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.
The Letter
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
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When I heard the birds talk
Hey mister sleep you're gonna
Have to take walk
But nothing has as much power to
Make me rise as the post man
Bringing a morning surprise
Here he comes
Too much I've got a letter
I'd better get out of bed
I said
Then I pulled the covers right
Up to my nose
I thought well the letter
Might be for Rose
Her mother she writes very regularly
Mister Postman have you got
A letter for me
Mr. Heron, yes I have yes I have
Too much I've got a letter
I said with some joy
It came from Maria, Chicago, Illinois
And I never have met her but she sounds sweet
Like a flower
Grown on a rubbish heap
She's got a lot of things around her
She's gotta work out
But she's gonna make it
And I have no doubt
Maria, the plane that brought your letter must have
Felt a little bit lighter
The air hostess must've felt brighter bringing your letter over the sea
And the pilot was your Orpheus
Singing a song for you
Maria I'm singing
Hear me singing I'll be your Orpheus too
By the time you hear this song your
Troubles will be gone
And you'll be left with what's shining
Through your letter you
By the time you hear this song your
Troubles will be gone
And you'll be left with what's shining
Through your letter you
In The Incredible String Band's song "The Letter," the singer wakes up to the sound of birds talking and is told by "Mister Sleep" to take a walk. However, the postman arrives and brings a morning surprise - a letter. The singer is both excited and curious, wondering if the letter is for his friend Rose before learning it's actually from a woman named Maria in Chicago. Despite never having met Maria, the singer describes her as sweet and resilient, comparing her to a flower that's grown on a rubbish heap. The singer concludes the song by singing to Maria, assuring her that her troubles will be gone and she'll be left with what's shining through her letter.
The use of imagery in the song is striking, with the sound of the birds and the mention of the rubbish heap, both indicative of the singer's surroundings. While the song's structure is simple and straightforward, the lyrics convey a sense of hope and possibility that is both touching and inspiring. It highlights how a simple letter can provide a sense of connection and comfort, even from afar.
Line by Line Meaning
Started rubbing my eyes
I woke up groggy and disoriented
When I heard the birds talk
I was shocked to hear the chirping of the birds so early in the morning that it sounded like speech
Hey mister sleep you're gonna
Have to take walk
I realized that it was time to wake up and start my day, despite my desire to keep sleeping
But nothing has as much power to
Make me rise as the post man
Bringing a morning surprise
Despite being reluctant to get out of bed, the anticipation of receiving a letter from the postman was enough to motivate me
Here he comes
The postman is approaching
Here he comes
The postman is approaching
Too much I've got a letter
I'd better get out of bed
I said
I am elated to have received a letter, and I jump out of bed eagerly to retrieve it
Then I pulled the covers right
Up to my nose
I feel cozy and protected under my covers, even as I start thinking about the letter
I thought well the letter
Might be for Rose
I briefly entertain the possibility that the letter might be addressed to my friend Rose
Her mother she writes very regularly
Mister Postman have you got
A letter for me
My friend Rose's mother is a frequent letter-writer, and I wonder if the postman has a letter for her instead of me
Mr. Heron, yes I have yes I have
Too much I've got a letter
I said with some joy
The postman confirms that he does indeed have a letter for me, and I am thrilled to hear it
It came from Maria, Chicago, Illinois
And I never have met her but she sounds sweet
Like a flower
Grown on a rubbish heap
The letter is from a woman named Maria whom I have never met, but I can tell from her words that she has a kind and gentle spirit, even in difficult circumstances
She's got a lot of things around her
She's gotta work out
But she's gonna make it
And I have no doubt
Maria is going through a tough time and has many obstacles to overcome, but I believe in her ability to succeed and thrive
Maria, the plane that brought your letter must have
Felt a little bit lighter
The air hostess must've felt brighter bringing your letter over the sea
And the pilot was your Orpheus
Singing a song for you
Maria I'm singing
Hear me singing I'll be your Orpheus too
I imagine the joy and gratitude that Maria must have felt as she received my letter, and I feel a sense of connection to her despite never having met her in person
By the time you hear this song your
Troubles will be gone
And you'll be left with what's shining
Through your letter you
I hope that the contents of my letter will bring comfort and hope to Maria, and that any troubles she is facing will be resolved by the time she hears this song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIKE HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind