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 Maid and The Palmer
Steeleye Span Lyrics
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And the dew fell down from her snow-white flesh,
The dew fell down from her snow-white flesh,
As the sun shone down so early.
And as she washed, as she wrung,
She hung them out on the hazel wand,
She hung them out on the hazel wand,
Oh, God speed you, Old Man, she cries,
God speed you, you pretty fair maid,
God speed you, you pretty fair maid,
As the sun shines down so early.
Have you got a cup, have you got a can?
Can you give a drink to a palmer-man?
Can you give a drink to a palmer-man?
As the sun shines down so early.
Oh, I've no cup and I've no can,
And I cannot give a drink to a palmer-man,
And I cannot give a drink to a palmer-man,
As the sun shines down so early.
You lie, you lie, you are forsworn,
For if your truelove came from Rome,
Then a cup, a can you'd find for him,
As the sun shines down so early.
Now, she swore by God and the good St. John.
True lover she had never a one,
True lover she had never a one,
As the sun shines down so early.
You lie, you lie, you are forsworn,
For nine children you have born,
For nine children you have born,
As the sun shines down so early.
Oh, there's three of them lying under your bed-head,
Three of them under the hearth are laid,
Three of them under the hearth are laid,
As the sun shines down so early.
Three more laying on yonder green,
Count, fair maid, for that makes nine,
Count, fair maid, for that makes nine,
As the sun shines down so early.
Palmer, oh, Palmer, do tell me,
Penance that you will give to me,
Penance that you will give to me,
As the sun shines down so early.
Penance I will give thee none,
But seven years as a stepping stone,
But seven years as a stepping stone,
As the sun shines down so early.
Seven more as a clapper to ring in the bell,
Seven to run from the apes of hell,
Seven to run from the apes of hell,
As the sun shines down so early.
Welcome, welcome stepping stone,
Welcome clapper in the bell to ring,
Welcome clapper in the bell to ring,
As the sun shines down so early.
Welcome stone, welcome bell,
Christ, keep me from the apes of hell,
Christ, keep me from the apes of hell,
As the sun shines down so early.
The lyrics to Steeleye Span's song "Maid and the Palmer" tell the story of a young maid who is washing her clothes by the well when a palmer, a pilgrim who has travelled to distant lands, approaches her. The palmer asks for a drink, but the maid tells him she has no cup or can to offer him. The palmer calls her out on this, suggesting that if her true love had come from Rome, she would have found a way to offer him a drink. The maid denies ever having had a true love and instead reveals that she has given birth to nine children, three of whom are under her bed-head, three under the hearth, and three on the green. The palmer then offers her a penance of seven years as a stepping stone and seven more as a clapper to ring in the bell, to protect her from the apes of hell.
The song is steeped in Christian imagery and symbolism, with references to St. John, Christ, and the apes of hell. The palmer is a figure often found in medieval literature and songs, representing the journey of the soul through life and towards salvation. The maid's confession of having given birth to nine children is a clear indication of her sinfulness, and the palmer offers her a way to atone for her sins through penance.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, the maid went down to the well for to wash,
A young woman went to the well to wash
And the dew fell down from her snow-white flesh,
The dew fell from her skin
As the sun shone down so early.
While the sun was rising early in the morning
And as she washed, as she wrung,
While she was washing and wringing clothes
She hung them out on the hazel wand,
She hung the clothes on a stick made of hazel wood
And by there came a palmer man.
A traveling pilgrim approached her
Oh, God speed you, Old Man, she cries,
She greeted the palmer and wished him well
God speed you, you pretty fair maid,
The palmer returned her greeting and complimented her appearance
Have you got a cup, have you got a can?
The palmer asked if she had a cup or container
Can you give a drink to a palmer-man?
He asked if she could give him a drink
Oh, I've no cup and I’ve no can,
She replied that she didn't have any cups or containers
And I cannot give a drink to a palmer-man,
She apologized that she couldn't give him a drink
You lie, you lie, you are forsworn,
The palmer accused her of lying
For if your truelove came from Rome,
He said that if her promised lover was from Rome
Then a cup, a can you'd find for him,
She would find a container for him if he was her true love.
Now, she swore by God and the good St. John.
She swore to God and St. John that she did not have a true love.
True lover she had never a one,
She never had a true lover
You lie, you lie, you are forsworn,
The palmer still didn't believe her
For nine children you have born,
He accused her of having nine children
Oh, there's three of them lying under your bed-head,
The palmer stated that three of them were under her bed
Three of them under the hearth are laid,
Three more were under the hearth
Three more laying on yonder green,
The last three were on the nearby grass
Count, fair maid, for that makes nine,
This makes nine children in total
Palmer, oh, Palmer, do tell me,
She asked the palmer for advice
Penance that you will give to me,
She asked him what punishment she should receive
Penance I will give thee none,
The palmer stated that he wouldn't give her penance
But seven years as a stepping stone,
Instead, he gave her a task of seven years
Seven more as a clapper to ring in the bell,
After the seven years she would have to ring the bell at church
Seven to run from the apes of hell,
Lastly, she would have to avoid the devils for seven years
Welcome, welcome stepping stone,
She welcomed the idea of completing her task
Welcome clapper in the bell to ring,
She welcomed the task of ringing the bell
Welcome stone, welcome bell,
She welcomed the idea of changing her ways
Christ, keep me from the apes of hell,
She asked for God's help in avoiding the devils
As the sun shines down so early.
As the sun continues to rise early in the morning
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SlyDoll7
The unlikely jolly melody when you consider this song is about incest and murder.