank you)
You know till you prove your point
You just can't let it go (ha ha)
But i like that though
I appreciate so much (thank you girl)
Like the I love you feeling girl
When we touch (thank you girl)
Like there's no you, no me
If there's no us (thank ya)
And if she ever hears an urgency
She'll come in a rush (thank you)
To the rescue, man you better find you a
Woman, woman, woman (Get you one man)
Strong woman
Woman woman
(Ain't nothing like making love)
Grown woman woman woman
Special woman woman woman
Beautiful woman woman woman
Strong woman woman woman
(When i get weak i need a strong woman)
Grown woman woman woman
Special woman woman woman
She's gotta be street
Smart and educated
Gotta good head on her shoulders
A sexy swagger with sex appeal
A grown woman hook up
Them home cook meals
A grown woman who's confident
Better recognize
One where the grown ones sit
And a grown woman
Knows how to tell you no
A grown woman
Knows when to let you go
You can have a big ol car
And big ol house but next to God
Nothing else amounts to her
Woman, woman, woman
Strong woman woman, woman
Grown woman woman, woman
Special woman woman, woman
Beautiful woman, woman, woman
Strong woman, woman, woman
Grown woman woman, woman
Special woman, woman, woman
Aint nothing like a
Woman, woman, woman
Strong woman, woman, woman
Grown woman, woman, woman
Special woman, woman, woman
Beautiful woman, woman, woman
Strong woman, woman, woman
Grown woman, woman, woman
Special woman, woman, woman
The lyrics of "Woman" by Roy Harper pay tribute to the strength, resilience, and enduring beauty of women. The spoken introduction sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is a call to appreciate the women in our lives. The lyrics express gratitude for the physical, emotional, and mental labor that women perform daily, from birthing children to holding down a household as a single parent. The song recognizes the value of women's emotional intelligence, expressed through intuition, and emotional vulnerability, which is often mischaracterized as weakness, despite being an essential human trait. Roy Harper acknowledges that a "grown woman" is confident, smart, educated, and understands when to say "no" or "let you go." In essence, the song is an ode to every woman's strength, intelligence, and enduring beauty.
One interpretation of the song is that it is a response to the ways in which women are often undervalued or taken for granted in romantic relationships. The lyrics gesture towards a desire for a partner who recognizes a woman's worth, as well as the value of the labor and love that women provide daily.
Overall, the song is a powerful tribute to the enduring strength and overwhelming beauty of women. The melody and lyrics reflect an appreciation of women, whether they are mothers, sisters, home-makers, educators, or businesswomen.
Line by Line Meaning
I appreciate your smile (thank you)
I appreciate the happiness that you bring and the effort it takes to present a cheerful countenance
I know how much it take to carry and birth a child (thank you)
I understand the immense physical and emotional strain of pregnancy and childbirth and I thank you for going through it
And the way you play dumb even when we living real foul (Oooo thank ya)
I appreciate how you pretend not to notice when things are going wrong, even when they clearly are
And even as a single parent Momma, you still hold it down somehow (thank you momma)
I am impressed by your ability to manage everything on your own, even without a partner, and I extend my thanks to you
Making ends meet somehow (thank you momma)
I recognize that life isn't always easy financially, but you still find ways to provide for us, and for that, I say thank you
I appreciate your strength (thank you)
Your emotional and mental toughness amazes me, and I want to express my gratitude for it
How you never bite your lip to say what's on your mind (thank you)
It's admirable that you're not afraid to speak your mind, and I applaud you for this quality
How you a lady in the streets and a freak when it's bedroom time (thank you)
I respect your ability to be both respectable and reserved in public settings, but adventurous and passionate in the bedroom
How you gon' ride with me roll with me and tell me what's yours is mine
I appreciate how you are committed to staying with me through thick and thin, and how generous you are with your possessions
I appreciate your glow (Thank you)
Your inner and outer beauty radiates bright, and I want to acknowledge and appreciate you for it
And when you get angry with us the way that you let us know (thank you)
I appreciate how you express your anger in a healthy way, and you never let it fester or turn into resentment
And i think it's so cute when you get so emotional (thank you)
I find it adorable when you get emotional, and how passionate you are about your feelings and opinions
But i like that though
This emotional nature of yours is something that I appreciate and esteem
Like the I love you feeling girl when we touch (thank you girl)
I find it heartening how you express love through touch, and I am thankful for it
Like there's no you, no me If there's no us (thank ya)
I love how we function as a complete unit, and I am grateful that we share this bond
And if she ever hears an urgency, She'll come in a rush (thank you)
I appreciate how she prioritizes the needs and wants of others, and rushes to resolve emergencies with due haste
To the rescue, man you better find you a
Her attributes of bravery, kindness and responsiveness make her a true asset, and you'll be lucky to find someone like her
She's gotta be street Smart and educated Gotta good head on her shoulders A sexy swagger with sex appeal
She must be savvy, intelligent and astute, have poise and an alluring charm
A grown woman hook up Them home cook meals
She should have mastered the art of cooking healthy, delicious food
A grown woman who's confident Better recognize One where the grown ones sit
She needs to be self-assured and assertive, and be considered an equal by other mature adults
And a grown woman knows how to tell you no
She should be able to say no and set clear boundaries in relationships, and I appreciate that quality
A grown woman knows when to let you go
She should have the wisdom to recognize when a relationship is unhealthy, and know when and how to exit it gracefully
You can have a big ol car And big ol house but next to God Nothing else amounts to her
Material possessions pale in comparison to the value of a strong, virtous woman, and I treasure and resepct her the most
Contributed by Bailey D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Genesis Boros
I never know what kind of day it is on my battlefield of ideals
But the way she touches and the way it feels, must be just how it heals
Ah but it's got a little better since I let her sundance
I never know what time of year it is living on top of the fire
But the robin outside has to hunt and hide in the cold frosty shire
Ah but he knows just what goes in between his cold toes and his warm ears
And he's got no disguise in his eyes for his love as she nears
He spreads her a shelter
She takes the tall skies
As they helter skelter
Along the same sighs
And she wakes my days with a glad face
She fakes and says I'm a hard case
She makes and plays like a bad ace
Carrying my ways into scarred space
And she knows me well
Ah but what the hell
Only time can tell, where we're going to
Me and my woman
Me and my little woman
And the Lord speaks out and the pigpens fawn
The sword slides out and the nations mourn
The hoard strides out and the chosen spawn
The devil rides out and the heavens yawn
And he knows me well
Ah but what the hell
Only time can tell, where we're going to
Me and my woman
Me and my woman
Me and my little woman
What a lovely day
What a day to play at living
What a mess we make
What a trust we break
Not giving our wings to our children
O how we fail them
O how we nail them
Sunset my colour
And king is my name
Darkness she's my lover
And we live in shame
Too far away
From the light of the day
And so near, and so near, near
Can i break through the silence that has taken my place
On the plains of the morning that i just could not face
Asking you these questions
Telling you these lies
Enveloping directions
Developing disguise
Open to suggestions
But closed to all my eyes
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Space is just an ashtray
Flesh is my best wheel
The atmosphere's my highway
And the landscape's my next meal
I need my own Good Friday
And I'm trying my best to fix the deal
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
I am the new crowned landlord
Of all beneath my star
Queuing up for doomsday
In my homesick motor car
Born before my mother
Died before my Pa
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
Dead on arrival, right where I stand
The cuckoo, she moves through the dawn fanfare
The dew leaves the rooves in the magic air
Feel a finger running through my nightmares lair
Feel most together with my nowhere stare
And you know me well
Ah but what the hell
Only time can tell, where am I going to
Me and my woman
Me and my little woman
Me and my woman
Me and my little woman
matthew coombs
Stormcock is in a class of it's own. A unique folk rock masterpiece.
Mr. Rockperson
Agreed
James Gleave
Sublime
ed pp
It is. Harper's best work.
e douglas pratt
โMatthew, yes, so true. I first heard Roy Harper in 1970 in Manchester. Instantly I was drawn in. His voice often vulnerable, sometimes mournful, sometimes powerful, is a perfect match for his precise, innovative, soft then percussive guitar style. Both voice and guitar perfectly work with his rich lyrics. He's so beyond the popular view, sadly under-appreciated, with Stormcock being his masterpiece, in my opinion. Thank you so much, Roy Harper. -Doug Pratt, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Steve Carl
Absolutely
adrian collings
This classic was encountered at University in the the early 1970s, and made a real emotional impact. Fortunately 'my little woman' became my my girlfriend and then my wife. I owe my whole life to this track.
bannork
Breathtaking stuff. Loved this album when I was in high school. The melodies, weaving and ducking their way through Roy's unique guitar style and voice, still sound as urgent and passionate today.
Darrell Kastin
Yes, 52 years on it sounds as great and gives me chills, like when I first heard it. Brilliant song, brilliant album. When I croak I'll be able to say I turned a lot of ex-girlfriends and two wives onto his music. That's something, eh?
graham brown
this has to be my favourite track of all time. it just touches my soul.