Cover Story: (19) Beeswing - Christy Moore or Richard Thompson
September 21, 2017
Credit: Dxede5x
Can Salut! Live's Cover Story series stagger back into life? It can. Apologies for the dearth of updates. I have been on holiday in Corsica - massively recommended - and trying to earn a living (not recommended).
Today, I turn to a song that has been haunting me for days.
On the garage shelves where I keep hundreds of CDs, I came across Christy Moore's album, Burning Times. He's made better, but some tracks stand out. I'd nominate Magdalen Laundries, Hattie Carroll and, yes, Beeswing. I've been playing it over and again, ignoring iTunes's insulting attempt to categorise it as country and western.
* SEE ALSO:
1 A further look at Beeswing: Maeve Gilchrist and Galway Street Club
2 Roy Bailey - mourn the man, treasure his work. Another fine version of Richard Thompson's Beeswing
Legend has it that Richard Thompson's beautiful lyrics were inspired by the supremely gifted but eccentric folk singer Annie Briggs, described thus at Wikipedia:
Briggs was notoriously wild at this time [end of the 1960s]. There are many stories from this period about her, such as pushing [Johnny] Moynihan and Andy Irvine out of a hay loft and, on another occasion, jumping into the sea at Malin Head, Donegal to chase seals.
In an episode of Folk Britannia (a documentary history of UK folk music aired in 2006) Richard Thompson recalled that he only ever encountered Briggs twice and on both occasions she was drunk and unconscious. It is often speculated that it was Briggs who inspired Thompson's song 'Beeswing'
Whatever the inspiration, there isn't a poor phrase or badly chosen word in Thompson's lyrics, each verse offering a poetic gem. The chorus runs:
She was a rare thing Fine as a beeswing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child She was running wild
She said as long as there's no price on love I'll stay
And you wouldn't want me any other way
But who sings it best? I am loathe to depart from the author. His version, or one of his versions, can be seen in the first of my clips ...
He delivers his own wonderful song in gripping style. I love it.
But Christy!
The way he makes his voice rise and fall, the emphasis, the warm texture, the complete understanding of each character's thoughts ... it might have been written for him. No contest for me.
But chapeau to Richard Thompson, a truly massive British songwriting (and guitar-playing) talent for songs that contains such magical verses as this ...
Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough back on the Derby beat
A bottle of White Horse in her hip pocket and a wolfhound at her feet
And they say she even married once, a man named Romany Brown
But even a gypsy caravan was too much settling down
And they say her flower is faded now, hard weather and hard booze
But maybe that's just the price you pay for the chains you refuse
**** You can buy the Christy Moore album Burning Times, on which Beeswing appears, at this Salut! Live Amazon line
***** And Richard Thompson's album Acoustic Classics - buy it here - contains not only Beeswing but Galway to Graceland
Oh, jeez, I'm gonna disagree with you again (though I fully concur with your horror at iTunes regarding "Beeswing" as C&W). Not that I hate or even dislike Christy Moore's version - it's lovely. But the texture is a little TOO warm for my taste and his inflection is almost theatrical. It all serves to soften a song that is essentially very hard-edged.
Thompson doesn't compromise; he delivers the tension that the song needs. I wouldn't want it any other way.
Posted by: Bill Taylor | September 21, 2017 at 04:46 PM
Lovely comment. I naturally knew you'd disagree ...
Posted by: Colin Randall | September 21, 2017 at 04:55 PM
I take Bill's point but if I could only have one version it'd be Christy's... I like the softness and the diction
Posted by: Joan | September 22, 2017 at 12:54 AM
Completely different, but I have just discovered and really enjoyed a version, accompanied by her exquisite harp playing, by Maeve Gilchrist, a Scotswoman living in NYC ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xiW72V4S5s
Posted by: Colin Randall | September 22, 2017 at 10:03 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtN0te3ls1M
Posted by: Doug | October 07, 2017 at 12:32 AM
Very nice version, Doug. One of those songs that cry out for being done differently, Among the many runners up, I am torn between the Galway Street Club, Maeve Gilchrist and your Ruari
Posted by: Colin Randall | November 28, 2017 at 05:02 PM
I’m afraid I have to disagree with you all and feel that the best version I have heard of this is by Mad Dog Mcrea.
Posted by: David Steadman | October 20, 2018 at 11:12 AM
Check out Grace Petrie's version of Beeswing on her new album...
http://gracepetrie.bandcamp.com/album/queer-as-folk
Posted by: Nicola Hambridge | October 20, 2018 at 05:24 PM
The late, great Roy Bailey for me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZellda3qK8
Posted by: Pauline Woolley | November 22, 2018 at 03:54 PM
Oh definitely Roy Bailey, such colour and warmth in the voice.
Posted by: Jane Russ | December 02, 2018 at 11:53 PM
I actually really like Paolo Nutini's take on the song.
Posted by: Amy | March 20, 2019 at 01:32 PM
Keith Murphy does a version with pretty stunning guitar work on his new album Land of Fish and Seals. The whole album is worth a listen, but Beeswing especially.
Posted by: Ariel | June 02, 2019 at 07:42 PM
I am now in the Richard Thompson camp.
Here is my own about-turn, a comment at YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HApy-Xoix-g):
'Great set of comments here. I discussed the merits of Richard vs Christy at my little site https://www.salutlive.com/2017/09/cover-story-18-beeswing-christy-moore-or-richard-thompson.html .. and came down on Christy's side ('the emphasis, warm texture, complete understanding of each character's thoughts) but honestly now accept that Richard's version, live, of his own magnificent song is unbeatable. Others will, and may, disagree ... as Dave Swarbrick once said, 'you can do anything you like with music. It won't mind.'
Posted by: colin randall | July 02, 2019 at 02:43 PM
Why do so many of the cover versions miss out the Romany Brown verse? To me it is the emotional heart ... with the power and the emphasis given there (especially in the Mad Dog Mcrea version - my favourite) that emphasises the longing/yearning/sadness of the singer for a taste of life that he never got.
Posted by: Ken Sharp | September 03, 2019 at 01:25 AM
Good debate about a wonderful piece of songwriting and all the versions it’s has inspired. I quite like Mad Dog Mcrea’s shot at it but if I am right, the singer also takes the occasional liberty with this or that word/phrase
Posted by: Colin Randall | September 09, 2019 at 09:45 PM
All great versions, a young lad from Dungannon has a version that is top notch - Conleth McGeary 👌👌worth checking out
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=54k2pq12yp0&list=PLkj-Ux346jkHCnXVSwdIwKbIEeYFkvrCd&index=2
Posted by: Ronan | November 19, 2019 at 01:37 AM
Well, just as Swarb put it: 'It won't mind.' The song is so outstandingly good & valid that it brings out the quality of each and every good singer! I agree that the Romany Brown verse is essential and - this said - let me remind you of the Futureheads' version on their CD 'Rant' (2012) - a rock group from Sunderland also grasping the soul of the song...
Posted by: Bernd Feldmann | May 31, 2020 at 09:26 PM
I just came back to this and, rereading the comments, I'm given pause by Ken Sharp's opinion that the sometimes-omitted Romany Brown verse is the emotional heart of the song. I take his point and don't entirely disagree with it (it's Colin I always seem to disagree with!) but the verse never rung entirely true. The woman has a long-time relationship with the narrator of the story but is adamant that she won't be tied down by any man. And then she ups and marries Romany Brown. It's hard to believe and, in a way, perhaps even weakens the song a little.
Posted by: Bill Taylor | August 29, 2020 at 05:40 PM
RANG entirely true! Or perhaps HAS never rung entirely true! I do speak the language... honestly.
Posted by: Bill Taylor | August 29, 2020 at 05:42 PM
You have entirely acceptable use of English, Bill, for an adopted Canadian.
Posted by: Colin Randall | August 29, 2020 at 11:02 PM
I prefer the Whistlin Donkeys version meself.
Posted by: Sandy Yeats | December 15, 2020 at 05:57 AM
The singer has a great voice, Sandy, but why on earth does he sing the changed closing chorus after the first verse? It’s as if he doesn’t respect the way Richard Thompson’s lyrics develop.
Posted by: Colin Randall | December 15, 2020 at 11:59 PM
Have to agree with you Sandy I love the Whistlin Donkeys version of Beeswing
Posted by: Michael Curran | January 22, 2021 at 01:06 PM
Flair Music version adds a modern twist to it and gives this song a new life to bring it back to life for the the new generation. They recorded it for st . Patrisks day 2021 can be viewed on their page on facebook.
Posted by: SINEAD CAIRNS | March 18, 2021 at 09:12 PM
Mad dog Mcrea does it perfectly !
Posted by: Damian Egan | March 28, 2021 at 02:30 PM
I like both versions… but they are Apples and pears really. Moore re-harmonizes
the verses playing simpler major chords
as opposed to Thompson’s contrapuntal,
slightly modal finger style arrangement.
I think it’s the latter that gives Thompson’s version it’s haunting quality.
Moore’s version is “prettier,” more Irish
as opposed to the flintier original.
Posted by: John whitehead | April 12, 2021 at 11:48 PM
What about Broken Bandits version?
Posted by: Brian DILWORTH | April 19, 2021 at 10:15 PM
I don't think this beautiful song can be done wrong, however, Poor Man's Gambit grips me 'more than any other way'.
Posted by: simon | July 14, 2021 at 04:44 AM