T.Rex was a primary force in glam rock, thanks to the creative direction of guitarist/vocalist Marc Bolan (born Mark Feld). Bolan created a deliberately trashy form of rock and roll that was proud of its own disposability, which stood in contrast to the low-key whimsical poetry of the earlier duo. T.Rex's music borrowed the underlying sexuality of early rock & roll, adding dirty, simple grooves and fat distorted guitars, as well as an overarching folky/hippie spirituality that always came through the clearest on ballads. While most of his peers concentrated on making cohesive albums, Bolan kept the idea of a three-minute pop single alive in the early 1970s. In Britain, he became a superstar, sparking a period of "T.Rextacy" among the pop audience with a series of Top Ten hits, including four number one singles. Over in America, the group only had one major hit -- the Top Ten "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" -- before disappearing from the charts in 1973. T.Rex's popularity in the U.K. didn't begin to waver until 1975, and they retained a devoted following until Marc Bolan's death in 1977. Over the next three decades, Bolan has emerged as a cult figure and the music of T.Rex has proved quite influential on hard rock, punk, new wave, and alternative rock.
Following a career as a teenage model, Marc Bolan began performing music professionally in 1965, releasing his first single, "The Wizard," on Decca Records. Bolan joined the psychedelic folk-rock combo John's Children in 1967, appearing on three unsuccessful singles before the group disbanded later that year. Following the breakup, he formed the folk duo Tyrannosaurus Rex with percussionist Steve Peregrine Took. The duo landed a record deal with a subsidiary of EMI in February 1968, recording their debut album with producer Tony Visconti. "Debora," the group's first single, peaked at number 34 in May of that year, and their debut album, "My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair...But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brow", reached number 15 shortly afterward. The duo released their second album, "Prophets, Seers & Sages, the Angels of the Ages", in November of 1968.
By this time, Tyrannosaurus Rex was building a sizable underground following, which helped Bolan's book of poetry, The Warlock of Love, enter the British best-seller charts. In the summer of 1969, the duo released their third album, "Unicorn", as well as the single "King of the Rumbling Spires," the first Tyrannosaurus Rex song to feature an electric guitar. Following an unsuccessful American tour that fall, Took left or as is often stated by people close to the band, was sacked. He was replaced by Mickey Finn, previously linked to the band Haphash and the coloured coat.(There are a few more artists using the name Mickey Finn, though that is where the connection ends)! The new duo's first single did not chart, yet their first album, 1970's "A Beard of Stars", reached number 21.
The turning point in Bolan's career came in October of 1970, when he shortened the group's name to T.Rex and released "Ride a White Swan," a fuzz-drenched single driven by a rolling backbeat. "Ride a White Swan" became a major hit in the U.K., climbing all the way to number two. The band's next album, T.Rex, peaked at number 13 and stayed on the charts for six months. Encouraged by the results, Bolan expanded T.Rex to a full band, adding bassist Steve Currie and drummer Bill Legend (born Bill Fifield). The new lineup recorded "Hot Love," which spent six weeks at number one in early 1971. That summer, T.Rex released "Get It On" (retitled "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" in the U.S.), which became their second straight U.K. number one; the single would go on to be their biggest international hit, reaching number ten in the U.S. in 1972. "Electric Warrior", the first album recorded by the full band, was released in the fall of 1971; it was number one for six weeks in Britain and cracked America's Top 40.
By now, "T.Rextacy" was in full swing in England, as the band had captured the imaginations of both teenagers and the media with its sequined, heavily made-up appearance; the image of Marc Bolan in a top hat, feather boa, and platform shoes, performing "Get It On" on the BBC became as famous as his music. At the beginning of 1972, T.Rex signed with EMI, setting up a distribution deal for Bolan's own T.Rex Wax Co. record label. "Telegram Sam," the group's first EMI single, became their third number one single.
"Metal Guru" also hit number one, spending four weeks at the top of the chart. The Slider, released in the summer of 1972, shot to number one upon its release, allegedly selling 100,000 copies in four days; the album was also T.Rex's most successful American release, reaching number 17. Appearing in the spring of 1973, Tanx was another Top Five hit for T.Rex; the singles "20th Century Boy" and "The Groover" soon followed it to the upper ranks of the charts. However, those singles would prove to be the band's last two Top Ten hits. In the summer of 1973, rhythm guitarist Jack Green joined the band, as did three backup vocalists, including the American soul singer Gloria Jones; Jones would soon become Bolan's girlfriend. At the beginning of 1974, drummer Bill Legend left the group and was replaced by Davy Lutton, as Jones became the group's keyboardist.
In early 1974, the single "Teenage Dream" was the first record to be released under the name Marc Bolan and T.Rex. The following album, Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow, was the last Bolan recorded with Tony Visconti. Throughout the year, T.Rex's popularity rapidly declined -- by the time "Zip Gun Boogie" was released in November, it could only reach number 41. Finn and Green left the group at the end of the year, while keyboardist Dino Dines joined. The decline of T.Rex's popularity was confirmed when 1975's Bolan's "Zip Gun" failed to chart. Bolan took the rest of the year off, returning in the spring of 1976 with "Futuristic Dragon", which peaked at number 50. Released in the summer of 1976, "I Love to Boogie," a disco-flavored three-chord thumper, became Bolan's last Top 20 hit.
Bolan released "Dandy in the Underworld" in the spring of 1977; it was a modest hit, peaking at number 26. While "The Soul of My Suit" reached number 42 on the charts, T.Rex's next two singles failed to chart. Sensing it was time for a change of direction, Bolan began expanding his horizons in August. In addition to contributing a weekly column for Record Mirror, he hosted his own variety television show, Marc. Featuring guest appearances by artists like David Bowie and Generation X, Marc helped restore Bolan's hip image. Signing with RCA Records, the guitarist formed a new band with bassist Herbie Flowers and drummer Tony Newman, yet he never was able to record with the group. While driving home from a London club with Bolan, Gloria Jones lost control of her car, smashing into a tree. Marc Bolan, riding in the passenger's seat of the car, was killed instantly.
While T.Rex's music was intended to be disposable, it has proven surprisingly influential over the years. Hard rock and heavy metal bands borrowed the group's image, as well as the pounding insistence of their guitars. Punk bands may have discarded the high heels, feather boas, and top hats, yet they adhered to the simple three-chord structures and pop aesthetics that made the band popular, as they still are today 30 years after Marc's death.
Blessed Wild Apple Girl
T. Rex Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Sat upon the stoney pale mare
Beltane Eve, by the fires you grieve
With your deep Babylonian hair
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
Blessed Wild Apple Girl
Gypsy girl, oh twisty girl
Your hands are dangled with flowers
Tangled torn, so stately born
For a throne in the (hill) halls of Ireland
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
Blessed Wild Apple Girl
Fools have said the hills are dead
But her nose is a rose of the Shee
A silver sword by an ancient ford
Was my gift from this child of the trees
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
Blessed Wild Apple Girl
The lyrics to T. Rex's "Blessed Wild Apple Girl" are a whimsical and enchanting tribute to a mystical girl with deep, Babylonian hair and hands dangled with flowers. The song paints a picture of Beltane Eve, where the Gypsy girl sits upon a stoney pale mare and grieves by the fires. She is described as a "twisty pearl" and "tangled torn, so stately born," possessing an otherworldly beauty fit for a throne in the halls of Ireland.
The singer proclaims that fools have said the hills are dead, but the Gypsy girl's nose is a rose of the Shee, referencing Irish folklore about the fairy hills. He reveals that he was gifted a silver sword by this "child of the trees," emphasizing her connection to nature and the magical world.
The repeated refrain of "Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now" gives a sense of motion and urgency, perhaps indicating that the Gypsy girl is a fleeting presence in the singer's life. The lyrics suggest a fascination with the mystical and magical, and the Gypsy girl represents a sort of muse or inspiration for the singer's artistic expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Gypsy Girl, oh twisty pearl
The girl is very flexible, just like a pearl that can twist
Sat upon the stoney pale mare
She was sitting on a horse which was pale in color and the horse was on a stony surface
Beltane Eve, by the fires you grieve
She was saddened on the eve of the Celtic festival of Beltane while sitting by the fire
With your deep Babylonian hair
Her hair was very long and styled in the ancient Babylonian way
Blessed Wild Apple Girl move along now
The girl who is blessed by the beauty of nature needs to move along
Gypsy girl, oh twisty girl
The girl with remarkable flexibility was a Gypsy
Your hands are dangled with flowers
Her hands adorned with floral jewelry
Tangled torn, so stately born
She was born in a noble family but had a tangled life
For a throne in the (hill) halls of Ireland
Her family was so powerful that it had a throne in one of the halls of Ireland
Fools have said the hills are dead
Some people consider hills as lifeless and empty places
But her nose is a rose of the Shee
The girl has a beautiful nose like a rose, associated with the fairy mounds of Ireland
A silver sword by an ancient ford
She received a gift of a silver sword from someone near an ancient ford or river crossing
Was my gift from this child of the trees
The gift of the sword was from the blessed wild apple girl who is in harmony with nature
Contributed by Stella E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
cricketbat08
This song and 'Find a Little Wood' are two of Marc's finest songs.
clarenceclutterbuck
@Ess Gee See "Beltane".
Ess Gee See
Belgian Walk
Stäni Steinbock
Amen!
bwcajp
This was one of the final tracks recorded with Steve Peregrine Took before Bolan sacked him (another being "Once Upon the Seas of Abyssinia"). Bolan suppressed both these final tracks as he started afresh with Mickey Finn on new material. The record label however released the tracks on the compilation sampler "Best of T.Rex" in 1970. The compilation gave the impression they had been previously released - they hadn't!
Thomas Huth
Kurt. Perplexing detailed historical knowledge, wow. Hat’s off. So you are / were more than simply a fan, a music historian?
Kurt Van Der Bogarde
In April/May 1969, Marc Bolan and Steve Peregrin Took recorded a total of 10 tracks - the two sides of King Of The Rumbling Spires/Do You Remember plus Blessed Wild Apple Girl, Once Upon the Seas Of Abysinnia, Demon Queen and Ill Starred Man, along with four other songs that made it onto A Beard Of Stars in overdubbed form - Great Horse was one of these but the other three remain unconfirmed. It would have needed 3-5 more songs to finish album #4. Steve wanted to do some of his own songs on this final batch but Marc wouldn't hear of it, so Steve went to Twink of the Pretty Things and donated two of his songs "Three Little Piggies" and "The Sparrow Is The Sign" to Twink's solo album Think Pink. So Marc sacked him but made him stay on for the US tour in Aug/Sept '69. Once back in the UK, Marc, Mickey and Visconti overdubbed Great Horse and the other three tracks, scrapped the two sides of the single and the four other songs and recorded Marc's own choices for the final session plus some newies to finish off the album, which came out in March 1970.
Mike Lambert Museman
Beautiful song with beautiful images.Thanks for posting
karen swan
I adore this song 💚
Chantelle Adlington
A song that gives me chills, it's so beautiful 😍