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.
Painted Chariot
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and the coachman slapped his fist
on the chariot in the mist
he said look here sonny, can't you see its as real as pain
see this fine chariot, won't you ride it
I'm the coachman, won't you trust me to guide it
and it's only a painted chariot
he doesn't want you to be free
then you got high, deep sigh, much more, where's the door
hear the old prayers, find the wise players
The Incredible String Band's song Painted Chariot is a metaphorical journey through life. The "painted chariot" represents the illusions and distractions that we chase in life, thinking they will take us where we want to be, but in reality, they are only temporary and fleeting. The coachman represents the forces that try to control and manipulate us, telling us that their illusions are real and that we should trust them. However, the singer warns us not to trust the coachman, as he doesn't want us to be free.
As the song progresses, the singer urges us to break free from the illusions and distractions that have taken us away from our true purpose. He encourages us to seek out the "wise players" who can help us find our way back to the truth.
Overall, Painted Chariot is a warning about the dangers of getting swept up in the illusions and distractions of life and losing sight of what is truly important.
Line by Line Meaning
only a painted chariot but it took you so far into the rain
This visually captivating chariot may not be real, but it's taking you on a journey through troubled times.
and the coachman slapped his fist on the chariot in the mist
The coachman is trying to assert his dominance and convince you of the chariot's legitimacy.
he said look here sonny, can't you see its as real as pain
The coachman is appealing to your emotions, arguing that the chariot is not just an illusion but something that can cause real pain.
see this fine chariot, won't you ride it
The coachman is urging you to take a chance on the chariot and not let fear hold you back.
I'm the coachman, won't you trust me to guide it
The coachman wants to be your guide, someone you'll follow through thick and thin.
and it's only a painted chariot
Despite the coachman's insistence, the chariot is still just a painted image.
don't you trust that coachman he doesn't want you to be free
The coachman's true intentions are coming into question - is he really someone you can trust?
then you got high, deep sigh, much more, where's the door
You've reached a turning point, and you're searching for a way out of this surreal experience.
hear the old prayers, find the wise players
You're searching for something more meaningful than the chariot and the coachman - something that speaks to a deeper truth.
Contributed by Alex N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
A Pa
Whenever I play this, I have to turn the volume all the way up, risk blowing the speakers, and dance wildly all around the room like there is no tomorrow...but that is just me making a fool out of myself.
joeb267382
I know what you mean. The first minute and thirty-four seconds give me this incredible feeling. It goes in another direction that's unique, but the beginning is my favorite part.
Espineta
A Pa what do you do in the breakdow then?
Gubbinsville
Great song from my favourite ISB album. Nice job with the graphics! I remember listening to this back in the day & things looking much like this!
Steven Moore
What a shock it was in 1971 to hear ISB rock out like this!
Oliver Lambkin
Great song...
MrClaudinho2012
Nice one bro....Can you upload the other songs of the album?...
Raymund Longstaff
brilliant and a brilliant album, Liquid acrobat as regards the air,what the hell did that mean ????
Sean .D
Be here now
Axeyard
They'd completely lost it by this time.