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.
Way Back In the 1960s
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yes, you made your own amusements then,
For going to the pictures;
Well, the travel was hard, and I mean
We still used the wheel.
But you could sit down at your table
And eat a real food meal.
And I can't even understand you
When you try to talk slow.
There was one fellow singing in those days,
And he was quite good, and I mean to say that
His name was Bob Dylan, and I used to do gigs too
Before I made my first million.
That was way, way back before,
Before wild World War Three,
When England went missing,
And we moved to Paraguayee.
But hey, you young people, I just do not know,
And I can't even understand you
When you try to talk slow.
Well, I got a secret, and don't give us away.
I got some real food tins for my 91st birthday,
And your grandmother bought them
Way down in the new antique food store,
And for beans and for bacon, I will open up my door.
But hey, you young people, well I just do not know,
And I can't even understand you
When you try to talk slow.
Well, I was a young man back in the 1960s.
The lyrics of The Incredible String Band's song, "Way Back in the 1960s", express nostalgia for the time when the singer was a young man during the 1960s. The singer reflects on the simplicity of entertainment during that time, which involved making your own amusements rather than relying on technology. Going to the movies was a big event, and travelling to get there was not as easy as it is today. However, the singer points out that people could still enjoy a real food meal at home.
The reference to Bob Dylan highlights the cultural significance of the 1960s. Dylan was a prominent figure in the folk music movement, which was associated with social and political activism. The singer notes that he also did gigs during that time, before becoming a millionaire. Interestingly, the singer mentions a hypothetical "wild World War Three" and a move to Paraguay, which could be interpreted as a reference to the anxiety around the Cold War and the possibility of nuclear war during that era.
The chorus of the song, where the singer addresses "young people", suggests a generational gap and a sense of alienation from contemporary culture. However, the final verse reveals a humorous twist, as the singer reveals that he still enjoys real food and even received tinned food as a gift on his 91st birthday.
Overall, "Way Back in the 1960s" is a reflective and nostalgic song that captures the spirit of a bygone era.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a young man back in the 1960s.
I reminisce about my youth during the 60s.
Yes, you made your own amusements then, For going to the pictures;
We created our own entertainment and going to the movies was a treat.
Well, the travel was hard, and I mean We still used the wheel.
Transportation was difficult but we relied on traditional methods like bikes and cars.
But you could sit down at your table And eat a real food meal.
We enjoyed authentic, wholesome meals at home.
But hey, you young people, well I just do not know, And I can't even understand you When you try to talk slow.
I struggle to connect with the younger generation and their way of communication.
There was one fellow singing in those days, And he was quite good, and I mean to say that His name was Bob Dylan, and I used to do gigs too Before I made my first million.
Bob Dylan was a prominent artist during that era, and I performed at gigs before achieving financial success.
That was way, way back before, Before wild World War Three, When England went missing, And we moved to Paraguayee.
This was a time before a hypothetical future global war, and relocating to Paraguay was unheard of yet necessary.
Well, I got a secret, and don't give us away. I got some real food tins for my 91st birthday, And your grandmother bought them Way down in the new antique food store, And for beans and for bacon, I will open up my door.
I received vintage food cans as a gift, and I'm excited to share the contents with others.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: ROBIN WILLIAMSON, ROBIN D.H. WILLIAMSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind