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.
Batchelors Hall
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I rode seven horses all to death
I rode them till they had no breath
I wore five saddles to the trees
None of those girls will marry me.
Those women will fret, those women will fuss
The devil take all, I'll have no money at all
Always stay single, keep Batchelors' Hall.
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.
Batchelors' 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 Batchelors' Hall.
Stay stay close to my door
Batchelors' Hall, Batchelors' Hall,
I'll always stay single, keep Batchelors' Hall.
The lyrics to Steeleye Span's "Batchelors Hall" tell the story of a man who has ridden seven horses to their death and worn out five saddles in his pursuit of love but has been repeatedly rejected by the women he seeks to marry. The man finds comfort in the idea of remaining single and living in Batchelors Hall, a place where he can avoid the nagging of a wife and the crying of children. The song is a humorous take on the joys and perils of bachelorhood.
In the first stanza, the man boasts about his efforts to win the affections of women, riding seven horses to death in his quest. Despite his efforts, however, he remains single, as the women refuse to marry him. The second stanza describes the women in the area as gossipers who repeat words and add to them their own fanciful details, making the man's romantic pursuits even harder. The chorus encourages the idea of staying single and avoiding the problems that come with marriage, citing Batchelors Hall as the ideal place to do so.
The third and final stanza further elaborates on the benefits of Batchelors Hall. The man notes that it is a place of rest for those who are sick or drunk, where there are no women to scold or children to bawl. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the message that the best option for this man is to remain single and live in Batchelors Hall.
Line by Line Meaning
I rode seven horses all to death
I worked and exhausted myself completely
I rode them till they had no breath
I pushed myself and my horses to the brink of exhaustion
I wore five saddles to the trees
I traveled and worked hard to the point of damaging my saddles and equipment
None of those girls will marry me.
I'm not a desirable partner because of my lifestyle and attitude
Those women will fret, those women will fuss
Women in this community are overly concerned with trivial matters
They spend five hours before their glass
Women in this community are vain and spend excessive time on their appearance
The devil take all, I'll have no money at all
I'm not concerned with wealth or material possessions
Always stay single, keep Batchelors' Hall.
I find it more fulfilling and peaceful to remain unmarried and live on my own
Stay stay close to my door
I prefer to keep to myself within my own space
The women round here, they live by the door
Women in this community are nosy and constantly gossiping near doorways
They hear but a word, and repeat it twice o'er
Women in this community are prone to exaggeration and repetition
Then they add it as much as they can
Women in this community inflate rumors and gossip with their own embellishments
Always stay single a bachelor man.
I reject the pressure and expectations put on me by society to marry and start a family
Batchelors' Hall is always the best
Living alone in bachelorhood is the most ideal and comfortable option for me
If you're sick drunk or sober it's always a rest
Living alone provides a reliable and peaceful refuge even during hard times
No woman to scold you, no children to bawl
Living alone allows me to avoid conflicts and drama that arise in relationships and parenthood
Batchelors' Hall, Batchelors' Hall,
My solo lifestyle and living space is a source of comfort and pride for me
I'll always stay single, keep Batchelors' Hall.
I am committed to living in solitude and valuing my independence
Contributed by William S. 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.