Fairport Convention - To Althea From Prison Lyrics






When love, with unconfined wings, hovers within my gates
And my divine Althea brings to whisper at my grates
When I lie tangled in her hair and fettered with her eye
Birds that wanton in the air know no such liberty

When flowing cups run swiftly round with no allaying Thames
Our careless heads with roses crowned, our hearts with royal flames
When first decreeth in wine we steep when healths and rafts run free
Fishes that tipple in the deep know no such liberty

Stone walls do not a prison make not iron bars a gate
Minds innocent and quiet take that as a hermitage
If I have freedom in my love and in my soul am free
Angels alone that soar above enjoy such liberty





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Fairport Convention To Althea From Prison Comments
  1. R.... T....

    Find myself going back to this song so very often !

  2. J.... S....

    Beautiful.
    Thank you.
    Peace and Love.

  3. J.... C....

    RIP Swarb. You and The Fairports. well what can I say. Astounding!!!

  4. a.... ....

    When love with unconfined wings

    Hovers within my gates,
    And my divine Althea brings

    To whisper at the grates;
    When I lie tangled in her hair

    And fettered to her eye,
    The gods that wanton in the air

    Know no such liberty.

    When flowing cups run swiftly round,

    With no allaying Thames,
    Our careless heads with roses bound,

    Our hearts with loyal flames;
    When thirsty grief in wine we steep,

    When healths and draughts go free,
    Fishes that tipple in the deep

    Know no such liberty.

    When like committed linnets I

    With shriller throat shall sing
    The sweetness, mercy, majesty,

    And glories of my King:
    When I shall voice aloud how good

    He is, how great should be,
    Enlarged winds, that curl the flood,

    Know no such liberty.

    Stone walls do not a prison make,

    Nor iron bars a cage:
    Minds innocent and quiet take

    That for an hermitage.
    If I have freedom in my love,

    And in my soul am free,
    Angels alone, that soar above,

    Enjoy such liberty.

  5. e.... ....

    Beautiful!

  6. g.... d....

    He will live in our memories...God Bless you Dave..

  7. N.... ....

    My fave Fairports track - I only saw them live once (in 1978) and Swarb was incredible RIP

  8. F.... H....

    The very definition of beautiful. His voice is and his playing are a marvel. Love the ending at 4:06-sends you mind off into dreamland.

  9. B.... M....

    The archetypal Swarb song for me. That and Lord Marlborough.

    RIP mate and thanks for all the toons.

  10. P.... P....

    This is the song that came to my mind when I heard the sad news.. "Angels alone that soar above know such liberty...

  11. T.... ....

    Thanks for this gem. RIP to Swarb, who left us this morning - Goddess rest his merry soul.

    T.... ....

    That's sad, I didn't realise that he had gone - what amazing talent he had. I first saw him fifty years ago at Jug O' Punch in Birmingham, he lived not far away from me in Blue Mountains, Oz for some years. Liege & Lief is alltime favourite album of which I still have original vinyl ! Happy to say that at 70+ years I can still sing Matty Groves from memory.

  12. m.... d....

    it is beautiful! The poem of Richard Lovelace is so nicely put in song. Too bad the opening is soooooo long... because the voice is heavenly!

    m.... d....

    It's called 'anticipation' ;o)