Tensions between the band grew during the production in 1970 of their first album, Hark! The Village Wait to the point where they never again worked together after its completion, but the music itself shows no signs of these difficulties. While having a rock sensibility there is a greater sense of the authentic folk tradition than even in the best of Fairport, and a particular beauty arising from the two pairs of voices. The Woods being replaced by admired folk stalwart Martin Carthy, with violinist Peter Knight to widen the musical textures, the group late in 1970 recorded their most admired record Please to see the King. Ten Man Mop followed in 1971, more accomplished but generally felt to be less exciting. The expensive gatefold sleeve swallowed the band's royalties, and was referred to as a tombstone, since Hutchings and Carthy then left, to pursue Hutchings' new vision of a specifically English strand of folk rock with The Albion Band, and Steeleye Mk 2 folded.
However the inclusion of the less celebrated and more rock orientated replacements Rick Kemp and Bob Johnson led to the most commercially successful phase in the band's existence, vocalist Maddy Prior becoming the primary focus of the band, and a run of well received albums, from Below the Salt and Now we Are Six, their first with drummer Nigel Pegrum, to their eighth, and most commercially successful, All Around my Hat, in 1975.
Still active, they have a claim to be one of the longest-lived and perhaps the most commercially successful of all the folk rock bands of the era, thanks to their hit singles Gaudete and All Around My Hat, 3 top 40 albums and even a certified "gold" record with All Around My Hat.
Tim Hart died of lung cancer on 24 December 2009, aged 61.
Bachelors Hall
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I rode them till they had no breath
I wore five saddles to the trees
Non of those girls will marry me.
Those women will fret, those women will fuss
They spend five hours before their glass
The devil take all, I'll have no money at all
Stay stay close to my door
The women round here, they live by the door
They hear but a word, and repeat it twice o'er
Then they add it as much as they can
Always stay single a bachelor man.
Bachelor's Hall is always the best
If you're sick drunk or sober it's always a rest
No woman to scold you, no children to bawl
Always stay single, keep Bachelor's Hall.
Stay stay close to my door
Bachelor's Hall, Bachelor's Hall,
I'll always stay single, keep Bachelor's Hall.
The song "Bachelor's Hall" by Steeleye Span speaks of a man who was a reckless and wild individual. He talked about riding seven horses until they ran out of breath, and he didn't care about the saddles as none of the girls would marry him. He noted that the women around were fond of gossiping, and they would spend hours before their mirrors. Therefore, he decided to stay single to keep his independence and not fall into the traps of marriage.
The chorus of the song emphasized his desire to stay single and live in a Bachelor's Hall. He noted that staying at Bachelor's Hall is always the best as it is a place to rest and stay away from the scolding of women and the cries of children. The man concludes that he would always stay single and keep Bachelor's Hall, rejecting the prospects of marriage and family life.
Overall, the song expresses the mentality of the man who prefers to stay a bachelor, enjoying his independence and freedom. He perceives marriage and family life as a burden that could impede his lifestyle choices and his wild ways.
Line by Line Meaning
I rode seven horses all to death
I worked hard and pushed myself to the limit
I rode them till they had no breath
I rode those horses relentlessly till they were worn out
I wore five saddles to the trees
I rode many horses to the point where their saddles became worn out
Non of those girls will marry me.
None of the women I've encountered want to marry me
Those women will fret, those women will fuss
Women are always going to worry and be anxious
They spend five hours before their glass
Women spend a lot of time in front of the mirror
The devil take all, I'll have no money at all
I don't care about money or material possessions
Always stay single, keep Bachelor's Hall.
I value my independence and prefer to be a bachelor
Stay stay close to my door
I prefer to keep close to home and avoid adventurous pursuits
The women round here, they live by the door
Women in this community tend to gossip and eavesdrop
They hear but a word, and repeat it twice o'er
They tend to exaggerate and repeat things they hear
Then they add it as much as they can
They embellish and add to stories as much as possible
Always stay single a bachelor man.
I strongly believe in remaining unmarried and independent
Bachelor's Hall is always the best
I firmly believe that remaining a bachelor is the best way to live
If you're sick drunk or sober it's always a rest
Being a bachelor provides me with peace and relaxation, whether I'm ill or sober
No woman to scold you, no children to bawl
As a bachelor, I don't have to deal with nagging wives or crying children
I'll always stay single, keep Bachelor's Hall.
I will remain unmarried and continue to live independently
Contributed by Adeline N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ben - Moderator
on Bonny Moorhen
Hi Stuart, We have corrected the description above.
Stuart Tartan
on Bonny Moorhen
This description of the song completely misses the point in every way. It IS NOT about a bird.
It is an allegorical Jacobite-era song about Bonny Prince Charlie (the bonny moorhen). The colours mentioned, for instance, are the colours of the Clan Stuart tartan.