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 Lark In the Morning
Steeleye Span Lyrics
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It's a fine dewy morning and besides, my love, it is wet
Oh let it be wet my love and ever so cold
I will rise my fond Floro and away to my fold
Oh no, my bright Floro, it is no such thing
It's a bright sun a-shining and the lark is on the wing
Oh the lark in the morning she rises from her nest
And she mounts in the air with the dew on her breast
And like a pretty ploughboy she'll whistle and sing
And at night she will return to her own nest again
When the ploughboy has done all he's got for to do
He trips down to the meadows where the grass is all cut down
Oh the lark in the morning she rises from her nest
And she climbs to the dawn with the dew on her breast
And like a pretty ploughboy she'll whistle and sing
And at night she will return to her own nest again
The song "The Lark in the Morning" by Steeleye Span is a traditional Irish folk song that is sung in a call-and-response format. The lyrics portray a conversation between two lovers, a shepherd named Floro and his love who is urging him to stay in bed on a damp morning. Floro insists on getting up and working, but his lover tries to convince him that it is a beautiful morning with the sun shining and the lark singing. The song praises the beauty of the natural world, using the metaphor of the lark as a symbol of freedom and a reminder of the cyclical nature of life.
The lyrics of the song are open to interpretation, but one could argue that they celebrate the balance between work and nature. The shepherd represents the human desire to be productive and make a living, while his lover represents the voice of nature, urging him to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the world around him. The lark serves as a symbol of freedom that reminds us to enjoy life even in the midst of our daily chores and obligations.
Line by Line Meaning
Lay still my fond shepherd and don't you rise yet
Stay in bed, my dear shepherd, it's too early to start the day
It's a fine dewy morning and besides, my love, it is wet
Even though the morning is beautiful with dew, it's also wet
Oh let it be wet my love and ever so cold
I don't mind the cold, my love, and I enjoy the wetness of the morning
I will rise my fond Floro and away to my fold
I'm going to get up now, my dear Floro, and go tend to my flock
Oh no, my bright Floro, it is no such thing
You're wrong, my dear Floro, it's not actually wet this morning
It's a bright sun a-shining and the lark is on the wing
The sun is shining brightly and the lark is flying through the sky
Oh the lark in the morning she rises from her nest
The lark wakes up in the morning and flies out of her nest
And she mounts in the air with the dew on her breast
As she flies, dew sticks to her chest
And like a pretty ploughboy she'll whistle and sing
The lark sings a sweet song, much like a handsome farmer whistling while he works
And at night she will return to her own nest again
As the day ends, the lark returns to her nest for the night
When the ploughboy has done all he's got for to do
Once the farmer has finished his work for the day
He trips down to the meadows where the grass is all cut down
He leisurely walks to the meadows where the grass has been cut
And like a pretty ploughboy he'll whistle and sing
The farmer happily sings and whistles as he enjoys the scenery
And at night she will return to her own nest again
Similarly, the lark will return to her nest as night falls
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HILL, TRADITIONAL, WILTSCHINSKY
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.