The Incredible String Band was formed in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK by folk musicians Robin Williamson, Mike Heron, and Clive Palmer (1943 - 2014). They recorded their eponymous debut album in 1966, a lighthearted affair which revealed only the merest hint of the psychedelic adventures to come. After that, the band broke up. Palmer decamped for the Trail to Afghanistan and Williamson visited Morocco from where he returned laden with exotic instruments like the famous gimbri, which was, much later, eaten by rats. In 1967 Heron and Williamson recorded 'The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion', an audaciously eclectic mix of bookish folk music, hippy love songs and Eastern modalities. They soon became the-name-to-drop-in-interviews for luminaries such as Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, and in their annum mirabilis of 1968 they practically defined the hippy counterculture in the extraordinary albums 'The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter' and 'Wee Tam and the Big Huge'. By then the group consisted of Williamson, Heron, Rose Simpson and Licorice McKechnie - the same line up played at Woodstock in 1969 at the wrong time, having refused to play in the pouring rain the previous day (seen by manager Joe Boyd as a great missed opportunity).
In 1970 Robin Williamson attempted to fuse the music with his theatrical fantasies in a quixotic multi-media spectacular at London's Roundhouse called 'U'. It was "a surreal parable in dance and song" and highlighted the fact that they were never destined to make much money out of things. After that they lasted another four years. By 1974 tension between Williamson and Heron, who was pushing the band into prog-rock territory, had become unbearable and they split up.
Williamson soon formed "Robin Williamson and His Merry Band" which toured and released three albums of eclectic music with a Celtic emphasis. Within a few years, he went on to a solo career, moving increasingly into traditional Celtic styles. He also produced several recordings of humorous stories. Heron formed the rock group "Heron" and later released occasional solo albums. Responding to a comment by Joe Boyd in 1997 that they hadn't spoken since the breakup in 1974, the pair got back together for two concerts. This was followed by a full reunion of the original three members plus Williamson's wife Bina and Lawson Dando in 1999. By 2001 both Robin and Bina Williamson had left. Heron, Palmer and Lawson, and new member Fluff toured regularly around the United Kingdom and internationally until an end to the tour was announced in 2006.
The music of the ISB ranges from quite conventional folk songs to innovative “art song” and hybrid forms that were a precursor to World Music. In 1967-8 they were sometimes described as part of pop music's "avant-garde", which had emerged in the wake of the more adventurous work of The Beatles, with whom they were often compared. Although they lacked the Beatles' broad pop appeal, the ISB showed a similar interest in extending the boundaries of their music. Both Mike Heron and Robin Williamson would break apart a traditional song structure, inserting seemingly unrelated sections in a way that has been described as "always surprising, laughably inventive, lyrically prodigious". While at times this resulted in a lack of conventional unity, it also opened up the song musically and thematically to allow greater depth and exploration. This aspect of their music, combined with Williamson’s soaring melismatic vocal ornamentation (perhaps influenced by Islamic chanters heard during his visit to Morocco, as well as by the Scots-Irish traditional singing with which he had grown up) made for music that still sounds fresh forty years later.
Alice is a Long Time Gone
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
cry not so loud my lover frowns
I'm a grown up lady from London town
Yet ever more he sang his sad song-
sweet Alice is a long time gone
Oh Alice is gone, gone
Alice is gone, gone
she was pretty, oh yes
with her flaxen hair, her eyes so fair
her sweet voice and her snow white dress
Oh Alice is gone, gone
Alice is gone, gone
sweet Alice is a long time gone
It's seven long years
since last I seen your face
no-one in Wonderland
could take your place
but when I see you again
that sets me back apace
sweet Alice is a long time gone
I would exchange my coat of fur
if time would turn or waters burn
I'd wish you back the way you were
Oh Alice is gone, gone
Alice is gone, gone
sweet Alice is a long time gone.
In The Incredible String Band's "Alice Is a Long Time Gone," the lyrics follow an unnamed narrator lamenting the absence of Alice, who has disappeared for a long time. The singer describes Alice as a pretty lady from London town, with flaxen hair, fair eyes, a sweet voice, and a snow white dress. The singer sings about Alice's absence, saying that no one in Wonderland could take her place. The singer complains that he has not seen Alice's face for seven long years, and when he finally sees her again, it sets him back apace. The singer says he would exchange his coat of fur if time would turn or waters burn to wish Alice back the way she was. The song ends with the refrain "sweet Alice is a long time gone."
The song's lyrics are often interpreted as referencing Alice from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The references to Wonderland and the White Rabbit suggest that Alice from Wonderland is the subject of the song. However, the song does not follow the plot of the novel or film, instead presenting a unique perspective on the character of Alice. The singer appears to be singing to Alice, telling her that he misses her and wishing she could come back.
Overall, "Alice Is a Long Time Gone" is a haunting, melancholy song about the absence of a beloved figure. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of Alice's beauty and charm and convey the singer's deep feelings of loss and longing. The song is a reminder that even the most fantastical and magical places, like Wonderland, can be touched by sadness and grief.
Line by Line Meaning
White rabbit smile, white rabbit smile
Acknowledging the iconic character from Alice in Wonderland
cry not so loud my lover frowns
Asking someone not to cry so that they don't upset their lover
I'm a grown up lady from London town
Asserting the singer's maturity and place of origin
Yet ever more he sang his sad song-
Introducing the theme of the song, the singer's lament for Alice
sweet Alice is a long time gone
Repeating the refrain that Alice has been gone for a while, with a nostalgic longing
she was pretty, oh yes
Reminiscing about Alice's beauty
with her flaxen hair, her eyes so fair
Describing Alice's physical features
her sweet voice and her snow white dress
Continuing the description of Alice and her innocent demeanor
It's seven long years
Stating the exact timeframe for how long Alice has been gone
since last I seen your face
Highlighting the singer's longing for Alice and their last encounter
no-one in Wonderland
Referencing the fictional land where Alice spent her adventures
could take your place
Asserting Alice's unique and irreplaceable presence
but when I see you again
Hypothetically imagining the possibility of reuniting with Alice
that sets me back apace
The idea of meeting Alice again would emotionally transport the singer back in time
I would exchange my coat of fur
Expressing how much the singer would give up to have Alice back
if time would turn or waters burn
Using hyperbole to grasp how far the singer would go to have Alice return
I'd wish you back the way you were
Desiring Alice's return to her former self
Oh Alice is gone, gone
Repeatedly stating the song's main theme
Alice is gone, gone
Reinforcing the fact that Alice is truly gone
sweet Alice is a long time gone
Closing the song with the melancholic refrain, emphasizing the loneliness and nostalgia of the singer
Contributed by Zachary L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bwanna23
Rare gem, indeed.