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.
Footsteps Of The Heron
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was me and the whole of my conscience
And I thought that I wouldn't be missed if I went
And that my going would be of no importance
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
I'm not in the slightest way upset
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
So I walked down this street I had no one to meet
And my thoughts kinda gently were flowing
When I popped this pussycat because it lying
And I [Incomprehensible] where I was going
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
I'm not in the slightest way upset
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
I'm not even chasing the sunset
The pussycat laughed and he followed me down
We walked through the crowds without motion
He said he would stay, but he ran clear away
I just laughed at his lack of devotion
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
I'm not in the slightest way upset
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
I'm not even chasing the sunset
I met me this fink, tried to buy me a drink
And he says, “I don't care 'bout no money"
I said, "Neither do I, but I'd buy you a guy
If I thought you were trying to get funny"
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
I'm not in the slightest way upset
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
And I'm not even chasing the sunset
This man I did meet, spoke to me through his feet
And he said, "I don't care either 'bout no money"
I said, "Neither do I but I buy wings to fly
'Cause without them the sun ain't so sunny"
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
I'm not in the slightest way upset
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
And I'm not even chasing the sunset
In "Footsteps of the Heron," The Incredible String Band tells a story of a person aimlessly wandering through life without a clear purpose. The singer sits amidst a noisy crowd, feeling disconnected from their surroundings and believing their absence will go unnoticed. They embark on a journey without direction, encountering a stray cat, a man who doesn't care about money, and another who communicates through his feet. The singer seems content with this meandering existence, as they explain that they're not chasing after anything specific or on any particular mission.
The lyrics of "Footsteps of the Heron" highlight themes of aimlessness, detachment, and contentment with uncertainty. The singer suggests that sometimes it's okay to wander without a purpose and that the journey itself is rewarding. The encounters with the pussycat, the fink, and the man who communicates through his feet remind the singer of the value of odd moments and interactions, often unexpected and unplanned. The song speaks to the sense of detachment many people feel in the modern world and offers an alternative to the traditional view of achievement and progress.
Line by Line Meaning
One day as I sat in a big noisy crowd
I was sitting in a loud place with many people.
There was me and the whole of my conscience
I was there with my thoughts and feelings.
And I thought that I wouldn't be missed if I went
I didn't think anyone would notice if I left.
And that my going would be of no importance
I believed my departure wouldn't matter.
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
I was without any plans or direction.
I'm not in the slightest way upset
I wasn't bothered by it.
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
I wasn't pursuing any goals or desires.
And I'm not even chasing the sunset
I wasn't even trying to follow the fading light.
So I walked down this street I had no one to meet
I was walking aimlessly without any appointments or obligations.
And my thoughts kinda gently were flowing
My mind was wandering, calm and relaxed.
When I popped this pussycat because it lying
I accidentally bumped into a cat while it was lying down.
And I [Incomprehensible] where I was going
I became unclear about my destination.
The pussycat laughed and he followed me down
The cat seemed amused and followed me on my walk.
We walked through the crowds without motion
We strolled through busy streets without hurry.
He said he would stay, but he ran clear away
The cat said it would stick around, but it quickly left.
I just laughed at his lack of devotion
I chuckled at the cat's change of heart.
I met me this fink, tried to buy me a drink
I encountered someone who offered to buy me a beverage.
And he says, “I don't care 'bout no money"
He said money wasn't important to him.
I said, "Neither do I, but I'd buy you a guy
I replied that I didn't care about money but would return the gesture.
If I thought you were trying to get funny"
But only if I suspected he had ulterior motives.
This man I did meet, spoke to me through his feet
I encountered another person who communicated oddly.
And he said, "I don't care either 'bout no money"
He also claimed not to care about money.
I said, "Neither do I but I buy wings to fly
I confirmed that I felt the same but preferred freedom over material things.
'Cause without them the sun ain't so sunny"
Because without wings, the world loses its wonder and excitement.
And I've nothing to do and I've nowhere to go
Overall, I'm just wandering aimlessly.
I'm not in the slightest way upset
But I'm content and at peace with my aimless journey.
I'm not chasing a hope or a dream or a plan
I'm not trying to achieve anything specific.
And I'm not even chasing the sunset
And I'm not even focused on something as grandiose as chasing the sunset.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIKE HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind