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.
Three Is A Green Crown
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But let the white dove sing
Of the body of life of the lover whose love is complete
Hold hands out to greet ah let not the swan be brought low
For all that is moving is moved by her hands
She is mirrored for ever in the life of the lands
In the building of thoughts in the shifting sands
Life life remembering
Well here you are now o now you are here
Well how has it been so far
The hair and the fur
Lemons, frankinscence, and myrhh
For all that is moving is moved by her hands
She is mirrored for ever in the life of the lands
In the building of thoughts in the shifting sands
Let the cracked crystal raindrop be merged in the sea
Silent shining thoughtless free
But close your eyes to find the golden flower
And open them to see the sunshine shower
Where the flowers are free and the fishes ask
Ah what can water be
She beareth thought she beareth visions
Speaking truth in contradictions
Dreams of pain dreams of laughter
And every action follows after
O second self o gate of the soft mystery
I'll love you if you'll love me; o guide me
With the gold of Gabriel's wing grant me the tongue
That all the earth does sing
Vibrating light forever one the sun
The book of life is open to us
There'll be no secrets left between us
The Incredible String Band's song Three Is a Green Crown is a complex and mystical piece of music that explores the nature of love, thought, and the interconnectedness of all things. The lyrics speak of a lover whose love is complete, one that is not superficial or based on physical attraction alone. The singer urges us to listen to the "white dove," which symbolizes purity and innocence, rather than the "lips of skin" or the "lips of dark snow," which are connected with physical desire or coldness.
The song also speaks of the power of the feminine force in nature, which can be seen in the line "For all that is moving is moved by her hands." The singer believes that this force is mirrored in the world around us, "in the life of the lands" and "in the building of thoughts in the shifting sands." The song suggests that everything, from the smallest raindrop to the vastness of the universe, is interconnected and moved by this feminine energy.
The final lines of the song speak of the desire for unity and understanding between individuals. The singer longs to be guided by the "gate of the soft mystery" and to be granted the power of communication that can bring people together in harmony. The song ends with the hopeful message that with love and honesty, there can be no secrets between people.
Line by Line Meaning
Not with the lips of skin nor yet with the lips of dark snow
Not with physical attraction but with pure emotions
But let the white dove sing
Let love and purity be the guide
Of the body of life of the lover whose love is complete
Love that is complete and fulfilling to both partners
Hold hands out to greet ah let not the swan be brought low
Greet love with open arms and never let it be damaged
For all that is moving is moved by her hands
Love has the power to move and change everything
She is mirrored for ever in the life of the lands
Love is reflected in everything in life
In the building of thoughts in the shifting sands
Love shapes our thoughts and actions
Life life remembering
Remembering the importance of life and love
Well here you are now o now you are here
Being present in the moment
Well how has it been so far
Reflecting on past experiences
The hair and the fur
The physical aspects of a person
Lemons, frankinscence, and myrhh
Symbolic items used in spiritual practices
Let the cracked crystal raindrop be merged in the sea
Letting go of the past and allowing it to become part of something greater
Silent shining thoughtless free
Being free from the burden of thoughts
but close your eyes to find the golden flower
Finding beauty from within oneself
And open them to see the sunshine shower
Appreciating the beauty of the world around us
Where the flowers are free and the fishes ask
Imagining a world full of freedom and possibility
Ah what can water be
Reflecting on the mysteries of life
She beareth thought she beareth visions
Love is the source of creativity and inspiration
Speaking truth in contradictions
Love can be both complex and simple
Dreams of pain dreams of laughter
Love encompasses all emotions
And every action follows after
All actions are influenced by the power of love
O second self o gate of the soft mystery
Love is a powerful and mysterious force
I'll love you if you'll love me; o guide me
Love is a two-way street that guides and supports us
With the gold of gabriel's wing grant me the tongue
Asking for the gift of speech to express love
That all the earth does sing
Love is a universal feeling that connects us all
Vibrating light forever one the sun
Love is a powerful energy that is ever-present
The book of life is open to us
The possibilities of love are endless
There'll be no secrets left between us
Love is built on honesty and openness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ROBIN WILLIAMSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zosimos Alchemista
This is probably the best song that's ever been written
Charlie Hopkins
No other group like them. The lyrics, the music and the singing, all done with a unique abandon, with so much sincerity, joy and fun!
A Pa
and a certain amount of serious concern for what is real...but I do enjoy their unique abandon...
Bruce Findlay
Simply the most wonderful and unique band to come from these shores..... magical. ✌
Hagarviking
What a masterpiece...........thanks for posting
THE NEW HOUSE
A masterpeice
Ian Renberger
COSMIC SONG . I love the sitar
Enrico Rigon
my fav ISB song ever
Raihaan Rezwaan
This song is the answer 🙏
steven white
Nectar for the world.