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.
Gently Tender
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
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Washing clean the slate again
But leave me please, behind my brain
This light doesn't shadow on her
Shadows dancing through the pink milk blankets
Where my mind lay dreaming gently of my loving you
Sometimes I think I was true
Gently tender snow-drop grows
See the past tense quietly go
Kill the chord but let me know
This light doesn't shadow on her
Shadows dancing through the green bush trees
Where my toes crept breathing lightly of my loving you
Sometimes I think I was true
But then I loved the stone beneath my feet as much, usually
Slowly spitting crawls the snake
See the branches bend and break
Venom that might easily shake
This light doesn't shadow on her
Good, good loving, she gave me good loving
Good, good loving, she gave me good loving
Good, good loving, she gave me good
And now all my wine is water
To her all my wine is water
All water, and my pearls are clear
Good, good loving, she gave me good
Good, good loving, she gave me good
Good, good loving, she gave me good
And now all my wine is water
To her all my wine is water
All water, and my pearls are clear
She gave to me good loving
She gave to me good loving
She gave to me good loving
Ohh good loving
The lyrics of "Gently Tender" by The Incredible String Band are poetic in nature and open to interpretation. The song appears to be about change, letting go of the past, and finding love. The first verse talks about rain washing away the past but the singer wants to stay behind this change. They want to hold on to the memories and not let this change shadow the light of their love for someone.
The second verse imagines shadows dancing in the pink milk blankets and green bush trees, suggesting a dreamlike state. The singer reflects on their love and wonders if they were true. The line "but then I loved the stone beneath my feet as much, usually" could be interpreted as a reference to the security of familiar ground instead of taking risks with love.
The chorus has the singer expressing gratitude for good love given to them by someone. They describe how it has changed things for them but also left them vulnerable. The line "all my wine is water" seems to suggest that everything that once brought them pleasure is now not as fulfilling in comparison to the love they have received.
Overall, "Gently Tender" is a song about love and the changes it brings to one's life. It appears to be a reflection on past loves, examining them in comparison to the present. The lyrics are abstract and open to interpretation, which is typical of The Incredible String Band's music.
Line by Line Meaning
Gently tender falls the rain
Softly and delicately the rain falls from the sky
Washing clean the slate again
The rain is cleansing and renewing, wiping away the past
But leave me please, behind my brain
But let me remain myself, with my own thoughts and emotions
This light doesn't shadow on her
The light and optimism of the present doesn't diminish her beauty or memory
Shadows dancing through the pink milk blankets
Shadowy shapes move gracefully through the softly hued blanket of dusk
Where my mind lay dreaming gently of my loving you
Where I allowed myself to dream of you, softly and safely in my own mind
Sometimes I think I was true
Sometimes I wonder if my feelings for you were genuine and truthful
But then I loved the stone beneath my feet as much, usually
But then I remembered my connection to the earth and its grounding influence on me
Gently tender snow-drop grows
A tiny, fragile snow-drop flower grows delicately
See the past tense quietly go
The past fades away quietly and with little fanfare
Kill the chord but let me know
End the musical note, but keep me informed of your true feelings
This light doesn't shadow on her
The light of hope and renewal doesn't diminish her beauty or memory
Shadows dancing through the green bush trees
Shadowy shapes move gracefully through the greenery of the trees
Where my toes crept breathing lightly of my loving you
Where I stood and felt the earth beneath me, feeling the lightness of love for you
Sometimes I think I was true
Sometimes I question whether my love was genuine and honest
But then I loved the stone beneath my feet as much, usually
But then I remembered my connection to the earth and appreciated it just as much
Slowly spitting crawls the snake
The snake crawls slowly, almost methodically
See the branches bend and break
The snake's movement causes branches to bend and break as it slithers by
Venom that might easily shake
The possibility of danger or harm from the snake's venom looms large
This light doesn't shadow on her
The light of the present does not diminish her memory or beauty
Good, good loving, she gave me good loving
She loved me well and deeply
And now all my wine is water
Now all that I valued and cherished is suddenly worthless
To her all my wine is water
However, to her, all that I once valued was never truly valuable
All water, and my pearls are clear
Everything I once coveted and thought rare and valuable is now revealed as plain and ordinary
She gave to me good loving
She showed me love and kindness
Ohh good loving
Ah, how I cherish those memories of her love
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIKE HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind