Interesting to see this crop up again when I just discovered that the old folkie himself, Rod Stewart, had a hand in the lyrics! I never knew that. Mind you, I didn't know he wrote the Wild Mountain Thyme (known to Mr S fans as 'Purple heather' ) either;-)

Don't believe me? Check it out here

Incidentaly, according to Rod the man, the phrase is 'smelt the sping on the sulphured wind. So now we know. It is about Sulphered.

Cheers

DtG