Quiet Joys Of Brotherhood
Sandy Denny Lyrics


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As gentle tides go rolling by,
Along the salt sea strand
The colours blend and roll as one
Together in the sand.
And often do the winds entwine
Do send their distant call,
The quiet joys of brotherhood,
And love is lord of all.

The oak and weed together rise,
Along the common ground.
The mare and stallion light and dark
Have thunder in their sound.
The rainbow sign, the blended flower
Still have my heart in thrall.
The quiet joys of brotherhood,
And love is lord of all.

But man has come to plough the tide,
The oak lies on the ground.
I hear their tires in the fields,
They drive the stallion down.
The roses bleed both light and dark,
The winds do seldom call.




The running sands recall the time
When love was lord of all.

Overall Meaning

The song "Quiet Joys of Brotherhood" by Sandy Denny is a poignant reflection on the beauty of nature, the importance of unity and love, and the destructive impact of human intervention. The first verse of the song evokes a sense of harmony and oneness as the gentle tides wash over the beach, blending colors and shapes together in the sand. The winds add to this sense of interconnectedness as they carry distant calls of brotherhood, reminding us that we are all connected and bound together on this earth. The refrain "love is lord of all" reminds us that even though we may sometimes seem divided or different, ultimately our common bond of love is what unites us all.


The second verse carries a similar theme of unity, as the oak and weed grow side by side and the mare and stallion thunder together as one. The rainbow and blended flowers capture the beauty and diversity of life, and Sandy Denny's heart is held in thrall by these natural wonders. However, the final verse introduces an ominous note as it describes the destructive impact of human activity on the natural world. Man has come to "plough the tide", destroying the oak and disrupting the balance of nature. The sound of tires and the driving of the stallion hint at a larger theme of industrialization and the loss of traditional ways of life. The poignant image of the bleeding roses and the reminder that the sands recall a time when love was lord of all is a poignant reflection on the power of love to heal and unite us even in the face of great adversity.


Line by Line Meaning

As gentle tides go rolling by,
The gentle and peaceful waves continue to roll over the shore.


Along the salt sea strand
Next to the salty sea shore.


The colours blend and roll as one
The colors blend together and move like a single being.


Together in the sand.
They merge with each other into the sand.


And often do the winds entwine
The winds wrap themselves around each other.


Do send their distant call,
They make a far-reaching and beckoning sound.


The quiet joys of brotherhood,
These are the peaceful pleasures of togetherness.


And love is lord of all.
Love binds everyone together and reigns supreme.


The oak and weed together rise,
Big trees and small weeds grow together side-by-side.


Along the common ground.
They both grow in the same soil and location.


The mare and stallion light and dark
A female and a male horse of different colors.


Have thunder in their sound.
Their hoof beats are loud and powerful.


The rainbow sign, the blended flower
Both a colorful natural sign and a flower with mixed colors.


Still have my heart in thrall.
I am still captivated and enchanted by them.


The quiet joys of brotherhood,
Those peaceful pleasures of togetherness are still present.


And love is lord of all.
Love binds everyone together and it is still the most important thing.


But man has come to plough the tide,
Humanity has interfered with nature's ebb and flow.


The oak lies on the ground.
The big tree has been toppled.


I hear their tires in the fields,
I can hear the sounds of their vehicles working in the fields.


They drive the stallion down.
They make the horse run and control it.


The roses bleed both light and dark,
The rose petals have colors of light and dark red.


The winds do seldom call.
The wind rarely makes a sound now.


The running sands recall the time
The moving sand reminds me of the past.


When love was lord of all.
When people valued and embraced love above all else.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: RICHARD FARINA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Ms Bee

As gentle tides go rolling by
Along the salt sea strand
The colors blend and roll as one
Together in the sand
And often do the winds entwine
Do send their distant call
The quiet joys of brotherhood
And Love is Lord of all

The oak and weed together rise
Along the common ground
The mare and stallion light and dark
Have thunder in their sound
The rainbow sign, the blended flower
Still have my heart in thrall
The quiet joys of brotherhood
And Love is Lord of all

But man has come to plough the tide
The oak lies on the ground
I hear their tires in the fields
They drive the stallion down
The roses bleed both light and dark
The winds do seldom call
The running sands recall the time
When Love was Lord of all



gary schliemann

The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood
Where gentle tides go rolling byAlong the salt-sea strand
The colors blend and roll as one
Together in the sand
And often do the winds entwine
To send their distant call
The quiet joys of brotherhood
When love is lord of all

Where oat and wheat together rise
Along the common ground
The mare and stallion light and dark
Have thunder in their sound
The rainbow sign, the blended flood
Still have my heart enthralled
The quiet joys of brotherhood
When love is lord of all

But men have come to plow the tides
The oat lies on the ground
I hear their fires in the field
They drive the stallion down
The roses bleed, both light and dark
The winds do seldom call
The running sands recall the time
When love was lord of all



All comments from YouTube:

Dirk Wouters

What a brilliant voice, isn't it?

Doc Sci

Also one of my favorites….her voice is something else!

sabrinasjourney

I wish more people would sing like this. Pure and unaffected and naturally. Just sing honestly with no gimmicks

Portcullis

There are a few who still do. Rhiannon Giddens, Natalie Merchant, Rachel Sermanni and Adela Diane. The latter wrote and recorded a beautiful tribute, 'Song for Sandy' on a recent album.

pentangle4444

I will never forget seeing Sandy singing Quiet Joys of Brotherhood in 1973 at Cornell Folk Music Festival and saying she was nervous doing the song with Mimi Farina in the audience. Sandy will always be the "The Lady".

j williams

As an older guy ,so proud to be a part of this era beautiful voice ,beyond her time.

supermabel1

RIP Dave Swarbrick, whose violin coda made this gorgeous record sublime.

in1213

@Philip Ferguson Perhaps you would like to listen to Kathleen Burnett (Strictly Strings, The Burnett Sisters)

Philip Ferguson

I really like Dave S. But check out Seth Lakeman. A great fiddler, songwriter and singer.

AlysounRI

Oh gods, I didn't know that Swarb had died ... and "for real" this time. RIP Mr. Swarbrick, like Sandy, there will never be another fiddler like him.

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