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.
Worlds They Rise And Fall
The Incredible String Band Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
she gives the eagle wings
to fly her skies
upon her breath the four worlds live and die
and sometimes
its all I can do is bow to her
chorus:
right now she says I want to be
your girl, your little girl
stars they rise and fade, around her dance
for her the steep is climbed
the gulf is spanned
she lives, she lives, the bards sing, around her stand
and sometimes
its all I can do is bow to her
chorus
The Incredible String Band's song "Worlds They Rise And Fall" starts with the repetition of the line "worlds they rise and fall within her eyes." The singer is talking about a girl who has a certain power over nature, as she is able to give the eagle wings to fly her skies. There seems to be a certain magical element associated with this girl, as she is able to control the four worlds with her breath, causing them to live and die. The singer then states that sometimes the only thing he can do is bow to her, indicating a sense of reverence and admiration towards this girl.
In the chorus, the girl expresses her desire to be the singer's little girl, stating that she wants to be with him when the moon is misty through the trees. This provides a sense of intimacy and tenderness to the song, as it shows a softer side to the girl who has such power over nature.
The second verse further emphasizes the girl's power, as the stars rise and fade around her dance. She is able to climb steep mountains and span great gulf, living on with the bards singing and standing around her. This verse really drives home the idea that the girl is able to transcend the limitations of the natural world, again emphasizing her magical abilities.
Overall, "Worlds They Rise and Fall" is a song about a powerful girl who is able to control nature and the elements around her. The singer is in awe of her abilities and admires her for her strength and beauty.
Line by Line Meaning
worlds they rise and fall within her eyes
Her eyes reflect the cyclical nature of existence
she gives the eagle wings to fly her skies
She empowers others to explore their potential and soar to new heights
upon her breath the four worlds live and die
Her every breath influences the ever-changing nature of existence
and sometimes its all I can do is bow to her
Her influence is so powerful that it leaves others in awe
stars they rise and fade, around her dance
Celestial bodies respond to her presence and movement
for her the steep is climbed, the gulf is spanned
Obstacles are overcome in her presence, and great feats are achieved
she lives, she lives, the bards sing, around her stand
Her presence inspires art, music, and storytelling
but when the moon is misty through the trees, right now she says I want to be your girl, your little girl
Even with all her power and influence, she still desires intimate connection with someone who loves and cherishes her
Contributed by Chloe P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ju goldman
One of my favourites from this great band.. this song really moves me. Its a song that makes me think of my cat Ruby. She was my little girl. 💕
Jonathan Murphy
This song gives me peace. I discovered it on the soundtrack of "Hideous Kinky" (1998) with Kate Winslet.