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.
Down in Yon Forest
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The bells of paradise I heard them ring
Covered all over with purple and pall
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything
And in that hall there stands a bed
The bells of paradise I heard them ring
Covered all over with scarlet so red
And at the bed side there stands a stone
The bells of paradise I heard them ring
Where the sweet Virgin Mary has knelt upon
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything
Under that bed there runs a flood
The bells of paradise I heard them ring
The one half runs water, the other runs blood
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything
At the bed's foot there grows a thorn
The bells of paradise I heard them ring
Which ever blows blossom since Adam was born
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything
The lyrics to Steeleye Span's song Down in Yon Forest are full of religious symbolism and references to the story of Jesus Christ. It describes a hall in a forest, covered in purple and pall, which could represent heaven or a place of worship. The "bells of paradise" is a metaphor for the sound of heavenly music. The singer expresses their love for Jesus above all else.
The second verse speaks of a bed covered in scarlet, which could symbolize the sacrificial blood of Jesus or the passion and suffering he endured. The mention of the "bells of paradise" again emphasizes the heavenly nature of this scene. At the bedside, there is a stone where the Virgin Mary is said to have knelt. Mary is often depicted as a symbol of purity and devotion, and her presence adds to the religious significance of the song.
In the third verse, the singer speaks of a flood that runs under the bed. This could represent the cleansing power of baptism or the idea of being washed clean of sins through Christ's sacrifice. The final verse mentions a thorn at the foot of the bed that has flourished since the time of Adam. This is likely a reference to the crown of thorns that Jesus wore at his crucifixion or possibly the idea of Jesus' sacrifice as the new Adam, undoing the sins of the first man.
Overall, the song is a powerful representation of devotion to Jesus and the power of his sacrifice. The religious symbolism used throughout the lyrics reinforces the message of the importance of faith and love for God.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in yon forest there stands a hall
In a forest, there is a hall standing.
The bells of paradise I heard them ring
I heard the sound of bells that belong to paradise.
Covered all over with purple and pall
The hall is completely covered with purple and other dark colors.
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything
I love Jesus above all else.
And in that hall there stands a bed
Inside the hall, there is a bed.
Covered all over with scarlet so red
The bed is covered with bright red scarlet fabric.
And at the bed side there stands a stone
Next to the bed, there is a stone standing.
Where the sweet Virgin Mary has knelt upon
The stone is the place where Virgin Mary has knelt before.
Under that bed there runs a flood
Beneath the bed, there is a flood flowing.
The one half runs water, the other runs blood
The flood is split into two halves, one with water and the other with blood.
At the bed's foot there grows a thorn
A thorn grows at the foot of the bed.
Which ever blows blossom since Adam was born
This thorn has bloomed ever since Adam was born.
And I love my Lord Jesus above anything
I love Jesus above all else.
Contributed by Grayson M. 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.