Lyr Req: Dragonfly (Bert Jansch)

Subject: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: GUEST,Helge,Norway
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 10:42 AM

Trying to find the lyrics to a song I heard by Bert Jansch,Dragonfly.

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Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: Sorcha
Date: 07 Sep 03 - 10:56 AM

No luck with a search.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: GUEST,Helge
Date: 09 Sep 03 - 01:27 PM

Is there anyone who knows this one

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: Marco
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 03:58 AM

I never heard this one sung by Bert Jansch.

Where did you listened it?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: The Borchester Echo
Date: 26 Sep 03 - 02:15 PM

'Dragonfly' is a track on the Danish compilation album Poor Mouth issued in the mid 1970s.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 02:46 PM

This discography says "Dragonfly" was written by John Bidwell, and performed by Bert Jansch on "Poormouth," an album released in 1976 on the ExLibris label in Denmark; and says the recording was "otherwise unreleased."

However, The Albion Band performs something called "Dragonfly" (by Martin Bell) on their 1990 album "Songs from the Shows" and Ashley Hutchings performs something called "Dragonfly" (by Cathy LeSurf) on his 2000 album "Along the Downs: The Countryside Collection Album." Is it possible all these songs are related?

I was unable to find any lyrics or sound samples.

Subject: Lyr Add: DRAGONFLY (Bert Jansch)
From: delphinium
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 05:47 PM

"Dragonfly" lyrics, transcribed from listening to Bert Jansch on Poor Mouth:

Dragonfly, shines with the colours of the river
Where shadows lie, among the swaying leaves
With the fruits of summer passing, my lover as she waits.

Still she smiles, with all the beauty of the river.
Still she sighs, among the swaying leaves
As she loves the earth's beauty, kind mother of all.

They cannot see, then they should look into her dark eyes
They're open wide, they cannot tell a lie
They should listen to her singing, sweet songs from all time.

=====

Jim, I think the Martin Bell / Cathy LeSurf "Dragonfly" on the Hutchings / Albion Band records that you mention are one and the same song (and also same recording), but different from the John Bidwell one that Bert Jansch sings. It's a sort of melancholy instrumental on electric violin.

Pentangle do another different (jazzy) "Dragonfly" which they wrote, on their Open the Door album - I think Bert Jansch plays on it (and other Pentanglers), Jacqui McShee sings.

Two other different instrumental songs called "Dragonfly" that I like are by Marc Brierley on The Electric Muse and by Shave the Monkey on their CD Dragonfly - Brierley's is especially good, a lovely light guitar piece with nice harmonics.

There are probably lots more Dragonfly songs out there - and why not, what a lovely being!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 05:53 PM

Strawbs did one based on a mixolydian mode on the album - wait for it - Dragonfly circa 1970

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 28 Sep 03 - 10:33 PM

There definitely are lots more "Dragonfly" songs, as you can see if you perform a search at AMG - All Music Guide, which lists 110 recordings. I just picked out a few that were done by English folkies. Maybe you will recognize more than I did.

Now I see there's one by Pentangle, too, on their album "Open the Door" (1985).

Thanks for posting the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly,Bert Jansch
From: GUEST,Gene
Date: 17 Jan 04 - 08:17 AM

Hi
As i saw that Delphinium is very good at transcription from listening, could I ask you if you know the lyrics of "Tell me what is true love?" from Bert Jansch (Rosemary Lane)

It would be very kind of you if you can find them for me because I can't find them anywhere!!

Subject: Lyr Add: TELL ME WHAT IS TRUE LOVE (Bert Jansch)
From: GUEST, Sminky
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 07:04 AM

TELL ME WHAT IS TRUE LOVE
Bert Jansch


Tell me, what is true love
Tell me, how shall I know
Shall there be a sign, like Autumn
That brings the Winter her snow.

Now love is like a little boy
Building castles in the sand
And the higher he builds them
The longer they stand.

And if someone did shoot down
The white snowy dove
Then your heart is filled with sorrow
Like the pain of true love.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly (Bert Jansch)
From: The Sandman
Date: 16 Nov 07 - 07:55 AM

yes ,I have dragonfly by Marc Brierly ON AN EP,a very good instrumental.Dick Miles

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly (Bert Jansch)
From: GUEST,Brandon Tingley
Date: 11 Aug 08 - 10:44 AM

I found this album some years back and digitized it. I'd be willing to send a couple of mp3s around if anyone is interested. They just have to email me at: moc.laimg@stghilstghil

which is, of course, reversed, which will hopefully confound the spambots.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly (Bert Jansch)
From: Peace
Date: 11 Aug 08 - 10:47 AM

"which is, of course, reversed, which will hopefully confound the spambots."

It will.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Dragonfly (Bert Jansch)
From: dulcimerjohn
Date: 11 Aug 08 - 05:10 PM

'Dragonfly' is the first song Dave Cousins wrote for his new dulcimer on the Dragonfly (strawbs)album in 1970. Very simple but hypnotic.