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.
Tree
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
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In the dream hills where my childhood lay
And I'd go there in the wide long days
And my tree would listen to all that I'd say
And the sun was shining brightly and the sky was smiling
Then one day when the world had put me in its tomb
And my life was just an empty room
I went to my tree and I sat there in my gloom
Then my tree bent its branches low down to the ground
And its green leaves shrouded up my mind
And I left the world somewhere behind
And I didn't not know what I would find
And the sun was shining brightly and the sky was smiling
(Repeat)
The lyrics of The Incredible String Band's song "Tree" describe the relationship of the singer to a tree that they had in their childhood. The tree is depicted as a source of comfort and solace, where the singer could confide and converse with the tree. The dream hills mentioned in the lyrics, refer to the imaginative realm of the singer's childhood. As the singer grew older, the tree remained a place of comfort that would listen to them in their times of need.
However, eventually, when the world had left the singer feeling defeated and hopeless, they return to their tree. Here, they find that the tree offers not only its branches for comfort but also acts as a doorway, leading them away from the world and into a new realm of possibilities. As they leave the world behind, they reflect on what lies ahead, and sunshine breaks through the melancholia of the grey sky.
The lyrics of "Tree" are a beautiful reminiscence of childhood and the imagination that once lived within us all. It's a poignant reminder of the power of nature and the solace it can provide in times of struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
I had a tree
In my imagination, I had a tree.
In the dream hills where my childhood lay
In the imaginary hills of my childhood, where I would escape to through dreams.
And I'd go there in the wide long days
Whenever I had free time or when I felt lonely, I would retreat to this imaginary place.
And my tree would listen to all that I'd say
My imaginery tree represented a friend, who would listen to everything I had to say.
And the sun was shining brightly and the sky was smiling
In my vivid imagination, the weather was always perfect and even the sky was pleased with it.
Then one day when the world had put me in its tomb
One day, when I felt trapped and defeated by real life circumstances.
And my life was just an empty room
At this time, my life felt devoid of meaning or joy.
I went to my tree and I sat there in my gloom
I retreated back to the imaginary place of my childhood tree to escape from my problems.
And the light was fading dimly and the sky was crying
The imaginary weather took a turn for the worse, with the sun setting and rain clouds appearing, symbolizing my melancholy mood.
Then my tree bent its branches low down to the ground
In my imagination, the tree lowered its branches in a comforting gesture.
And its green leaves shrouded up my mind
I felt overcome and enshrouded by my thoughts.
And I left the world somewhere behind
By retreating to my imaginary world, I was able to forget about the problems in the real world.
And I didn't not know what I would find
I was unsure what I was looking for in my escape from reality.
And the sun was shining brightly and the sky was smiling
Despite my melancholy mood, my imagination persisted in providing me with good weather and happy surroundings.
(Repeat)
The last two lines of the song serve to emphasize the cyclical nature of the song and its theme of retreating to an imaginary place to escape from feelings of being trapped in the world.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MIKE HERON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind