Swan Arcade was led by Yorkshire native Dave Brady, who began singing traditional folk songs in local pubs while still in his teens. After losing an arm in a motorcycle accident at age 19, he was forced to abandon the guitar but was still able to play the concertina. At a Leeds folk club Brady met his future wife, Heather, and together they began performing as a duo. With the 1970 addition of bass singer Jim Boyes, the couple launched Swan Arcade, taking the name from a Bradford-area shopping district recently demolished per the order of city officials.
Considered direct descendants of the unaccompanied close-harmony approach of mid-'60s acts like The Young Tradition and The Watersons, Swan Arcade nevertheless presented an eccentric and confrontational interpretation of folk traditions, including in their repertoire such rock & roll hits as the Beatles' "Paperback Writer" and the Kinks' "Lola" alongside more conventional protest anthems. Upon signing to the Trailer label, Swan Arcade issued their self-titled debut LP in 1971. Despite critical acclaim the record fared poorly, and when relocation forced Boyes to resign, the group's continued future looked dim.
Instead, former Young Tradition bass Royston Wood agreed to assume Boyes' position, exiting a year later to make way for Brian Miller. Despite the admiration of the influential BBC Radio DJ John Peel, who played Swan Arcade regularly and hosted three live broadcast sessions, their sophomore album, Matchless, was not released until 1976, by which time Boyes had returned to active duty. The trio split two years later.
Swan Arcade reunited in 1983, releasing Together Forever to critical favor and commercial shrugs. The trio nevertheless remained a fixture of the folk festival circuit, and during an August 1986 appearance at Whitby Folk Week teamed with members of The Watersons as the Boggle Hole Chorale, delivering an impromptu charity performance for a local school. The gig proved such a success that in 1987 the Bradys and Boyes agreed to revisit the experience, teaming with The Watersons and Martin Carthy to form the folk revival supergroup Blue Murder.
Upon releasing the LP Diving for Pearls later in 1987, Swan Arcade dissolved for good, and as the Bradys began channeling more of their time and energy into politics, they did not contribute to subsequent Blue Murder performances and recordings.
The Bradys ended their marriage in 1998.
Shortly after retiring from being transport manager for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Brady died of a chest infection in London on May 29, 2006.
Band Members:
Dave Brady (died 2006)
Heather Brady
Jim Boyes
as well as...
Jack French
Kevin Hingston (died 2011)
Brian Miller
Chris Taylor
Royston Wood
lots more : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan_Arcade
Paperback Writer
Swan Arcade Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
It's based on a novel by a man named Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
It's the dirty story of a dirty man
And his clinging wife doesn't understand
It's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
Paperback writer
It's a thousand pages, give or take a few
I'll be writing more in a week or two
I can make it longer if you like the style
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
If you really like it you can have the rights
It could make a million for you overnight
If you must return it, you can send it here
But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer
Paperback writer
Paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer
Paperback writer, paperback writer (fade out)
The lyrics of Swan Arcade's song "Paperback Writer" highlight the struggles of a writer who is trying to make ends meet by writing a novel and hoping to sell it as a paperback. The songwriter asks the reader if they will read their book, which they confess took years to write. Interestingly, the song is based on a novel by a man named Lear, who remains unidentified. The lyrics suggest the songwriter is desperate for employment and sees becoming a paperback writer as a means of achieving financial stability.
The second stanza of the song elaborates on the singer's struggles by describing the story of a dirty man and his wife, who cannot comprehend the struggles of the writer. The man's son, meanwhile, works at the Daily Mail and has a steady job, but he too dreams of being a paperback writer - conjuring an atmosphere of ambition in the song.
Amidst the desperation, the songwriter also seems proud of the length of the book having reached a thousand pages. They even offer to make it longer if it's required to make the book more appealing. The songwriter displays their flexibility to adjust to what the reader wants and thus hopes they would accept the book if they needed a break.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
Can you kindly read my book, addressing either a male or female recipient
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
I spent so long writing it, can you please consider reading it
It's based on a novel by a man named Lear
This book has its basis in a novel by a guy called Lear
And I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer
I require work, therefore I wish to write paperbacks
Paperback writer
I desire to author paperback books
It's the dirty story of a dirty man
The tale I've spun involves a man who is unclean
And his clinging wife doesn't understand
His wife, who perseveres, fails to comprehend
His son is working for the Daily Mail
His son works for the news outlet known as the Daily Mail
It's a steady job but he wants to be a paperback writer
Though it pays well, his son longs to write paperback novels
Paperback writer
I aspire to create books in the paperback format
Paperback writer
I aim to be an author of paperback publications
It's a thousand pages, give or take a few
This book is roughly a thousand pages in length
I'll be writing more in a week or two
I may have more written in a couple of weeks
I can make it longer if you like the style
I have the ability to extend its length if it's your preference
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer
I'm willing to switch things around, and my aspiration is to be an author of paperback books
Paperback writer
I intend to create books that are in the paperback format
If you really like it you can have the rights
If you're really interested in it, you can acquire the rights
It could make a million for you overnight
It has the possibility of making you millions overnight
If you must return it, you can send it here
If you need to return it, this is where you can send it
But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer
However, I need a break, and I desire to be an author of paperback books
Paperback writer
I wish to write paperback books
Paperback writer, paperback writer
My goal is to be a prolific author of paperback books
Paperback writer, paperback writer
I have no intention of writing any other type of book besides paperbacks
Paperback writer, paperback writer
I remain steadfast in my aspiration to be a writer of paperback books
Paperback writer, paperback writer (fade out)
I'll continue to work towards becoming an author of paperback books
Writer(s): MCCARTNEY PAUL JAMES, LENNON JOHN WINSTON
Contributed by Oliver W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.