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.
Little Sir Hugh
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chorus:
Mother mother make my bed
Make for me a winding sheet
Wrap me up in a cloak of gold
See if I can sleep
Along came little Sir Hugh, he played with them all
He kicked the ball very high, he kicked the ball so low,
He kicked it over a castle wall where no one dared to go
Out came a lady gay, she was dressed in green
"Come in, come in little Sir Hugh, fetch your ball again"
"I won't come in, I can't come in without my play mates all
For if I should I know you would cause my blood to fall"
Chorus
She took him by the milk white hand, led him to the hall
Till they came to a stone chamber where no one could hear him call
She sat him on a golden chair, she gave him sugar sweet
She lay him on a dressing board and stabbed him like a sheep
Out came the thick thick blood, out came the thin
Out came the bonny heart's blood till there was none within
She took him by the yellow hair and also by the feet
She threw him in the old draw well fifty fathoms deep
The song "Little Sir Hugh" by Steelye Span is a haunting tale of betrayal and murder. The lyrics describe a group of boys playing and having fun until Little Sir Hugh showed up and kicked the ball over a castle wall. When he went to retrieve it, he was lured into a stone chamber by a lady dressed in green who promised to return his ball. Once inside, she stabs him to death and throws him into an old draw well. The chorus is a chilling repetition of "Mother Mother make my bed. Make for me a winding sheet. Wrap me up in a cloak of gold. See if I can sleep."
The lyrics are based on a true story that took place in the 13th century. The victim was a young boy named Hugh of Lincoln, who was allegedly murdered by Jews in a ritualistic manner. The story became popular and was widely circulated, leading to a surge in anti-Semitic sentiments in England. The story was eventually debunked and attributed to baseless accusations made against the Jewish community.
The song is a powerful condemnation of the fear and prejudice that led to the persecution of Jewish people in England during the Middle Ages. The Lady in Green is portrayed as a murderer, rather than a member of a particular ethnic group, and the chorus represents the chilling aftermath of a tragic event. The song serves as a reminder of the importance of truth and the dangers of scapegoating and discrimination.
Line by Line Meaning
Chorus:
The singer wants their mother to make their bed and wrap them up in a cloak of gold to see if they can sleep.
Four and twenty bonny bonny boys playing at the hall
There were 24 boys having fun at the hall.
Along came little Sir Hugh, he played with them all
Little Sir Hugh joined the boys and played with them.
He kicked the ball very high, he kicked the ball so low,
Little Sir Hugh played with the ball by kicking it high and low.
He kicked it over a castle wall where no one dared to go
Little Sir Hugh kicked the ball over a castle wall where nobody went.
Out came a lady gay, she was dressed in green
A woman dressed in green came out.
"Come in, come in little Sir Hugh, fetch your ball again"
The woman invited little Sir Hugh to come in and get his ball.
"I won't come in, I can't come in without my play mates all
Little Sir Hugh refused to come in without his friends.
For if I should I know you would cause my blood to fall"
He believed that the lady would harm him if he went in.
Chorus
The artist repeats their desire for their mother to prepare their bed in gold.
She took him by the milk white hand, led him to the hall
The lady held Little Sir Hugh's hand and led him to the hall.
Till they came to a stone chamber where no one could hear him call
They went to a chamber where nobody could hear Little Sir Hugh if he called for help.
She sat him on a golden chair, she gave him sugar sweet
The lady placed Little Sir Hugh on a golden chair and gave him sweet candy.
She lay him on a dressing board and stabbed him like a sheep
The woman attacked Little Sir Hugh by stabbing him like a sheep.
Out came the thick thick blood, out came the thin
Blood came out of the wound in thick and thin streams.
Out came the bonny heart's blood till there was none within
Little Sir Hugh's heart also bled until there was nothing left.
She took him by the yellow hair and also by the feet
The lady then took Little Sir Hugh by his feet and yellow hair.
She threw him in the old draw well fifty fathoms deep
Finally, she threw him into a deep draw well.
Contributed by Parker Y. 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.