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.
Chinese White
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grows the petals of the morning
It shows to them the birds singing
Just behind the dawning
Come dip into the cloud cream lapping
I can't keep my hand on the plough
Because it's dying
But I will lay me down with my arms
Round a rainbow
And I will lay me down to dream
Oh, will your magic
Christmas tree be shining
Gently all around?
Climbing up these figures
The sun is tugging at my shoulder
And every step I take
I think, my feet are getting older
I see the crystal dreams unfolding
I can't keep my eyes on the book
Because it's mouldering
But I will lay me down with my arms
Round a rainbow
And I will lay me down to dream
Oh, will your magic
Christmas tree be shining
Gently all around?
The first two lines of "Chinese White" by The Incredible String Band set a surreal tone for the rest of the song: "The bent twig of darkness/Grows the petals of the morning." This juxtaposition of darkness and light, and the idea that one can lead to the other, presents an interesting and poetic worldview. The rest of the lyrics explore a similarly dreamlike world, touching on themes of nature, aging, and the power of imagination. The singer describes dipping "into the cloud cream lapping," showing a deep connection to the natural world, but also acknowledges their own mortality, noting that their "feet are getting older." Despite this, the singer finds solace in their imagination, envisioning themselves lying "down with [their] arms/Round a rainbow" and dreaming.
Overall, "Chinese White" seems to present a world that is both beautiful and fleeting, where darkness and light can coexist and imagination can offer a kind of escape from the realities of aging and decay. The imagery and language used in the song are certainly poetic and evocative, allowing for multiple interpretations and inviting the listener to engage with its dreamlike world.
Line by Line Meaning
The bent twig of darkness
The small, fragile hope in a dark situation
Grows the petals of the morning
There is hope, a new beginning coming with each dawn
It shows to them the birds singing
In the midst of darkness, there is still beauty to be found
Just behind the dawning
Hope and happiness are always on the horizon
Come dip into the cloud cream lapping
Embrace the beauty and joy around us
I can't keep my hand on the plough
I cannot keep working at something that is dying
Because it's dying
This situation is coming to an end, and I need to move on
But I will lay me down with my arms
But I will find peace and comfort in something beautiful
Round a rainbow
Around the beauty and hope of a rainbow
And I will lay me down to dream
And I will find solace in my dreams
Oh, will your magic
Oh, will you bring your wonder and joy
Christmas tree be shining
To brighten the world like a shining Christmas tree
Gently all around?
To spread happiness and light everywhere
Climbing up these figures
As I climb through life's challenges
The sun is tugging at my shoulder
The promise of a better future is pulling me forward
And every step I take
With every move forward
I think, my feet are getting older
I feel the weight of my journey, but I am still moving forward
I see the crystal dreams unfolding
I see the beauty and wonder of my dreams coming true
I can't keep my eyes on the book
I cannot keep focused on the past, but must keep moving forward
Because it's mouldering
Because the past is decaying and no longer useful
But I will lay me down with my arms
But I will still find beauty and peace
Round a rainbow
Around the promise of hope and happiness
And I will lay me down to dream
And I will continue to find solace in my dreams
Oh, will your magic
Oh, will you bring your wonder and joy
Christmas tree be shining
To brighten the world like a shining Christmas tree
Gently all around?
To spread happiness and light everywhere
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIKE HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alanoneill3065
I was 16 when I first heard this...mesmerised...no drugs
@normabarrell351
Same here
@luqmanleckie5194
One of the most beautiful combinations of lyrics and melody ever written, as you can say for at least 10 other songs they wrote, of which 5 are on this album (have to add "October Song" from their first album).
@jeremysphincter1094
God, this is one of the most beautiful (and unusual) songs I’ve ever heard. I got this album when it was first released. I knew nothing about, nor ever heard of The Incredible String Band. I liked the artwork so I took a chance. I’m glad I did.
@f104G
You judged a book by its cover.
@PaulR986
The first song that meant anything to me. I was 15 and my sister (18) returned from her first term at Uni. clutching this album. I listened, heard and the rest is history - just love all forms of folk music from then on.
@tonyjones7373
lucky you ! !
@karenvarian1174
Robin WIlliamson is a genius and I love his voice. He is a true storyteller, bard or what have you. A wonderful album. Thank you form the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
@gartnait1
Not Robin singing,this is Mike Heron.
@shelflife3867
@@gartnait1 Robin is singing harmony