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.
Good As Gone
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Twas the thought of sweet May coming on.
The days are running so slow, my heart is aching to go,
And my feet surely itch for the road.
Mm the long hot summer.
Oh now the summer long.
By the need to feed mmm my body and my mind;
Look you can work 'till you're grey, waste your whole life away;
What security then do you find?
Mm the long hot summer.
Oh now the summer long.
I don't have no one to cheat, don't have no one to beat,
You know, I just need some room to uncurl,
I don't have no aim in view, just some dreams to pursue,
As I wallow around in the world.
Things I must do places to see,
Things I must do, now I've nothing now to hold me here,
And I'll take the southward road.
The Incredible String Band's Good As Gone is a song that speaks of the desire for freedom, adventure, and escape from rigid societal expectations. The song opens with the singer contemplating nature's rhythm, where he expresses the desire to be free and wander aimlessly without any obligations. This contrasts with his daily routine of working to survive and persistently seeking security in life. The idea of the "long hot summer" represents his longing for a swift escape from monotony and routine. The use of the phrase "paid the rains back in kind" connotes the idea of paying back nature for its kindness by acknowledging its beauty and majesty.
The singer then ruminates on the idea of being bound to one place, where one works the entirety of their life away without any fulfillment. He acknowledges that this mundane routine is not what he desires, as he yearns for the opportunity to live life on his own terms. The lyric "I don't have no one to cheat, don't have no one to beat" implies that he is not trying to harm anyone by his actions; he desires only the freedom to express himself and follow his dreams.
The chorus of "Mm the long hot summer, Oh now the summer long" is a reminder of the singer's desire to set himself free and explore the world. The driving force behind his desire is the concept that he has nothing to hold him in one place anymore since he has fulfilled his responsibilities to himself and his community. In conclusion, the song Good As Gone is a poignant reminder that life is short, and one must seize every opportunity to experience what the world has to offer.
Line by Line Meaning
A strange thought just crossed my mind paid the rains back in kind.
I had a sudden realization that nature has its own way of balancing things out.
Twas the thought of sweet May coming on.
This thought occurred to me because it's almost May and spring is in the air.
The days are running so slow, my heart is aching to go, And my feet surely itch for the road.
Time seems to be moving too slowly for me, and I feel a strong urge to travel and explore.
Mm the long hot summer. Oh now the summer long.
The upcoming summer season is on my mind and I can't wait for it to arrive.
I have been tied to this land since the day I was planned, By the need to feed mmm my body and my mind; Look you can work 'till you're grey, waste your whole life away; What security then do you find?
I've always felt obligated to work hard to provide for myself and my mind, but this doesn't necessarily provide long-term security or happiness.
I don't have no one to cheat, don't have no one to beat, You know, I just need some room to uncurl, I don't have no aim in view, just some dreams to pursue, As I wallow around in the world.
I don't have any ill intentions towards others or any specific goals to achieve. I just want the freedom to be myself and pursue my dreams.
Things I must do places to see, Things I must do, now I've nothing now to hold me here, And I'll take the southward road.
I have a list of things I want to do and places I want to see. I don't feel tied to any specific place or responsibility, so I'll be heading south to begin my adventure.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBIN WILLIAMSON, ROBIN D.H. WILLIAMSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind