From the start, they have incorporated a diverse range of influences from British folk music to German Thrash Metal which has fed their constantly evolving sound. They are widely considered the inventors of Folk Metal.
The lineup remained stable for the recording of 2000's Folkémon, but founding member Walkyier left the band in 2001, citing various reasons, such as financial difficulties or the bands unwillingness to tour in South America owing to security concerns as the final straw, though other band members have commented that his somewhat pessimist personality was one of the major contributing factors to the groups lineup instability. Walkyier went on to form The Clan Destined. For many fans, Walkyiers lyrics and delivery style were one of the bands central attractions, and there were fears that his departure spelled the end of the band. After replacing drummer Jay Graham (who left shortly after Walkyier) and moving Kevin Ridley onto vocals, the group sprang into action to remedy these fears with 2002's No Daylights...Nor Heel Taps which featured studio recordings of "Irish Pub versions" of Skyclad classics by the new line-up, proceeded by a single, 2001's "Swords of a Thousand Men". The single's title track, a cover tune (originally recorded by Tenpole Tudor), also appeared on Folkémon as a bonus track, although in a different version. The single featured two recordings of the track, one of them with Ridley on vocals and one with Ridley sharing the microphone with Ten Pole Tudor's vocalist Edward Tudor-Pole. The single/album release was accompanied by the 'The Same...But Different' tour, the largest Skyclad had undertaken for many years. Also in 2001 the band released Another Fine Mess, which featured live recordings from 1995 and the contents of the Outrageous Fourtunes EP.
2004's A Semblance of Normality marks the bands first new material from the post-Walkyier era (there had been some unpleasantness between Walkyier and the other band members over copyrights and royalties for his lyrics, as well as the release of tracks featuring him), keeps very much in the vein of previous releases, with Ridley's lyrics making an obvious effort to follow similar themes and styles to Walkyiers whilst retaining an individual identity. The album has probably been the most widely received of their releases, probably due to better distribution and word-of-mouth advertising, and has received much critical acclaim, especially in the English-speaking world, where, ironically (given the use of inventive wordplay in their titles and lyrics, much of it aimed at native English speakers), the band is almost unknown. However, in South America and mainland Europe they have been extremely popular for many years, especially in Germany and Greece.
Skyclad's current release is an EP, Jig-a-Jig, self-released by the Band. A new album was recorded in summer 2008, it is to be released in late 2008 or 2009.
Four songs from the band's latest releases are available for both streaming and download at the Skyclad page at MySpace.
Worn Out Sole To Heel
Skyclad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In giant leaps or one step at a time.
I saw a fat, old money lender shoes of silk and ermine,
Laughing as they stambled on blistered feet rough shod.
He never helped the poor and weak viewed them all as vermin,
So when he fell they passed him by and struggled up to god.
No sign to guide us and no turning back.
[Chorus]
Humanity in motion it's the pilgrimage eternal.
Most are blind but i suspect what rare few know is real.
"You carry me, I'll carry you" this simple childish notion.
A cable car to Shangrai-La,
Your worn up soul to heal.
The soldier boy is marching proud (with military precision)
Kicking others from the path so keen to reach the peak.
Never will he get there with this tactical decision
He spends so much time fighting that each footstep takes a week.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,
Persta et obdura omnia vincit amor!
My money's on the holy man just clad in sack and sandals
Heard a small child crying there so turned around and stopped.
Like a beacon now he shines (bright as a million candles)
Alone upon the summit when the selfish have all dropped.
It's no contest but we still race there
Like the saintly tortoise and the godless hare.
Humanity in motion it's the pilgrimage eternal.
Most are blind but i suspect what rare few know is real.
"You carry me, I'll carry you" this simple childish notion.
A cable car to Shangrai-La,
Your worn up soul to heal.
You're worn up sole to heal,
Your worn up soul too
Heal your worn up soul.
The song "Worn Out Sole To Heel" by Skyclad talks about the journey of life, which can be compared to climbing a mountain. The first stanza talks about this mountain that everyone must climb, in whichever way they choose to. Some choose to take giant leaps, while others take it one step at a time. The second stanza talks about a fat, old money-lender who never helps the poor and views them as vermin. He wears shoes made of silk and ermine but stumbles along with his blistered feet in rough shoes. When he falls, no one helps him, and they pass him by to reach God.
The chorus talks about the journey of humanity in motion, comparing it to an eternal pilgrimage. Most people are blind to this journey, but a few rare ones know what is real. It talks about the simple, childish notion of "You carry me, I'll carry you," which can be the cable car to Shangri-La, where your worn-out soul can heal. The third stanza talks about a soldier boy who is marching with military precision, kicking others out of his path. He wishes to reach the peak, but he will never do so with his tactical decision of fighting. The fourth stanza talks about a holy man who heard a small child crying and stopped to help. He shines like a million candles, alone upon the summit, while the selfish have all dropped.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a mountain that we all must climb,
Life is a journey that we all must undertake, facing challenges and hardships along the way.
In giant leaps or one step at a time.
No matter how we approach it, we must keep moving forward towards our goals.
I saw a fat, old money lender shoes of silk and ermine,
The singer observed a wealthy individual dressed in luxurious clothes.
Laughing as they stambled on blistered feet rough shod.
Despite the rich individual's outward appearance of success, they were actually struggling and suffering.
He never helped the poor and weak viewed them all as vermin,
The wealthy person showed no compassion for those less fortunate and saw them as inferior.
So when he fell they passed him by and struggled up to god.
When the rich person faced a challenge, no one helped them since they had not shown kindness to others.
Each of us must walk a different track
Everyone has a unique path in life to follow.
No sign to guide us and no turning back.
There is no clear roadmap for our journey, and we must keep moving forward without looking back.
Humanity in motion it's the pilgrimage eternal.
The journey of life is a never-ending pilgrimage for all of humanity.
Most are blind but i suspect what rare few know is real.
Many people are unaware of the true meaning and purpose of their journey.
"You carry me, I'll carry you" this simple childish notion.
The idea that we can support each other on our journey is simple but profound.
A cable car to Shangrai-La,
A metaphorical cable car that can transport us to a state of peace and enlightenment.
Your worn up soul to heal.
This journey can help heal our tired and weary souls.
The soldier boy is marching proud (with military precision)
Some people approach life as if it were a battle that must be won with strategic planning and precision.
Kicking others from the path so keen to reach the peak.
These competitive individuals may even harm others in their quest for success.
Never will he get there with this tactical decision
This approach will ultimately lead to failure.
He spends so much time fighting that each footstep takes a week.
The struggle to reach the top becomes so difficult that progress becomes slow and time-consuming.
Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero,
Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future.
Persta et obdura omnia vincit amor!
Persist and endure, love conquers all.
My money's on the holy man just clad in sack and sandals
The artist believes that a humble and selfless individual is more likely to succeed.
Heard a small child crying there so turned around and stopped.
This holy man stopped their journey to help a suffering child.
Like a beacon now he shines (bright as a million candles)
This selfless act of kindness makes the holy man stand out as a shining light.
Alone upon the summit when the selfish have all dropped.
In the end, the selfless person will be the one to reach the top when others have failed.
It's no contest but we still race there
Life is not a competition, yet we often rush through it as if it were.
Like the saintly tortoise and the godless hare.
The classic fable of the tortoise and the hare is used to illustrate the idea that slow and steady progress is more effective than rushing blindly forward.
You're worn up sole to heal,
This journey can help heal our tired and weary souls.
Your worn up soul too
Through this journey, we can find hope and meaning to rejuvenate our souls.
Heal your worn up soul.
Our souls can be renewed through the journey of life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: MARTIN SIMON WALKYIER, STEPHEN RAMSEY, Martin Walkyier
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ator Hectoras
It's a mountain that we all must climb, In giant leaps or one step at a time.
Ator Hectoras
Humanity in motion - it's the pilgrimage eternal. Most are blind - But i suspect what rare few know is real. "You carry me, i'll carry you" this simple childish notion. A cable car to Shangrai-La, Your worn up soul to heal.
wiltzer1
EPIC
Ian Rushforth
Whoever transcribed the lyrics, it's "Worn out soul/sole" (not "Worn up soul/sole")