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.
In the Bleak Midwinter
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow
In the bleak midwinter long ago
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him nor earth sustain
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
Angels and archangels may have gathered there
Cherubim and Seraphim thronged the air
But only His mother, in her maiden bliss
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
Yet, what I can I give Him, give my heart
The opening stanza of Steeleye Span's song "In the Bleak Midwinter" sets the chilling scene of winter's harsh bite. The descriptive language used to depict the winter landscape and its effect on the elements around it is palpable, emphasizing the harshness of the season. The barren and lifeless atmosphere of the winter can be felt as well, as the earth is ‘hard as iron' and the water ‘like a stone’. The image of snow piling upon snow speaks to the never-ending cycle of winter's icy grip, while the reference to a ‘bleak midwinter long ago’ sets the stage for the song's spiritual reflection.
The song then shifts its focus towards the divine, with a reference to the Christian belief of the second coming of Christ. The grandeur of God and His eventual reign on heaven and earth far surpasses the limitations placed on Him by the physical world. Here, the portrayal of the humble nativity setting where Jesus was born is put into contrast with the grandeur and power of God. The stable where Jesus was born was a modest setting, and yet it is honored as the place where the Lord God almighty chose to come into this world in the form of a helpless child.
Lastly, the song touches on the significance of giving. The question posed about what one can offer to God emphasizes the desire to express gratitude and love towards a higher being. The mention of a shepherd brings to mind the gift of a lamb which he could offer as a sacrifice, while a wise man could use his wisdom to glorify the Lord. However, the final line of the song implies that the most important gift one can give is that of themselves, their heart, and their love.
Line by Line Meaning
In the bleak midwinter, frosty winds made moan
During the cold, barren winter, the chilling winds were howling mournfully
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone
The ground was frozen and hard as metal; the water was a solid, unyielding mass
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow
Snow continuously piled on top of more snow, covering the bleak landscape in a white blanket
In the bleak midwinter long ago
In a distant and desolate winter of the past
Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him nor earth sustain
Our God is too great and powerful to be confined to Heaven or sustained by the earth
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign
When He comes to rule, both Heaven and earth will tremble and flee before His power
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
In that desolate winter, a humble stable was sufficient for the birth of the almighty Lord
The Lord God almighty, Jesus Christ
The all-powerful Lord, Jesus Christ
Angels and archangels may have gathered there
Perhaps angels and archangels came together in that place
Cherubim and Seraphim thronged the air
The air was filled with the presence of cherubim and seraphim
But only His mother, in her maiden bliss
Only His mother, experiencing the joy of her virginity, worshipped Him with a kiss
Worshiped the beloved with a kiss
She expressed her deep reverence and love for the beloved divine through a kiss
What can I give Him, poor as I am?
As a humble and needy person, what can I offer Him?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb
If I were a shepherd, I would offer a lamb as a gift
If I were a wise man, I would do my part
If I were a wise man, I would fulfill my role in worshipping the Lord
Yet, what I can I give Him, give my heart
But the only thing I can offer Him is my heart, my love, and my devotion
Contributed by Cole E. 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.