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.
Erin
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the setting of the sun
When my long day's work was done,
I went out along the sea shore for a walk -
And I being all alone,
I sat down upon a stone
To gaze upon the streets of New York
Chorus:
Erin grá mo chroí
You're the dear old land to me
You're the fairest that my eyes have ever seen
And if ever I go home
From you I never will roam
From my own dear native land - far away
With the turf fire burning bright
On a cold dark winter's night
And the snow flakes falling gently to the ground -
When St. Patrick's day comes 'round
We'll wear the shamrock green
In my own dear native land - far away
Chorus
Well it broke my mother's heart
From her I had to part
Will I ever see my mother any more?
When her body it is laid
In the cold and silent grave
In my own dear native land - far away
Chorus
The song Erin by Steeleye Span is a traditional Irish ballad that expresses the singer's deep love and longing for his native land, Ireland. The song is set in New York, where the singer has just finished his day's work and decides to take a walk along the sea shore. He sits down on a stone and reflects on the streets of New York, but his thoughts soon drift to his homeland, and he sings the chorus: "Erin grá mo chroí / You're the dear old land to me / You're the fairest that my eyes have ever seen / And if ever I go home / From you I never will roam / From my own dear native land - far away."
The singer then sings about the experience of being away from Ireland during St. Patrick's Day, a holiday celebrated in Ireland and by Irish immigrants around the world. He describes how he and his compatriots will wear shamrocks to represent their homeland, even though they are not there. The chorus is repeated, and the singer's thoughts turn to his mother, who he had to part from to come to America. He wonders if he will ever see her again and thinks sadly about the day when she passes away and is buried in their homeland.
Overall, Erin is a poignant expression of love and longing for one's homeland, something that many immigrants and refugees can relate to. The song captures the sense of displacement and homesickness that can come with leaving one's native land and trying to build a new life elsewhere.
Line by Line Meaning
At the setting of the sun
As the sun was going down
When my long day's work was done
After I finished working for the day
I went out along the sea shore for a walk
I took a stroll along the beach
And I being all alone,
Since I was by myself
I sat down upon a stone
I decided to sit on a rock
To gaze upon the streets of New York
And look out at the New York City skyline
Chorus: Erin grá mo chroí
Chorus: Ireland, the love of my heart
You're the dear old land to me
You're my beloved homeland
You're the fairest that my eyes have ever seen
You're the most beautiful place I've ever laid eyes on
And if ever I go home
And if I ever return
From you I never will roam
I will never want to leave Ireland
From my own dear native land - far away
My distant homeland that I hold dear
With the turf fire burning bright
On a cold winter night with the peat fire blazing bright
On a cold dark winter's night
When it's bitterly cold and the sky is dark
And the snowflakes falling gently to the ground
And snowflakes are softly tumbling from the sky
When St. Patrick's day comes 'round
When St. Patrick's Day arrives
We'll wear the shamrock green
We'll show our pride by wearing green shamrocks
In my own dear native land - far away
In my beloved homeland that's so far away
Chorus: Erin grá mo chroí
Chorus: Ireland, the love of my heart
Well it broke my mother's heart
It saddened my mother greatly
From her I had to part
When I had to leave her side
Will I ever see my mother anymore?
Will I ever be able to see my mother again?
When her body it is laid
When she passes away
In the cold and silent grave
And is buried in a cold, quiet grave
In my own dear native land - far away
In my homeland that's so far away
Chorus: Erin grá mo chroí
Chorus: Ireland, the love of my heart
Contributed by Jake D. 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.