The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter is possibly the best-known album by the Incredible String
Band. It is regarded by many critics as the quitessential example of the
counter-culture life-style, with its promotion of new ideas such as vegetarianism,
communal living, and eastern mysticism.
The title of the album is a reference to the social revolution of the sixties, with the "hangman" referring to the dead
former culture and the "beautiful daughter" to the coming rebirth. The album's cover art consists of a photograph taken on
Christmas Day 1967,
featuring the children of Mary Stewart, a friend of Robin Williamson
Robin Williamson: lead vocal (on his own compositions),
guitar, gimbri, whistle, percussion, pan pipe, piano, oud, mandolin, jew's harp, chahanai, water harp, harmonica Mike Heron: lead vocal (on his own compostions), sitar, hammond organ, guitar,
hammer dulcimer, harpsichord Dolly Collins: flute organ and piano David Snell: harp Licorice:
vocal and finger cymbals and added voices on "The Minotaur's Song"
Released |
March 1968 |
Recorded |
December 1967 at Sound Techniques, London |
Genre |
Psych folk |
Length |
49:51 |
Label |
Elektra / WEA |
Producer |
Joe Boyd |
(Mike Heron)
Winter was cold and the clothing was thin But
the gentle shepherd calls the tune Oh dear mother what shall I do First please your eyes and then your ears Jenny Exchanging
love tokens say goodnight Lay down my dear sister Won't you lay and take your rest Won't you lay your head
upon your saviours breast And I love you but Jesus loves you the best And I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, And I bid you goodnight, goodnight, goodnight. One
of these mornings bright and early and fine. Goodnight, goodnight Not a cricket not a spirit going to shout me on Goodnight, goodnight I go walking in the valley of the shadow
of death Goodnight, goodnight And his
rod and his staff shall comfort me Goodnight,
goodnight Oh John the wine he saw the sign Goodnight,
goodnight Oh John say I seen a number of signs Goodnight,
goodnight Tell A for the ark that wonderful boat Goodnight, goodnight You know they built it on the land getting water to float Goodnight, goodnight Tell B for the beast at the ending of the wood Goodnight, goodnight You know it ate all the children when
they wouldn't be good Goodnight, goodnight I
remember quite well, I remember quite well Goodnight,
goodnight I was walking in Jerusalem just like John Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight. Who would lose and who would bruise Or who would live quite prettily? And
who would love what comes along And fill the air with joyous song Who would go and who would come Or who
would simply linger And who would hide behind your chair And steal your crystallised ginger Nebulous nearness
cry to me At this timeless moment Someone dear to me wants me near, makes me high I can hear vibrations fly Through
mangoes, pomegranates and planes All the same When it reaches me and teaches me To sigh Who would mouse
and who would lion Or who would be the tamer And who would hear directions clear From the unameable namer
Who
would skip and who would plod Or who would like quite silly And who would ride backwards on a giraffe Stopping every
so often to laugh Amoebas are very small Oh ah ee oo there's absolutely no strife living the
timeless life I don't need a wife living the timeless life If I need a friend I just give a wriggle Split right
down the middle And when I look there's two of me Both as handsome as can be Oh here we go slithering, here we go
slithering and squelching on Oh here we go slithering, here we go slithering and squelching on Oh ah ee oo there's absolutely
no strife living the timeless life Black hair brown hair feather and scale Seed and stamen and all unnamed
lives that live Turn your quivering nerves in my direction Turn your quivering nerves in my direction Feel the energy
projection of my cells Wishes you well. May the long time sun shine upon you All love surround you And the pure light within you Guide you all
the way on.
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