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.
Boys of Bedlam
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ten thousand miles I'd travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
For to save her shoes from gravel
[Chorus]
Still I sing bonnie boys, bonnie mad boys
Bedlam boys are bonnie,
And they want no drink nor money
I went down to Satan's kitchen
For to get me food one morning
And there I got souls piping hot
All on the spit a-turning
[Chorus]
Me staff has murdered giants
And me bag a long knife carries
For to cut mince pies from children's thighs
With which to feed the fairies
[Chorus]
This spirit's white as lightning
Would on me travels guide me
The moon would shake and the stars would quake
When ever they espied me
[Chorus]
And when that I have murdered
The man in the moon to a powder
His staff I'll break and his dog I'll shake
And there'll howl no demon louder
[Chorus]
For to see mad Tom of Bedlam
Ten thousand years I'd travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
For to save her shoes from gravel
[Chorus]
The song "Boys of Bedlam" by Steeleye Span tells the story of "mad Tom of Bedlam" and "mad Maudlin," two legendary figures from English folklore who were believed to be mentally ill beggars. The singer sings of his desire to see mad Tom and his admiration for the Bedlam boys, who are described as being "bonnie" despite their society's rejection of them. The chorus repeats throughout the song, highlighting the Bedlam boys' unique way of life: they go bare, live by the air, and want no drink nor money.
The verses each describe a different aspect of mad Tom's story. In the first verse, the singer expresses his willingness to travel ten thousand miles just to see mad Tom. In the second verse, he describes visiting Satan's kitchen and eating souls that are piping hot on a spit, suggesting that he is as crazed as mad Tom himself. The third verse is the most disturbing, as the singer claims that his staff has murdered giants and his bag carries a long knife for cutting mince pies from children's thighs to feed the fairies. The fourth verse describes a white spirit that guides the singer on his journey, causing the moon and stars to shake in fear.
The final verse brings the song full circle, with the singer again expressing his desire to see mad Tom and mad Maudlin. This time, however, he emphasizes the length of his journey even more, suggesting that he would be willing to travel ten thousand years to see them. The song ends with the chorus once more, emphasizing the Bedlam boys' unique way of life and the singer's admiration for them.
Overall, "Boys of Bedlam" is a haunting song that highlights the complexities of mental illness and societal rejection. It paints a vivid picture of mad Tom's story and the unconventional way of life of the Bedlam boys, while also acknowledging the fear and superstition that surrounded mental illness in the past.
Line by Line Meaning
For to see mad Tom of Bedlam
I would go to great lengths to meet Tom, who is deemed mad.
Ten thousand miles I'd travel
I would travel an incredibly far distance.
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
The eccentric Maudlin walks on dirty toes to prevent harm to her shoes.
For to save her shoes from gravel
Her action illustrates how important footwear was and is for many people.
[Chorus]
The chorus is a representation of how society views Bedlam boys - despite their seemingly undesirable and insane lifestyles, they are respected and admired for their uniqueness.
Still I sing bonnie boys, bonnie mad boys
I sing the praises of the attractive boys who are also a little bit mad.
Bedlam boys are bonnie,
While boys from Bedlam are seen as insane, their appearance is still considered appealling.
For they all go bare and they live by the air
The Bedlam boys are minimalists, living purely off the land without any superfluity.
And they want no drink nor money
They don't eat or drink much, simply living off what the earth provides for them.
I went down to Satan's kitchen
The artist went to a dark underworld in search of sustenance.
For to get me food one morning
The singer was simply looking for a meal to keep them going on their journey.
And there I got souls piping hot
They found hot souls to eat in Satan's kitchen.
All on the spit a-turning
The cooking souls were rotating on a spit in the kitchen.
Me staff has murdered giants
The singer's walking stick has seemingly defeated the bibical giant Goliath.
And me bag a long knife carries
The singer also has a bag with a long knife in it.
For to cut mince pies from children's thighs
The artist cuts up children's thighs to make pies for the fairies they care for.
With which to feed the fairies
The fairies sustain themselves on these pies made from children's thighs.
This spirit's white as lightning
The spirit being referred to is incredibly fast and bright.
Would on me travels guide me
The spirit guides the singer on their journey.
The moon would shake and the stars would quake
The artist's movements are so intense that the elements in the skies are literally shaking.
When ever they espied me
The artist knows that their presence has an effect on the world around them.
And when that I have murdered
The artist is admitting to taking part in violent crimes.
The man in the moon to a powder
The singer has committed such an unfathomable atrocity that the man in the moon would disintegrate.
His staff I'll break and his dog I'll shake
The artist is expressing how far they'll go to upkeep their reputation, damaging even their enemies' objects.
And there'll howl no demon louder
If the singer was to overpower a demon, the spirit wouldn't be able to howl as loudly as the singer's victory would be.
For to see mad Tom of Bedlam
I am willing to go through all of this just to see Tom.
Ten thousand years I'd travel
Indicative of the extreme lengths the singer is willing to go to in order to meet Tom.
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes
Maudlin's unorthodox method of preserving her shoes from damage is repeated.
For to save her shoes from gravel
This action is repeated once more, emphasising the significance of footwear for the artist.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats to emphasise how admired Bedlam boys are, despite being seen as societal outcasts.
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@Charon96
(LYRICS)
For to see my Tom of Bedlam, 10,000 miles I'd travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes, to save her shoes from gravel.
(Chorus)
Still I sing bonnie boys, bonnie mad boys,
Bedlam boys are bonnie
For they all go bare and they live by the air,
And they want no drink nor money.
I went down to Satin's kitchen, for to get me food one morning
There I got souls piping hot, all on a spit a'turnin.
(musical interlude)
Me staff has murdered giants, my bag a long knife carries
For to cut mince pies from children's thighs, with which to feed the fairies.
The spirits white as lightning, would on my travels guide me
The moon would quake and the stars would shake, whenever they espied me.
(musical interlude)
It's when next that I have murdered, the Man-In-The-Moon to powder
His staff I'll break, his dog I'll bake, and there'll howl no demon louder.
For to see my Tom of Bedlam, 10,000 miles I'd travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes, to save her shoes from gravel.
@donnarawlinsfrench220
This is what early Steeleye Span did best of all - haunting, atmospheric arrangements. Think this, plus "King Henry", "Lovely On the Water", "Gower Wassail" and more. "Boys of Bedlam" is thoroughly gorgeous in their early, informed hands.
@wulfnesthead8788
I agree 10,000%!
@TheGuerrillaPoet
This is still the best song about madness I have ever heard....and it is several centuries old.
@skronked
It's about life too. Madness is secondary
@ToujoursLAmour
This band is unbelievable. Every song they have gives me chills.
@Charon96
(LYRICS)
For to see my Tom of Bedlam, 10,000 miles I'd travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes, to save her shoes from gravel.
(Chorus)
Still I sing bonnie boys, bonnie mad boys,
Bedlam boys are bonnie
For they all go bare and they live by the air,
And they want no drink nor money.
I went down to Satin's kitchen, for to get me food one morning
There I got souls piping hot, all on a spit a'turnin.
(musical interlude)
Me staff has murdered giants, my bag a long knife carries
For to cut mince pies from children's thighs, with which to feed the fairies.
The spirits white as lightning, would on my travels guide me
The moon would quake and the stars would shake, whenever they espied me.
(musical interlude)
It's when next that I have murdered, the Man-In-The-Moon to powder
His staff I'll break, his dog I'll bake, and there'll howl no demon louder.
For to see my Tom of Bedlam, 10,000 miles I'd travel
Mad Maudlin goes on dirty toes, to save her shoes from gravel.
@Old_Man_Rivers
I found this video because of my historical research in Early Modern British lunacy. My thesis (and eventually PhD dissertation) covers the reforms in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and how much the complex early psychiatric system in Britain changed in the course of a century.
"Boys of Bedlam" is a take on "Mad Maudlin's Search," a response to the old poem "Tom o' Bedlam" (the term that got me into a rabbit hole to this page). I first discovered this term in "The (un)dress of the mad poor in England, c.1650-1850. Part 1" by Jonathan Andrews (History of Psychiatry, vol. 18, no. 2).
I love folk music, so Steeleye Span will be my newest folk obsession. Haha
@MgarrKid
no
@burtbloom4794
The intricate vocal interplay between Tim Hart and the incomperable Maddy Prior is wonderful.
@MgarrKid
It's the hallmark of Steeleye Span