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.
John of Ditchford
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Henry Felip and his son
Were riding home from Northampton
When they met with six bold robbers
Henry shouted to his son
"Take the money, boy and run"
So he's turned his horse to Courteenhall
His father faced this ugly crew
But six to one, what could he do?
And when his son returned with help
He was too late to save him
He left his father where he lay
Through his tears to ride that day
And pursue the killers in their way
As they made off in the distance
Five of six, they swiftly caught
But one alone did slip their grasp
And to Wooten Church, he's turned away
And through her doors she's took him
Sanctuary was his claim
Sword and grief outside remain
Till the Coroner he quickly came
To hear the thief's confession
"I'm John of Ditchford", said the man
"I was there of six our band
And yes, we killed that nobleman
On the road to Stoke Bruerne"
"Do you now abjure the realm?
What's your meaning?", says young John
"You will leave this land and never return
Or your blood we will spill on her"
"Do you now abjure the realm?
I abjure it", says young John
"So to Dover you will straightway go
And the first ship you will take her"
He must reach that distant port
Without coin nor shoes nor friend
And stand in the ocean to his knees
And wait what ship would have him
They took from him all he had
Gave him sackcloth for to wear
And a wooden cross for him to hold
On the lonely road to Dover
He sets out upon the road
Cross in hand and heavy heart
They found him headless in a field
A mile away from Wooten
The lyrics of Steeleye Span's "John of Ditchford" tell a tragic story that took place in the medieval times. The song starts in the spring of 1322, where Henry Felip and his son were making their way home from Northampton when they came across six robbers on the road. Henry, realizing the danger, urged his son to escape with the money and raise the alarm while he faced the robbers alone. However, his son's help came too late, and Henry lost his life in the confrontation.
The song takes a turn when the robbers are caught and brought to trial. One of them, John of Ditchford, claims the right to sanctuary in the church of Wooten. He confesses to his part in the robbery and murder of Henry Felip and is given the ultimatum to either leave the realm or face death.
What follows is a haunting portrayal of John's journey towards his exile. He must leave behind everything he had and wear sackcloth and carry a wooden cross. He sets out on a lonely road to Dover, where he must find a ship to take him away. Unfortunately, his fate is already sealed, and he is found headless in a nearby field.
"John of Ditchford" is a haunting ballad that explores themes of morality, justice, and retribution. It's a tragic tale about a man who made a mistake and was punished for it, but at the same time, it raises questions about the harshness of the punishment that was meted out, which seems out of proportion to his crimes.
Line by Line Meaning
In the spring of thirteen twenty two
The year was 1322, in the season of spring
Henry Felip and his son
Henry Felip was accompanied by his son
Were riding home from Northampton
They were returning from Northampton
When they met with six bold robbers
They encountered six daring robbers
Henry shouted to his son
Henry yelled at his son
"Take the money, boy and run"
He instructed his son to take the money and flee
So he's turned his horse to Courteenhall
The son rode his horse towards Courteenhall
For to raise the hue and cry
To alert the authorities and seek help
His father faced this ugly crew
Henry confronted the group of robbers
But six to one, what could he do?
It was impossible for him to win against six people
And when his son returned with help
When the son came back with assistance
He was too late to save him
They arrived after Henry had died
He left his father where he lay
The son left his father's body on the ground
Through his tears to ride that day
The son rode away from the scene, crying
And pursue the killers in their way
He went after the murderers
As they made off in the distance
The criminals fled far away
Five of six, they swiftly caught
They quickly apprehended five of the robbers
But one alone did slip their grasp
One of the robbers managed to escape their capture
And to Wooten Church, he's turned away
He sought refuge at Wooten Church
And through her doors she's took him
The church granted him sanctuary
Sanctuary was his claim
He requested protection under the law of sanctuary
Sword and grief outside remain
The soldiers and grieving family members remained outside the church
Till the Coroner he quickly came
They waited for the coroner to arrive
To hear the thief's confession
The thief confessed to the crime
"I'm John of Ditchford", said the man
The robber introduced himself as John of Ditchford
"I was there of six our band
He admitted to being part of the group of six
And yes, we killed that nobleman
He confessed to murdering Henry Felip
On the road to Stoke Bruerne"
The crime happened on the Stoke Bruerne route
"Do you now abjure the realm?
They asked him if he would reject the jurisdiction of the kingdom
What's your meaning?", says young John
He inquired about the meaning of abjuring
"You will leave this land and never return
They demanded that he immediately leave the country, never to come back
Or your blood we will spill on her"
They threatened to kill him if he didn't leave
"I abjure it", says young John
John agreed to abjure the realm
So to Dover you will straightway go
They ordered him to go directly to Dover
And the first ship you will take her"
He was to board the first ship leaving the country
He must reach that distant port
John had to travel to Dover
Without coin nor shoes nor friend
He had no money, shoes, or companions
And stand in the ocean to his knees
He stood in the sea, water up to his knees
And wait what ship would have him
He waited for a ship to take him in
They took from him all he had
They stripped him of his belongings
Gave him sackcloth for to wear
They provided him with a rough cloth to wear
And a wooden cross for him to hold
They gave him a wooden cross to carry
On the lonely road to Dover
He journeyed alone towards Dover
He sets out upon the road
John began his journey
Cross in hand and heavy heart
He carried the cross and was sad
They found him headless in a field
They discovered his decapitated body in a field
A mile away from Wooten
It was a mile from Wooten where they found him
Contributed by Maria L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Noel Cox
Very significant legal historical interest here - coroner, hew and cry, sanctuary, confession, abjuring the realm etc
Steph Jones
@Chris Dansey Peter Knight on an octave fiddle with wa wa pedal as well!
Chris Dansey
Not to mention a banging electric fiddle solo.