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.
Old Matron
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴
Has her living by the seam
I know how she has provided
This night for me and my foot-groom
He is gone to Annie's door
gently tirled at the pin
You sleep, you wake, my true love Annie?
My love Annie, my dear Annie
I would be at your desire
But what about the old matron
As she sits by the fire?
William, keep your heart, she said
Keep up your heart and do not fear
It's seven years or even more
Since her feet did touch the floor
They had not kissed nor sworn devotion
As lovers when they meet
When up rose the old matron
And well she's spread her feet
O woe be for the old matron
So clever she has jumped the gate
And she's gone over the long, long hill
Knocked at the sherrif's gate
You sleep, you wake, my Lord? she said
Are you at your bower within?
There's a man lies with your daughter
I fear she has gone wrong
He had his horse with corn well foddered
His men all armed in mail
He gave the matron half a mile
To show them o'er the hill
William slept, but Annie wakened
When she heard their bridles ring
She tapped on her true lover's shoulder
And said You've slept too long
O save me, save me, blessed lady
Till I've got on my shooting gear
I do not fear the sherif himself
Though all his men were here
Then they shot in and William out,
The arrow grazed his bow
The maid she wept and tore her hair
Says, This can never do
They shot in and he shot out
The bow burnt Williams's hand
But then he kissed her ruby lips
And Says, My dear, we will stand
He set his horn to his mouth
And has blown both loud and shrill
And he has called his brother John
In the woods where he lay still
The first shot that John shot
He wounded fifty and fifteen
The next shot that he did let fly
He put out the sherriff's eye
O some of you lend him an arm
Says William to the sherrif's men
And you that came for strife this day
Take horse and ride fast home
But woe be to you old matron
An ill death may you see
I'll burn you on yon high hill-head
Blow your ashes in the sea
"Old Matron" by Steeleye Span narrates a captivating and vivid story set in a medieval time where love, betrayal, and justice unfold. The lyrics begin with a tender description of the singer's beloved, a seamstress who has accommodated him and his foot-groom for the night. The singer then goes to visit his love Annie, who seems hesitant to let him in due to the presence of an old matron. This sets the stage for the unfolding drama and conflict in the narrative.
The old matron is portrayed as a mysterious and formidable figure, hinting at a past that involves secrecy and intrigue. She cautions William to maintain his courage and reveals that she has not walked for many years, adding an air of mystique and foreboding. As the singer and Annie attempt to reunite, the old matron unexpectedly rises and reveals her true cunning nature by crossing obstacles to reach the sheriff's gate, suggesting a darker agenda at play.
The tension escalates as the old matron implicates Annie's involvement with a man, prompting a swift and dramatic response from the sheriff. In a chaotic turn of events, a confrontation ensues between the sheriff's men and the singers, resulting in a fierce battle where skill, bravery, and loyalty are tested. The defiance and resilience of the lovers against the odds ultimately prevail, symbolizing the triumph of love over adversity and injustice.
The conclusion of the story sees a bittersweet resolution, with the old matron facing a grim fate for her deceit and betrayal. The imagery of burning her remains on a high hill and scattering her ashes into the sea conveys a sense of finality and justice served. Through intricate storytelling and evocative imagery, Steeleye Span's "Old Matron" delves into themes of love, loyalty, and retribution, offering a narrative rich in complexity and emotion that resonates with the listener long after the song has ended.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: STEELEYE SPAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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.