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 Royal Forester
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As you may plainly see,
It's the mantle of your maidenhead
That I would have from thee.
He's taken her by the milk-white hand
And by the leylan sleeve,
He's lain her down upon her back
Now since you've lain me down young man,
You must take me up again,
And since you've had your wills of me,
Come tell to me your name.
Some call me Jim, some call me John,
Begad it's all the same,
But when I'm in the king's high court
Erwilian is my name.
She being a good scholar,
She's spelt it o'er again,
â Erwilian, that's a Latin word,
But Willy is your name.
Now when he heard his name pronounced,
He mounted his high horse.
She's belted up her petticoat
And followed with all her force.
He rode and she ran
A long summer day,
Until they came by the river
That's commonly called the Tay.
The water, it's too deep, my love,
I'm afraid you cannot wade.
But afore he'd ridden his horse well in
She was on the other side.
She went up to the king's high door,
She knocked and she went in,
Said, â One of your chancellor's robbed me
And he's robbed me right and clean.
Has he robbed you of your mantle?
Has he robbed you of your ring?
â No, he's robbed me of my maidenhead
And another I can't find.
If he be a married man
Then hanged he shall be,
And if he be a single man
He shall marry thee?
This couple they got married,
They live in Huntley town.
She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter,
And he's the blacksmith's son.
The Royal Forester by Steeleye Span tells the story of a forester who approaches a young maiden and asks for her maidenhead. The lyrics suggest that the forester has taken her without her consent and expects her to submit to him. The maiden initially resists, but eventually gives in and asks the forester for his name. He responds by giving her several names, but the one she chooses is Erwilian, which is a Latin word. The forester then realizes that the maiden is no ordinary woman and mounts his high horse to escape from her. The maiden chases after him, and they end up at the river Tay, where she wades through the water to keep up with him.
Eventually, the maiden reaches the king's court and accuses the forester of robbing her of her maidenhead. She demands that he marry her, and the couple eventually ties the knot and settles down in Huntley town. The song portrays a story of overcoming challenges despite the circumstances, how young women at that time had little power over their lives, and how relationships and marriages, no matter how they started, can turn out into something beautiful.
Overall, the song serves as a reminder of how society has progressed through the years and how attitudes towards women and their agency have changed. It is a compelling narrative of strength, determination, and survival during challenging circumstances.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a forester of this land
The singer identifies himself as a forester of the land
As you may plainly see,
He confirms that his occupation is evident
It's the mantle of your maidenhead
He desires to take the lady's virginity
That I would have from thee.
He requests her to give it to him
He's taken her by the milk-white hand
He has grabbed her hand
And by the leylan sleeve,
He held her clothing
He's lain her down upon her back
He has put her on the ground on her back
And asked no man's leave.
He did not ask for permission to do so
Now since you've lain me down young man,
The lady calls him out for his actions
You must take me up again,
She demands for him to help her up
And since you've had your wills of me,
She recognizes that he has taken advantage of her
Come tell to me your name.
She asks for his identity
Some call me Jim, some call me John,
He gives some possible names that he goes by
Begad it's all the same,
He suggests that it does not really matter
But when I'm in the king's high court
He reveals his true identity
Erwilian is my name.
He discloses that his name is Erwilian
She being a good scholar,
She is smart
She's spelt it o'er again,
She repeats his name correctly
Erwilian, that's a Latin word,
She identifies the origin of his name
But Willy is your name.
She gives him a nickname based on his name
Now when he heard his name pronounced,
He reacted to hearing his real name
He mounted his high horse.
He got on his horse
She's belted up her petticoat
She prepared for the journey
And followed with all her force.
She ran after him with all her might
He rode and she ran
They traveled in different ways
A long summer day,
They were on their journey for a while
Until they came by the river
They arrived at a river
That's commonly called the Tay.
The river is known as the Tay
The water, it's too deep, my love,
He warns her about the depth of the water
I'm afraid you cannot wade.
He suggests she cannot cross on foot
But afore he'd ridden his horse well in
Before he had even crossed the river
She was on the other side.
She had already crossed the river
She went up to the king's high door,
She arrived at the King's residence
She knocked and she went in,
She entered the King's place of living
Said, 'One of your chancellor's robbed me
She accused the chancellor of stealing from her
And he's robbed me right and clean.'
She claimed he took something valuable from her
Has he robbed you of your mantle?
The King confirms which item was stolen
Has he robbed you of your ring?
The King asks if anything else was taken
'No, he's robbed me of my maidenhead
She reveals the stolen item, her virginity
And another I can't find.'
She suggests losing something else
If he be a married man
The King sets a condition for punishment
Then hanged he shall be,
The King orders the death penalty
And if he be a single man
The King sets another condition for punishment
He shall marry thee?
The King orders him to marry the lady
This couple they got married,
The two of them got married
They live in Huntley town.
They settled in Huntley
She's the Earl of Airlie's daughter,
She is the daughter of an Earl
And he's the blacksmith's son.
He is the son of a blacksmith
Contributed by Jasmine 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.