The White Cliffs of Dover
Steeleye Span formed in 1969 from members of Fairport Convention and out of… Read Full Bio ↴Steeleye Span formed in 1969 from members of Fairport Convention and out of the ashes of Sweeney's Men creating a distinctive fusion of both British folk with electric rock music. The resulting first version of the band was formed by ex-Fairport bassist Ashley Hutchings and built around two pairs of vocalists, Tim Hart and Maddy Prior and Gay & Terry Woods. Rhythm was to be supplied largely by Hutchings' bass, and without drums.

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 White Cliffs of Dover
Steeleye Span Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There'll always be an England
While there's a country lane
Wherever there's a cottage small
Beside a field of golden grain

There'll be blue birds over
The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see

There'll be love and laughter
Peace ever after
Tomorrow, when the world is free

The shepherd will tend his sheep
The valley will bloom again
And Jimmy will have a home
To go to sleep in again

There'll be blue birds over
The white cliffs of Dover
Tomorrow, just you wait and see





Field of golden grain

Overall Meaning

"The White Cliffs of Dover" is a patriotic song that was popularized during the Second World War in England. Steeleye Span's version of the song was released in 1978 as part of their album "Live at Last!" The song is a message of hope and comfort to those who were anxious about the ongoing war, and it speaks to the enduring nature of the English countryside and culture.


The first verse of the song highlights the simplicity and beauty of the English countryside, using pastoral imagery to symbolize the country's resilience. The reference to the cottage small beside a field of golden grain represents the idea that no matter how bad things get, the everyday life of rural England will continue as it always has.


The second verse speaks to the idea of freedom and the hope for a better tomorrow. The reference to the blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover is a metaphor for hope and the possibility of a brighter future. The shepherd tending his sheep and the valley blooming again represent the idea of life returning to normal after the war.


Overall, "The White Cliffs of Dover" is a song that aims to reassure and comfort those who were living through the uncertainty and anxiety of the Second World War. It speaks to the enduring nature of English culture and the hope for a better future.


Line by Line Meaning

Wherever there's a cottage small Beside a field of golden grain
As long as there are quaint homes dotting peaceful landscapes and bountiful harvests to be reaped


There'll be blue birds over The white cliffs of Dover Tomorrow, just you wait and see
Even if the world is grey and bleak today, hope remains for a brighter tomorrow where the natural world flourishes


There'll be love and laughter Peace ever after Tomorrow, when the world is free
One day, humanity will be united in peace and we will fully embrace joy and love as we revel in the freedom that comes with it


The shepherd will tend his sheep The valley will bloom again And Jimmy will have a home To go to sleep in again
Once life's simple pleasures return and stability is restored, shepherds will continue their duties and the community will thrive in comfort




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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Ben - Moderator


on Bonny Moorhen

Hi Stuart, We have corrected the description above.

Stuart Tartan


on Bonny Moorhen

The song Bonny Moorhen by Steeleye Span is a traditional Scottish ballad that tells the story of a bird, the Bonny Moorhen, and its journey through the glen and over the sea. The narrator of the song expresses affection and admiration for the bird and asks others to toast its health when they are out drinking. The Bonny Moorhen is described as having a rainbow of feathers, including blue, which is unusual for a bird, and invites it to come to the narrator. However, in the second verse, the song takes a darker turn as the narrator reveals that the bird has gone over the sea and will not return until the summer. But when it does return, only certain people will know, suggesting that not everyone will be happy about the Bonny Moorhen's return. The third verse introduces a new element to the story, two men named Ronald and Donald who are out on the fen, presumably trying to hunt or harm the bird. The narrator calls for the Bonny Moorhen to come to them for safety. Overall, the song is a mix of admiration for the beauty of nature and a warning about the dangers that can lurk in it. The Bonny Moorhen represents something pure and innocent, but there are those who would try to harm it, and the song is a call to protect it.

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.