Lakeman grew up with his two brothers Sean and Sam in the village of Buckland Monachorum in West Devon, England. He began playing music with his parents and two brothers at an early age. As The Lakeman Brothers, the three brothers released their debut album Three Piece Suite in 1994. Later that same year they were invited by two Yorkshire based singers Kathryn Roberts and Kate Rusby to join them as a backing group on a tour of Portugal. After the tour the five musicians became a permanent group and called themselves Equation. The group were signed in a record deal with Time Warner in 1995. After three full albums (Return to Me in 1996, Hazy Daze in 1998, and The Lucky Few in 2000), and tours in the UK, Europe and the United States, Lakeman left Equation in 2001. With his brother Sam he appeared on Sam's wife Cara Dillon's eponymous debut album, which featured Lakeman on fiddle, guitar and vocals. The album won two awards at the 2002 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
In 2002 Lakeman released his first solo album, The Punch Bowl, which received wide critical acclaim including a review in fRoots magazine which said: "The songs don't just glide smoothly by.....they get their claws into you".
Kitty Jay, Lakeman's second solo album was released in 2004. The title track of the album tells the story of Jay's Grave, a well known location on Dartmoor. That same year he collaborated with Devon singer-songwriter Steve Knightley and young local singer Jenna Witts on the album Western Approaches.
A UK tour in Autumn 2005 followed his Mercury Music Prize nomination, after which Lakeman and his band (regularly brother Sean on guitar, Ben Nichols on bass, Andy Tween on drums), toured extensively with folk-rock band The Levellers, who took to closing their set with a "fiddle off" between Lakeman and Levellers' fiddler Jonathan Sevink. Other support tours with Billy Bragg and Jools Holland brought Lakeman's music to a wider audience.
In March 2006 Lakeman began a UK tour in order to promote his new album Freedom Fields which was released on iScream. He signed to a new major record label, Relentless Records, promptly releasing a new single "Lady of the Sea" in early August 2006.
His fourth solo album, Poor Man's Heaven, was released on 30 June 2008 with an accompanying tour. It introduced a rockier edge to the folk of the previous albums. His fifth solo album, Hearts & Minds, was released on 19 July 2010. Lakeman released his sixth album called Tales From The Barrel House on 18 November 2011.
www.sethlakeman.co.uk
Band Of Gold
Seth Lakeman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was walking forth in the open air.
She met her lover on the way,
She called out her heart would stay.
She said love not constant will quickly
Go.
Cold as winter, white as snow.
Love be constant in a band of gold.
The wind is fresh'ning upon her eyes,
Down the years that stretch so wide.
Angels sing so far away,
His promises gently fade
She said love not constant will quickly
Go.
Cold as winter, white as snow.
Summer treasure, hand to hold,
Love be constant in a band of gold.
Summer evening, a maiden fair
Was walking forth in the open air.
She said love not constant will quickly
Go.
Cold as winter, white as snow.
Summer treasure, hand to hold,
Love be constant in a band of gold
The lyrics of "Band of Gold" by Seth Lakeman narrate a story of a maiden who is walking outdoors on a summer evening and meets her lover. She professes her love for him, but also voices her concern that love is not constant and can easily fade away. She emphasizes that their love should be constant, pure, and untainted like a "band of gold." As time progresses, the lady's memories of her lover and his promises fade away, and she realizes that her fears about love were not unfounded.
The song is a poignant reminder of the fragility of love and the importance of staying committed to one's partner. Seth Lakeman's soulful rendition of the song adds depth to the lyrics, making it easy for the listeners to empathize with the singer's emotions. The use of a simple melody and instrumentation creates a pensive and reflective atmosphere, fitting the theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Summer evening, a maiden fair
On a warm summer evening, a beautiful young woman was out walking.
Was walking forth in the open air.
She was taking a walk outside.
She met her lover on the way,
She bumped into her romantic partner while walking.
She called out her heart would stay.
She exclaimed that she was committed to their relationship.
She said love not constant will quickly Go.
She warned that love that is not consistent will fade away quickly.
Cold as winter, white as snow.
She compared love that is not constant to being as cold and lifeless as winter snow.
Summer treasure, hand to hold,
She sees their relationship as a valuable thing, something to cherish and hold on to.
Love be constant in a band of gold.
She desires a relationship based on a true commitment between two people, something akin to a wedding band of gold.
The wind is fresh'ning upon her eyes,
The wind is blowing and her eyes are tearing up.
Down the years that stretch so wide.
As the years go by, no matter what happens, she will look back on their relationship fondly and as a valuable memory.
Angels sing so far away,
She is using a metaphorical image of angels to represent a far-off, idealized state of true love.
His promises gently fade
Despite his promises to always love and be loyal to her, they are slowly fading away.
Love be constant in a band of gold.
She reiterates her desire to have a relationship based on commitment and consistency, symbolized by a wedding band of gold.
Summer evening, a maiden fair
The song ends with the same line it started with, emphasizing the idea of a fleeting summer evening, just like love that is not constant.
Was walking forth in the open air.
She is still walking outside, perhaps realizing that her love is not as constant as she had hoped.
Contributed by Noah C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.