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.
Twinkle
Steeleye Span Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high
Like a diamond in the sky
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
How I wonder what you are
Steeleye Span's "Twinkle" is an interesting take on the classic lullaby "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star". The mystical, folk-like arrangement of the song intensifies the sense of wander and yearning that is characteristic of the lyrics. The song's tone suggests that the singer is reflecting on the vastness of the universe and the curiosity and amazement that it triggers. The opening lines "twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are" are an expression of that quest for knowledge and understanding. It's an unanswerable question, like so many of life's mysteries, but the singer can't help but ponder.
From there, the song deepens and becomes more poetic. The star is described as a "diamond in the sky", a beautiful and precious object that is still light years away, out of reach for humans. Despite the impossibility of ever physically reaching the stars, the singer is still entranced by their brightness and mystery. The song closes with the same line as it began, "twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are", which brings a sense of cyclical wonder to the singer's quest for knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
Oh, sweet, shining star above me
How I wonder what you are!
I am curious about your essence and your purpose
Up above the world so high
Floating high beyond the earthly realm
Like a diamond in the sky
Dazzling and precious among the vast expanse of the universe
Twinkle, twinkle, little star
Oh, gentle brilliance shining afar
How I wonder what you are
What secrets do you hold, what mysteries create your light?
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: NICKY GRAHAM, PD TRADITIONAL, JUSTIN GUY FLETCHER, DENI LEW, MATT THOMPSON
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.