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 False Knight on the Road
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"I′m going to me school," says the wee boy and still he stood
"What is on your back," says the false knight on the road
"Me bundles and me books," says the wee boy and still he stood
"I came and walking by your door," says the false knight on the road
"That lay in your way," says the wee boy and still he stood
"I flung your dog a stone," says the false knight on the road
"Oh, what sheep and cattle's that," says the false knight on the road
"They′re mine and me father's," says the wee boy and still he stood
"And how many shall be mine," says the false knight on the road
"The ones that have the blue tail," says the wee boy and still he stood
"Oh, how can I get a share o' them," says the false knight on the road
"You cannot get a share of them," says the wee boy and still he stood
"And why the stick all in your hand," says the false knight on the road
"To keep me from all cold and harm," says the wee boy and still he stood
"As I wish you were in yonder tree," says the false knight on the road
"A ladder under me," says the wee boy and still he stood
"The ladder it′ll break," says the false knight on the road
"And you will surely fall," says the wee boy and still he stood
"I wish you were in yonder sea," says the false knight on the road
"A good boat under me," says the wee boy and still he stood
"The boat will surely sink," says the false knight on the road
"And you will surely drown," says the wee boy and still he stood
"Has your mother more than you," says the false knight on the road
"Oh, none of them for you," says the wee boy and still he stood
"I think I hear a bell," says the false knight on the road
"It′s ringing you to hell," says the wee boy and still he stood
The Steeleye Span song, "The False Knight on the Road" tells the story of a young boy who meets a false knight on the road. The false knight asks the boy where he is going and what he is carrying on his back. The boy responds that he is going to school and the items on his back are his schoolbooks and his lunch. The false knight then claims to have been at the boy's house and tossed a stone at his dog. When the boy doesn't react much, the false knight continues to ask the boy about his sheep and cattle. The boy lets him know that only the ones with the blue tail will be his. Frustrated by the boy's lack of fear or change in answers, the false knight tries to scare him by suggesting he should be up in a tree or in the sea, but the boy stands his ground calmly. As the false knight hears a bell ringing, the boy tells him that it's ringing for him to hell.
The song is a traditional English folk song that tells a moral story about how innocence and honesty can triumph over deception and evil. The false knight is the epitome of evil in the story, trying to scare the young boy and take his possessions, while the boy remains honest and principled in his responses. The boy's unwavering faith and courage even in the face of danger show the power of standing your ground.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, where are you going," says the false knight on the road
The false knight confronts a young boy and asks where he's going
"I'm going to me school," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy responds that he's going to school and remains standing bravely
"What is on your back," says the false knight on the road
The false knight inquires about what the boy is carrying on his back
"Me bundles and me books," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy answers that he's carrying his books and other belongings
"I came and walking by your door," says the false knight on the road
The false knight admits to having been at the boy's home
"That lay in your way," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy remains unfazed and knowingly acknowledges the false knight's attempt at intimidation
"I flung your dog a stone," says the false knight on the road
The false knight confesses to having thrown a stone at the boy's dog
"I wish it was a bone," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy sarcastically responds that he wishes the false knight had thrown a treat instead
"Oh, what sheep and cattle's that," says the false knight on the road
The false knight inquires about the boy's livestock
"They're mine and me father's," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy proudly states that the animals belong to him and his father
"And how many shall be mine," says the false knight on the road
The false knight asks how many of the animals he can claim as his own
"The ones that have the blue tail," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy crafts a witty response by pointing out that none of the animals have blue tails
"Oh, how can I get a share o' them," says the false knight on the road
The false knight attempts to scheme a way to get a portion of the boy's livestock
"You cannot get a share of them," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy firmly rejects the false knight's request
"And why the stick all in your hand," says the false knight on the road
The false knight questions the boy about the stick he's holding
"To keep me from all cold and harm," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy explains that he's using the stick for protection
"As I wish you were in yonder tree," says the false knight on the road
The false knight expresses a violent wish for the boy's demise
"A ladder under me," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy quickly responds with a clever solution to the false knight's threat
"The ladder it'll break," says the false knight on the road
The false knight refutes the boy's solution and insists that the ladder will fail
"And you will surely fall," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy confidently predicts that the false knight will suffer and fail in his attempt to harm him
"I wish you were in yonder sea," says the false knight on the road
The false knight makes another threatening remark directed at the boy
"A good boat under me," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy once again responds with a clever and witty retort
"The boat will surely sink," says the false knight on the road
The false knight disputes the boy's comeback and insists that the boat will sink
"And you will surely drown," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy remains unfazed and boldly predicts that the false knight will suffer the consequences of his actions
"Has your mother more than you," says the false knight on the road
The false knight tries a new tactic by asking the boy about his family's wealth
"Oh, none of them for you," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy makes it clear that the false knight will not benefit from his family's wealth
"I think I hear a bell," says the false knight on the road
The false knight hears a church bell ringing nearby
"It's ringing you to hell," says the wee boy and still he stood
The boy responds with a chilling retort, implying that the false knight is destined for punishment in the afterlife
Writer(s): Trad, Ashley Stephen Hutchings, Maddy Prior, Martin Carthy, Tim Hart, Peter Knight
Contributed by Austin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@hedgerow215
The droning I-V-i chord is Tim Hart's jangly electric mountain dulcimer and the percussive picking is Carthy on the Telecaster. By playing the electric guitar like a folk acoustic guitarist Carthy achieved an extremely tight rock sound which defined the early Steeleye Span. Check out the Watersons' "Bright Phoebus" on which Carthy and Richard Thompson accompany most of the songs with dual acoustic guitars!
@johnmckenzie9944
That's exactly why I love this band and this tune mate!
@bobskins808
It's magical this to me.. What I mean is I loved this as a kid, forgot it over time and I haven't heard it for 25 years at least, to rediscover it and be reminded as a playlist chose the full album it is on, is joyous! Wow! I'm chuffed to bits!
@Wrz2e
It's wonderful. Imagine a song nowadays about a young boy meeting the devil on the road home from school.
@elmonte5lim
Robert Wilkinson we must be related ;)
@Promotall
For me this is a great song from an album of magical music. Of crafted words compiled to give something more than just enjoyment. From my perspective it warns. It explicitly sings how a father can teach the concerns he has to his children. And when he is old, as I am, he can see and understand where they took on board and/or cast-over what he said to further their own destiny.
@gordonjackson217
This is why I loved this band back in the day, and went right off them when they got a drummer!
@Chrismacleod777
I love Steeleye Span and this song is one of their best! Thanks for posting!
@buchling1
I prefer this over the other version by far. It's the kind of energetic playfulness that I associate with the lyrics.
@coramunroe
absolutely fantastic piece of music