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.
The Black Freighter
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and I'm scrubbing the floors while you're gawking
and maybe once you tipped me and it made you fell swell
in this ratty waterfront, in this ratty hotel
but you never know to whom you're talking
you never guess to whom you're talking
suddenly one night there's a scream in the night
and a yell: what the hell is that din
and you'll say: what's she got to grin?
and the ship, the black freighter
with the skull at the masthead
sails into the bay
then you gentlemen can say: hey girl, scrub the floors
make the beds, get up the stairs, earn you keep here
and you pass out the tips as you look out at the ships
but I'm counting up heads as I'm making up beds
'cause tonight none of you will sleep here
tonight none of you will sleep here
then on that night there's a banging in the night
and you yell: what the hell is that row
and you see me kind of staring out the window
and you'll say: what she got to stare at now?
and the ship, the black freighter
with fifty long cannons
opens fire on the town
then you gentlemen can wipe all the grins off your face
every building in the town is a flat one
the whole stinking place will be down to the ground
only this cheap hotel will be standing safe and sound
and you say: why do they spare that one?
you say: why do they spare that one?
then all night through with a noise and to-do
you'll wonder who's the person lives up there
and you see me stepping out into the morning
looking nice with a ribbon in my hair
and the ship, the black freighter
runs a flag up her masthead
and cheer rings the air
then just before noon there'll be hundreds of men
coming up off that ghostly freighter
and they're moving in the shadows where no-one can see
and they're chaining up the people and they're bringing them to me
asking me: kill them now or later?
asking me: kill them now or later?
noon on the clock and so still on the dock
you could hear a foghorn miles away
in the quiet of death I'll say: kill 'em now
and they'll pile up the bodies and I'll say: hoopla!
and the ship, the black freighter
sails away out to sea
and on it is me
The lyrics to Steeleye Span's song "The Black Freighter" tells the story of a woman who works as a maid in a rundown waterfront hotel. She is constantly belittled and objectified by the guests, but they never realized the true nature of her character. One night, a ship called the Black Freighter with a skull at the masthead enters the harbor, and the woman seems to find amusement in the commotion it causes despite the horror it represents. As the night goes on, the woman becomes more and more involved in the events that unfold, revealing a darker side to her personality.
The song uses the metaphor of the Black Freighter as a representation of death or destruction, and the woman is portrayed as someone who welcomes its arrival. The song seems to be a commentary on the destructive nature of human behavior, and how people often fail to recognize when they are talking to someone who could be capable of terrible things.
Overall, the song is a haunting portrayal of a woman's descent into darkness, and the eerie music and lyrics create a sense of foreboding that is hard to shake off. It is a powerful commentary on the human psyche and serves as a warning against the destructive nature of unchecked power.
Line by Line Meaning
you gentlemen can gawk while I'm scrubbing the floors
You men can watch me clean the floors.
and I'm scrubbing the floors while you're gawking
I'm cleaning while you're staring at me.
and maybe once you tipped me and it made you fell swell
Maybe you gave me a tip and it made you feel important.
in this ratty waterfront, in this ratty hotel
In this old, run-down area by the harbor, in this cheap hotel.
but you never know to whom you're talking
But you never know who you're talking to.
you never guess to whom you're talking
You never speculate who you're talking to.
suddenly one night there's a scream in the night
One night there's a sudden, loud scream.
and a yell: what the hell is that din
And someone yells, 'What's that noise?'
and you see me kind of grinning while I'm scrubbing
You see me smiling while I'm cleaning.
and you'll say: what's she got to grin?
And you'll wonder why I'm smiling.
and the ship, the black freighter
And the ship, the ominous black freighter,
with the skull at the masthead
with a skull attached to the top of the mast,
sails into the bay
arrives in the harbor
then you gentlemen can say: hey girl, scrub the floors
Then you men can order me to clean the floors.
make the beds, get up the stairs, earn you keep here
Make the beds, go upstairs, work hard to keep your job here.
and you pass out the tips as you look out at the ships
And you give me tips as you stare at the ships outside.
but I'm counting up heads as I'm making up beds
But I'm keeping track of the number of guests as I tidy up the rooms.
'cause tonight none of you will sleep here
Because tonight, none of you will be staying here.
then on that night there's a banging in the night
Then one night, there's a loud banging noise.
and you yell: what the hell is that row
And someone shouts, 'What's that commotion?'
and you see me kind of staring out the window
And you see me looking out of the window.
and you'll say: what she got to stare at now?
And you'll wonder why I'm looking out the window.
with fifty long cannons
carrying fifty long cannons,
opens fire on the town
begins to attack and destroy the town.
then you gentlemen can wipe all the grins off your face
Then you men can stop smiling.
every building in the town is a flat one
Every building in this town is destroyed.
the whole stinking place will be down to the ground
This whole place will be completely ruined.
only this cheap hotel will be standing safe and sound
Only this low-cost hotel will remain unscathed.
and you say: why do they spare that one?
And you wonder, 'Why did they leave this one standing?'
then all night through with a noise and to-do
Then all night there will be loud noises and activity.
you'll wonder who's the person lives up there
You'll wonder who's in the room upstairs.
then just before noon there'll be hundreds of men
Just before noon, there will be hundreds of men.
coming up off that ghostly freighter
Disembarking from that eerie freighter.
and they're moving in the shadows where no-one can see
And they're sneaking around in the shadows where no one can see them.
and they're chaining up the people and they're bringing them to me
And they're capturing and bringing the citizens to me.
asking me: kill them now or later?
Asking me, 'Should we kill them now or later?'
noon on the clock and so still on the dock
At noon, it's still quiet down on the dock.
you could hear a foghorn miles away
You can hear a foghorn blowing from miles away.
in the quiet of death I'll say: kill 'em now
In the silence of death, I'll say 'Kill them now.'
and they'll pile up the bodies and I'll say: hoopla!
And they'll stack up the corpses and I'll cheer!
sails away out to sea
Sails away from the harbor, out to sea.
and on it is me
And I'm on that ship.
and cheer rings the air
And there is loud cheering in the air.
Contributed by Alaina T. 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.