12 Apr 99 - 02:27 PM (#70273) Subject: Beeswing From: Pete Anyone have the words and tab for Richard Thompson's Beeswing??? Also info on what tunning hes using. Thanks Pete |
12 Apr 99 - 08:51 PM (#70397) Subject: Lyr Add: BEESWING (Richard Thompson) From: campfire Hi - I've got the lyrics, but no chords or tab. Beautiful song, I agree. The best version I've ever heard, tho, (IMO) is by another Wisconsin Singer/songwriter, L.J. Booth.
BEESWING |
12 Apr 99 - 08:53 PM (#70399) Subject: RE: Beeswing From: campfire Oooops!. I thought if I used a cut-and-paste, it would leave the line breaks in. I guess I was wrong! You should be able to figure them out, tho. Sorry! dawn |
22 Apr 99 - 12:06 PM (#72737) Subject: RE: Beeswing From: campfire Thanks for putting the breaks in Joe. I think you cleaned up a typo or two as well. What would we do without you? Maybe you ARE perfect ;) after all. |
22 Apr 99 - 01:32 PM (#72754) Subject: RE: Beeswing From: The Shambles Anyone any idea what sort of medical condition 'the rambling itch' is? I jest, is is a GREAT song! |
16 Sep 00 - 11:11 PM (#299032) Subject: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee's wi From: GUEST,kathmandoobiedoo Does anyone have the lyric's to Richard Thompsons song- I forgot the title but the chorus goes something like this: She was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing so fine a breath of wind might blow her away Thanks a lot WIllow |
17 Sep 00 - 12:34 AM (#299080) Subject: Lyr/Chords Add: BEESWING (Richard Thompson) From: Owlkat BEESWING APB Written by Richard Thompson
D G D
Brown hair zigzag around her face and a look of half-surprise,
We busked around the market towns and picked fruit down in Kent,
We was camping down the Gower one time. The work was pretty good.
Oh, the last I heard, she's sleeping rough, back on the Derby beat,
Oh, she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing,
You're welcome, |
17 Sep 00 - 05:24 AM (#299125) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Noreen Thanks, Owl- one of my favourite of many RT favourites. Just one extra bit: the refrain changes on its second appearance to She was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing The way he sings that line in particular sends shivers down my spine. Noreen |
17 Sep 00 - 05:29 PM (#299436) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Morticia oh thanks for the chords Owl, this is possibly my all time no.1 favourite ever........and now I can destroy it to my hearts delight........snogs to you and yours and your grandchildren and your aunts and uncles........ |
18 Sep 00 - 05:33 PM (#300189) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: GUEST,Mrbisok@aol A while back the thread "what's your fav. Richard Thompson song?" garnered so many votes for "Beeswing." From the first time I've heard it, it never moved me like "Dimming of the Day" or "Walking on a Wire" or so many others. "Beeswing" has a cliched story line, the tune is predictable and despite evidence of Thompson's genius at pop poetry ("White Horse in her hip pocket and a wolf-hound at her feet") does not take song cliches and bend them into stunning new phrases as he can, but the phrases just sit there: "I miss her more than words can ever say." Richard T. is the king of all the guys in his category and I see him almost every year, but "Beeswing" just doesn't have it. |
18 Sep 00 - 05:48 PM (#300204) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Melani As for favorite Richard Thompson songs, we always like "We're All Working for Pharoah" around Passover... |
18 Sep 00 - 05:53 PM (#300207) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: mousethief Put me down as a Beeswing fan. I like the celtic-sounding background. The words aren't Shakestoor, but they fit the melody well enough.
Alex |
18 Sep 00 - 10:37 PM (#300370) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: GUEST,Kathmandoobiedoo WOW guys, what fabulous responses....Thanks for the words and chords especially, Owl. There are so many great songs by RT. My mother used to tell me that cliches are what make ballads powerful. There is something timesless in saying for instance- she leaned her back all against a thorn, her dress was green as grass. When combined with a good melody, it hits a poignant spot inside. R. T. is a master of this as all good songwriters are. Even if the phrase has been used a thousand million times before...its all the more powerful. I can't say what song is my favorite but Bees wing is one of those that haunted me until I just had to know the words. Lately I've been listening to Bruce Springsteen's "Down to the River"...I think I'm going to learn it also...it's full of cliches, haunting and sounds like an Irish ballad...I especially like the line- "but lately there ain't been much work, on account of the economy". Well that's all for now folks- Willow |
18 Sep 00 - 11:38 PM (#300403) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Owlkat Hi, You're very welcome. Cheers, Owl. |
19 Sep 00 - 02:22 AM (#300469) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Lena Kathmand...blah blah,I can't spell your cookie.....Thanks for the request.Three times I heard this song and three times I cried.Thanks,thanks,thanks everybody. |
30 Nov 00 - 05:25 PM (#349187) Subject: Lyr Add: BEESWING (Richard Thompson) From: lamarca From my favorite RT site, Henry the Human Fly Caught in the Web: HERE
BEESWING
Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
Brown hair zig-zag around her face and a look of half-surprise
Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
We busked around the market towns and picked fruit down in Kent
Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
We was camping down the Gower one time, the work was pretty good
Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough back on the Derby beat
Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing Some have claimed the song is "about" singer Anne Briggs - from a discussion group about RT lyrics: 22.WHO IS THIS WOMAN, ANNE BRIGGS? Anne Briggs is a British folk singer and songwriter who influenced such musicians as Sandy Denny, June Tabor, Bert Jansch, and Fairport Convention. Musically, she has been associated with A.L. Lloyd, Frankie Armstrong, and Johnny Moynihan, among others. She recorded a few albums before her early retirement from the music business. RT has been asked about her, in relation to the woman in the song "Beeswing," from Mirror Blue. He has stated that it is a completely fictional song, but there are quite a few bits in there that refer to someone very much like Anne Briggs. |
01 Dec 00 - 05:14 PM (#349844) Subject: RE: Beeswing From: NightWing I dunno either, Shambles (probably "etiology unknown"). But I've suffered from it for years. Haven't been able to scratch the itch for a while either. *sigh*
BB, |
02 Dec 00 - 01:08 PM (#350211) Subject: Beeswing Revisited From: Clinton Hammond2 Near as I can tell it's in some sort of F when Richard playes it...I've been noodling around with it in DADGAD in E... donno yet... still tweaking it... ;-) |
02 Dec 00 - 01:51 PM (#350245) Subject: RE: Beeswing From: The Shambles Is this any help? |
22 Mar 02 - 10:18 AM (#673982) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: InOBU By the way... put me down as one of those who have this as a favorite song... reminds me of a Bee's wing I knew named Nan... who did settle down Thanks for the post...Larry |
22 Mar 02 - 10:39 AM (#673997) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: GUEST,MC Fat I have been told that the female in question in this song is based on Anne Briggs a very famous folk singer of the revival |
22 Mar 02 - 11:23 AM (#674018) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: InOBU Thanks MC... I will look her up... Cheers Larry |
22 Mar 02 - 11:30 AM (#674026) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: InOBU JEEEHHOOOSAPHAT! Just looked up an Anne Briggs website. Her face jumps right out of the song, Brown hair zigzag around her face and a look of half-surprise, Like a fox caught in the headlights, there was animal in her eyes. haunting! THe web page describes her shyness about her singing and such, thanks again, Larry |
22 Mar 02 - 11:33 AM (#674031) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: InOBU http://www.sarcon.demon.co.uk/engfolk/a_briggs.htm That's the link for the webpage... |
22 Mar 02 - 11:52 AM (#674050) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Sir Roger de Beverley I think that Bert Jansch wrote a few Anne Briggs inspired songs too. He and John Renbourn recorded her "The time has come " on "Bert and John" in the 60s. Roger |
22 Mar 02 - 12:14 PM (#674063) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Mrs.Duck Thanks for all this info. Anne Briggs is not a singer I was aware of but having listened to some of the clips on the above site I will be making a point of listening to more of her stuff. |
22 Mar 02 - 12:17 PM (#674064) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: InOBU Thanks again... and again... just ordered an Anne Briggs CD from Topic. Larry |
22 Mar 02 - 12:27 PM (#674072) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: allanwill You MUST have a listen to Roy Bailey's version of Beeswing - absolutely stunning! Also, Sandy Denny's "The Pond and the Stream" is also thought to be about Annie Briggs. Allan |
22 Mar 02 - 04:10 PM (#674252) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: GUEST A biography of Bert Jansch, (the name and author of which I can't remember), suggests that Anne Brigg was responsible for getting Bill Leader to record Bert Jansch. If you can find this book, it's well worth reading - it seems to have all been happening just before I discovered the folk scene - but it awakened lots of memories and really evoked the atmosphere well. Joe |
22 Mar 02 - 04:41 PM (#674273) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Clinton Hammond What a fantastic song... one of the times that RT was running HOT! ;-) |
22 Mar 02 - 04:44 PM (#674274) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Clinton Hammond And doesn't everyone have a "Beeswing" in their past? .-) |
22 Mar 02 - 09:41 PM (#674489) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Herga Kitty As I recall, it was Anne Briggs' recording of The Recruited Collier (on the Iron Muse? there's a question for Malcolm Douglas if ever I saw one) that made it so popular. The Beeswing is a tune as well as a song to a different tune - a friend of mine ordered a Tom McConville CD because it had "The Beeswing" on it, and then found it wasn't the Richard Thompson song, but the other tune. She subsequently bought the CD with the song on - but was disappointed because it had a guitar accompaniment rather than Tom fiddling. I think Tom performing it live is the best version I've heard. Kitty |
23 Mar 02 - 08:16 AM (#674693) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Richard Thompson song-fine as a bee' From: Malcolm Douglas Yes, it was The Iron Muse; she was about 18 at the time. Unfortunately I've never been able to like Tom McConville's singing of Beeswing, though Pauline Cato's Northumbrian pipe accompaniment on their joint CD is more successful, I think, than Alistair Anderson's on the Thompson original. |
17 Sep 19 - 04:32 PM (#4009340) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beeswing (Richard Thompson) From: GUEST Does anyone know what tuning Roy used in his wonderful version of this song? It sounds like DADGAD but I'm not sure I'm right. |
02 Feb 21 - 03:01 PM (#4091147) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beeswing (Richard Thompson) From: Georgiansilver The song ;'Beeswing' sung by the man himself... https://youtu.be/HApy-Xoix-g |
02 Feb 21 - 03:47 PM (#4091151) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beeswing (Richard Thompson) From: peteglasgow i saw a busker singing 'beeswing' in hebden bridge a couple of months ago. a great song and well sung. it was such a joy and relief to hear good live music again it brought a tear to my eye |
03 Feb 21 - 02:01 PM (#4091305) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beeswing (Richard Thompson) From: RobbieWilson Just read through this thread from a while ago and was surprised that no-one has pricked the misapprehension that this song is about Annie Briggs. Her independence of mind may have inspired the RT to create the character in the song. She was top box office but when record companies insisted she tour to promote her album she told them where to go and instead went off and lived happily on a farm in Scotland, not on the streets with a wolfhound and half bottle of whisky. |
04 Feb 21 - 05:28 AM (#4091385) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beeswing (Richard Thompson) From: GUEST,Gallus Moll Am I correct in thinking Anne Briggs lived on Kerrera for a time? |
04 Feb 21 - 08:31 AM (#4091416) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Beeswing (Richard Thompson) From: GUEST,jim Bainbridge I remember when Anne did a guest night at the Marsden Inn in South Shields about 1966. It was a residential hotel & normal to provide a room for club guests who wanted one. The inn is situated within yards of Marsden Bay- the cliffs had many caves in the limestone cliffs & she preferred to stay there! |