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.
Train Song
The Pentangle Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Trains are carrying me
One and a two, three and a four thousand miles
Miles from you1
Thought I tried my best
To be your man
Can't you see, can't you feel that burning into my soul?
* * *
Love is a basket of light
Grasp it so tight
Shining bright just ain't right to be caught in the night
Caught in the basket of light2
1) Marie suggests
There they were little lady:
Trains a-gatherin' near
One and a two, three and a four,
Thousand a miles
Miles from you...
D. Payne suggests
Fare thee well, little lady.
Trains are carrying me
One and a two, three and a four thousand miles
Miles from you.
2) Marie suggests
Love is a basket of light
Graspin' so tight
Shinin' bright just ain't right
To be caught in the night...
Caught in a basket of light...
D. Payne suggests
Love is a basket of light.
Grasping [grasp it?] so tight.
Shining bright just ain't right to be caught in the night.
Caught in a basket of light.
* With assistance from emails f
The Pentangle's song Train Song appears to be about the pain and sorrow of separation from a loved one. The singer of the song is being carried away by a train, miles away from his lady. He is trying to communicate his feelings to her, trying to make her feel the depth of his love, and the pain of his departure. The lyrics "Thought I tried my best to be your man / Can't you see, can't you feel that burning into my soul? / Don't you understand?" suggest a desperate attempt to make her understand how much he loves her and how much her absence hurts him.
The second verse, "Love is a basket of light / Grasp it so tight / Shining bright just ain't right to be caught in the night / Caught in the basket of light," seems to be a metaphor for the fragility of love. The singer is urging his lady to hold their love tight, to not let it slip away. He is warning her that love, just like light, can easily disappear in the darkness and be lost forever.
Overall, Train Song appears to be a poignant song about love, pain, and separation. The lyrics are well-crafted, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful, adding to the sense of loss and longing conveyed in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Fare thee well, little lady
Saying goodbye to you, my dear
Trains are carrying me
I'm leaving on a train
One and a two, three and a four thousand miles
I'll be gone for a long, long time
Miles from you
Far away from the one I love
Thought I tried my best
I did everything I could
To be your man
To be the one you need
Can't you see, can't you feel that burning into my soul?
Don't you understand how deeply I love you?
Don't you understand?
Why can't you comprehend my love for you?
Love is a basket of light
Love is a precious, fragile thing
Grasp it so tight
Hold onto it tightly
Shining bright just ain't right to be caught in the night
It's only right for love to be visible and not hidden away
Caught in the basket of light
Holding onto love and protecting it
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BERT JANSCH, DANNY THOMPSON, JACQUI MCSHEE, JOHN RENBOURN, TERRY COX
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
vacuumtube1954
Amazing !!! Thank you for posting this video.
Pentangle
Thank you for watching!
Matty Dread
Absolute legendary band. Top flight musicianship all-around.
✌🏼 ❤️ 🎶
Beautiful Time.
Wonderful!! 💖💫😍
Kent Holmberg
Another gem. A good channel and best band on YouTube.
Baubina Phoenix
🥰🙏 Unforgettable times! A great time to be alive!!!
Cliche Guevara
It's so awesome that this channel is still uploading.
Steve West
I saw them in in the early 70s. This was one of the songs they did, but Bert started off the open riff at a frantic speed. The others, with complete professionalism, just went with it. At the end, I was near enough to the front to hear John mutter to Bert, "F***ing express train tonight, Bert!".
sgoworld
Legendary 👏
Plinckaert Ploinkt
Danny is great bass-man! Did my homework listening to them.