One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded: “All Around My Hat” by Steeleye Span!!!

For as long as I’ve been on the radio, and definitely for as long as I’ve been writing a blog, I will occasionally make a reference to a song being “One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded!” (GSER)

I would usually follow that by saying that I would eventually start a category for it, but then never get around to it.

Well, now I’m getting around to it!

My radio show, “Theme Attic,”  is on Wednesdays 12PM-4PM ET.

The show can be heard on WHFR 89.3 FM in the Dearborn-Detroit area of Michigan, or it can be streamed with this link: https://www.whfr.fm/streamer/!

The Greatest Songs will pretty much follow the pattern of The Most Awesomest Song of the Day.

I’ll select a song to celebrate and then give my thoughts about it. Nothing really brand new here that hasn’t been done before. But since I have a website, I can collect them and lay out what my own greatest songs are.

Here’s a link to have a look at “The Greatest Songs Ever Recorded”: https://philmaq.com/the-greatest-songs-ever-recorded/! Occasionally, an “awesome song” crosses over to become a “Greatest Song!”

Even though I always emphasize new music and artists, it’s always fun to take a short drive through the legendary artists, since they influenced those other artists!

But a song doesn’t have to be old or done by a legendary Theme Attic Hall of Fame member to be thus honored.

I can think of several songs that are only a few years old or less that I could identify as One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded.

This will be fun, and hopefully you will join me on my journey!

If you like what you see, don’t forget to spread the word by hitting the “like” button on my Facebook page, Phil Maq!

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Take a 19th century traditional English tune, and then fill it full of pop radio hooks and you have today’s song, “All Around My Hat” by Celtic folk rockers Steeleye Span [Hall of Fame] from an album of the same name!

The lyrics of “All Around My Hat” talk about the singer being in mourning because her “deluding young man” has gone away.

The willow refers to the woman wearing sprigs from the willow tree, (weeping willow, get it?)  on the brim of her hat to publicly display her sadness. It’s supposed to be worn for “twelve month and a day.” (One year and a day.)

However, the lyric is basically saying “good riddance to bad rubbish” because her man wasn’t good anyway.

Stating her viewpoint more clearly, she puts it this way:

“I’ll sing and I’ll be merry when occasion I do see.”

In other words, she means, “I’ll decide how sad I want to be because I don’t intend to miss anything good!”

There are a couple of acapella sections, including the opening, that feature beautiful harmonies!

Rick Kemp’s driving bass line as well as Nigel Pegrum’s drums keep “All Around My Hat” moving!

Bob Johnson and Tim Hart provide the heavy chunky guitar rhythm!

And there’s some nice interplay between the fiddle and mandolin–both played by Peter Knight, on the instrumental section! (Lots of starts and stops! I love it!)

Maddy Prior delivers the strong, assertive lead vocal!

If you’ve ever needed a song for St. Patrick’s Day that should make you want to get up and do a jig…or pogo, this one is it!

One of the Greatest Songs Ever Recorded is “All Around My Hat” by Steeleye Span!!!

I’ve included a bonus live track because the single release of “All Around My Hat” edited out my favorite verse:

“Here’s a half a pound of reasons, and a quarter pound of sense
A small sprig of time and as much of prudence
You mix them all together and you will plainly see
He’s a false deluding young man, let him go farewell he.”

The sly lyrical poetry deserves to be highlighted!

Here’s the complete version!:

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I have plenty of other musical areas to explore:

Here’s a link for my weekly list of Fave Songs:

https://philmaq.com/phils-lists/phils-faves-songs/

Here’s a link for my weekly Fave Album lists:
philmaq.com/phils-lists/phils-faves-albums

My somewhat unusual Hall of Fame can be explored here: https://philmaq.com/hall-of-fame/!

Lastly, but most importantly, is my Philby Awards link! A Philby is my annual award for outstanding musical achievement! https://philmaq.com/philbys/!

If you like what you see, don’t forget to spread the word by hitting the “like” button on my Facebook page, Phil Maq!

#AllAroundMyHat #SteeleyeSpan  #MaddyPrior #PhilMaq #OneoftheGreatestSongsEverRecorded #GSER

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