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.
Evolution Rag
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
look at our tails and scales
and out big tough leader away he wails
he thinks he is the king pin but he's outraced
by the little weedy stranger with the grin on his face
but that is the illusionist the circus man
and the whole man murdering sea is his caravan (it leaks)
if you want to save yourself time and tears
history picnickers follow me
evolution up the slopes of the sea
out on the land out on the land singing hurray
while a million years pass by and we get well on out way
grandma clears the trash left by previous picnic slaves
and with just one swipe of her ragged fins she uncovers the caves
singing billy go store the map safely underground
he does but what is this that he has found
the map has gone how will we grow old
grandma's tears made the barbecue cold
I fing myself saying here's where I came in
the illusionist has vanished like a red hot gin
The Incredible String Band's song Evolution Rag is a whimsical and surreal depiction of the evolution of humans from sea creatures, with a carnival-like atmosphere and playful use of language. The first verse introduces the idea of humans as "fish men or sea apes" with tails and scales, and a leader who is outraced by a "little weedy stranger with the grin on his face", who is revealed to be the "illusionist the circus man" and the master of the "whole man murdering sea". This implies a sense of deception and illusion surrounding the evolution of humans, and suggests that it is not a natural process but the work of a performer. The second verse introduces the idea of "air croquettes" as a means of saving time and tears, and invites "history picnickers" to follow the singer as they journey up the slopes of the sea, suggesting a sense of progress and evolution.
The third verse switches to a scene on land, where humans are celebrating their evolutionary progress with singing and joy, while grandma cleans up after previous generations and uncovers hidden caves. Billy is told to store a map safely underground, but upon checking later finds it has disappeared, causing grandma to cry and making the barbecue cold. The final line, "the illusionist has vanished like a red hot gin", suggests that the whole process and progress of human evolution may be illusory and transitory, and that the true nature of existence may be fleeting and mysterious.
Line by Line Meaning
we're the fish men or the sea apes
We, the Incredible String Band, see ourselves as either fish men or sea apes.
look at our tails and scales
Our physical appearance resembles that of aquatic creatures, with tails and scales.
and out big tough leader away he wails
Our leader, who is supposed to be strong, is crying out in defeat.
he thinks he is the king pin but he's outraced
Despite thinking highly of himself, he has been outrun and outdone by someone else.
by the little weedy stranger with the grin on his face
This person who defeated our leader is small and unimpressive, with a grin on his face.
but that is the illusionist the circus man
The little stranger is actually a performer, a circus man who can create illusions.
and the whole man murdering sea is his caravan (it leaks)
He is leading a caravan of performers, but in reality, they are not harming the sea or its inhabitants. The caravan is also poorly constructed and leaking.
eat air croquettes my children dear
We advise our children to eat imaginary food, air croquettes, to save them from wasting time and experiencing sorrow in the future.
if you want to save yourself time and tears
Eating these air croquettes will help our children avoid wasting time and feeling sad later on.
history picnickers follow me
We are inviting people to join us on a journey through history, as we follow the path of evolution.
evolution up the slopes of the sea
We are tracing the path of evolution, metaphorically climbing the slopes of the sea.
out on the land out on the land singing hurray
After spending time in the sea, we are now on land and celebrating with joy.
while a million years pass by and we get well on out way
As we celebrate, millions of years are passing by, and we are continuing on our journey.
grandma clears the trash left by previous picnic slaves
Our elder, Grandma, is cleaning up after people who left their trash behind on previous picnics.
and with just one swipe of her ragged fins she uncovers the caves
Despite her age, Grandma has the strength to uncover caves with a single swipe of her fins.
singing billy go store the map safely underground
We instruct Billy to store the map in a safe place underground.
he does but what is this that he has found
Billy followed our instructions, but he has discovered something unexpected.
the map has gone how will we grow old
The map has disappeared, leaving us unsure of how to proceed and survive into old age.
grandma's tears made the barbecue cold
Grandma's sadness leads to a loss of heat in the barbecue, making it cold.
I fing myself saying here's where I came in
We realize that the situation we find ourselves in is similar to one we have experienced before.
the illusionist has vanished like a red hot gin
The performer who defeated our leader has vanished like a red hot liquid evaporating, leaving us with more questions than answers.
Contributed by Eva W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.