Pentangle, along with Fairport Convention, were one of the shining lights i… Read Full Bio ↴Pentangle, along with Fairport Convention, were one of the shining lights in the modernisation of British folk music in the 1960s. Rather than adding elements of rock music, however, they leaned toward jazz, supplementing twin acoustic guitars with jazzy drums and acoustic bass. In the UK, the band is probably best remembered for providing 'Light Flight' as the theme to the BBC drama series 'Take Three Girls'.

The band consisted of two of the superstars of British folk guitar, Bert Jansch (3rd November 1943 - 5th October 2011) and John Renbourn (8 August 1944 - 26 March 2015) both of whom also sang, singer Jacqui McShee, bassist Danny Thompson and drummer Terry Cox. The original line-up lasted until the early 70s. They then split acrimoniously, but reformed by mutual consent around 15 years later. The original lineup worked together briefly but Renbourn left to pursue studies and other projects, leading to a succession of lineup changes and erratic output, which continued through the 80s and 90s with Jansch and McShee the only constant members. When Jansch eventually left, McShee continued to lead a distantly-related group under the name Jacqui McShee's Pentangle.

The core of the band's identity was the eclectic virtuosity of Jansch and Renbourn, who added elements of Middle Eastern music, blues, jazz and Classical to their style. At various times, they also experimented with electric guitar and sitar.

Reflection
The Pentangle Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Last night the sky
Was filled with light
I saw the sun's reflection
Saw the whole world take flight
Saw the whole world take flight

I heard the guns of heaven
Thundering in my ears

I opened wide my eyes
And watched the whole world disappear
And watched the world disappear

I reached out my hand
There was no one there
Just this empty room
So cold and bare
So cold and bare

I'm gonna climb my tower
And survey the earth
Gonna cross the ocean
Gonna ride the surf
Gonna ride the surf

People told your mother
What I've been through
She signed away your soul
Onto Satan's crew
Onto Satan's crew

And as you sail away
On that flaming tide
You see your own reflection
On the other side
On the other side

I've seen the devil's face
I've looked in his eyes
I've searched for satisfaction
Disillusion is his guise
Disillusion is his guise

I've got a notion
And I'm sure I'm right
My sun will rise again

And put evil out of sight
Put evil out of sight

Overall Meaning

The Pentangle's "Reflection" is a hauntingly beautiful song that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The opening lines - "Last night the sky was filled with light, I saw the sun's reflection, saw the whole world take flight" - suggest a kind of transcendental experience wherein the singer witnessed something miraculous and witnessed a profound change in the world. The phrase "whole world take flight" can either signify an escape from the limitations of our planet or a metaphorical expression of hope, but either way, it's clear that the singer has witnessed something profound.

The subsequent stanza delves into darker territory as the singer describes hearing the "guns of heaven / thundering in my ears." This phrase suggests a celestial battle unfolding on a grand scale, and the audience can imply their interpretations, but either way, it seems apparent that the singer has been affected by the events they've observed.

In the third stanza, the singer reaches out their hand only to find that no one's there. The emptiness of the room and the coldness that emanates from it underscore the line - "so cold and bare" - that highlights a lack of connection and absence of warmth. It's unclear what has caused the singer's isolation, but the audience can presume that it's a consequence of the profound experience they've just witnessed.

The fourth stanza establishes a new tone, as the singer declares their intention to climb a tower and explore the world. The buoyancy of this tone conveys a sense of hope and confidence that the singer will eke out a new existence for themselves. The final stanza is grandiose and poetic, describing a journey across a flaming tide to see one's own reflection on the other side.

Line by Line Meaning

Last night the sky
The singer describes a scenario where the sky at night looked different from normal.

Was filled with light
The sky was lit with light, possibly artificial.

I saw the sun's reflection
The singer noticed the sun's reflection, which made the scene even more captivating.

Saw the whole world take flight
The sight of the sky at night with the sun's reflection made it seem like the whole world had taken flight.

I heard the guns of heaven
The artist mentions hearing the loud sound of heaven's guns.

Thundering in my ears
The sound was so loud that the singer's ears were affected by it.

I opened wide my eyes
The singer seems to have been asleep and just woke up, hence the need to open their eyes wide.

And watched the whole world disappear
After opening their eyes, the artist noticed that the world had disappeared and they were left in an empty space.

I reached out my hand
Trying to find their way around, the artist stretches out their hand.

There was no one there
Unfortunately, the artist finds no one around to help them out with their situation.

Just this empty room
Instead of finding people, the singer realizes they are in an empty space.

So cold and bare
The usual warm and comfortable space the artist is used to has suddenly become a cold and uncomfortable one.

I'm gonna climb my tower
The singer seems to be planning to take some action.

And survey the earth
The singer intends to have an eagle's view of the earth, probably to get a better understanding of the situation at hand.

Gonna cross the ocean
The singer plans to go beyond their current limits.

Gonna ride the surf
The artist seems to be determined to take risks and have an adventure.

People told your mother
The artist is addressing someone whose mother was informed about something they went through.

What I've been through
There's a possibility that the singer went through a challenging situation that they may not have shared with their family.

She signed away your soul
The singer suspects that the addressee's mother made a decision that wasn't the best for the addressee's soul.

Onto Satan's crew
The artist believes that the decision made by the addressee's mother may have been influenced by Satan and his followers.

And as you sail away
The artist is still addressing the same person whose mother made what they believe was a bad decision.

On that flaming tide
The addressee seems to be sailing on a tide that is flaming, possibly dangerous or one that may lead to destruction.

You see your own reflection
The singer seems to be suggesting that the addressee can see themselves in whatever they are sailing in, possibly to learn from their mistakes.

On the other side
The addressee is sailing to the other side of the tide or the danger they had embarked on.

I've seen the devil's face
The singer has come face to face with evil itself.

I've looked in his eyes
The singer appears to have had an encounter with the devil, and even looked straight into its eyes.

I've searched for satisfaction
The singer may have been trying to find happiness, joy or peace that they thought could be found in the devil.

Disillusion is his guise
The artist now realizes that the devil is only a source of deception where evil is disguised as happiness or satisfaction.

I've got a notion
The artist has an idea or thought.

And I'm sure I'm right
The singer is confident in their belief, and trusts they are correct.

My sun will rise again
The singer believes that their situation will improve and light will be back in their life again.

And put evil out of sight
The artist believes that they will overcome evil and it will no longer have control over their life.

Contributed by Leo I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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