Bees' Wings

I finally found a lost videotape! Here's Daniel Lapp doing his incredible version of Bees' Wings by Richard Thompson! Taped outdoors at a Christmas function (hence the attire) - it was really, really cold, Daniel and Quinn were going to play some tunes together, but Quinn's hands were "frozen", so Dan lent him his huge wooly mittens and decided he'd sing "Bees Wings" while Quinn's hands warmed up....enjoy!

Here are the words to this beautiful song:

I was nineteen when I came to town, they called it the Summer of Love
They were burning babies, burning flags. The hawks against the doves
I took a job in the steamie down on Cauldrum Street
And I fell in love with a laundry girl who was working next to me

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child, oh 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"

Brown hair zig-zag around her face and a look of half-surprise
Like a fox caught in the headlights, there was animal in her eyes
She said "Young man, oh can't you see I'm not the factory kind
If you don't take me out of here I'll surely lose my mind"

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine that I might crush her where she lay
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"

We busked around the market towns and picked fruit down in Kent
And we could tinker lamps and pots and knives wherever we went
And I said that we might settle down, get a few acres dug
Fire burning in the hearth and babies on the rug
She said "Oh man, you foolish man, it surely sounds like hell.
You might be lord of half the world, you'll not own me as well"

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
So fine a breath of wind might blow her away
She was a lost child, oh 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"

We was camping down the Gower one time, the work was pretty good
She thought we shouldn't wait for the frost and I thought maybe we should
We was drinking more in those days and tempers reached a pitch
And like a fool I let her run with the rambling itch

Oh the last I heard she's sleeping rough back on the Derby beat
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

Oh she was a rare thing, fine as a bee's wing
And I miss her more than ever words could say
If I could just taste all of her wildness now
If I could hold her in my arms today
Well I wouldn't want her any other way

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bees
• wings
• Celtic
• fiddle
• fiddling
• Daniel
• Lapp
• traditional
• folk
• Richard
• Thompson
• world
• music

[barrowsb]

But why does he call it "Bee's Wings"?

[TheBachands]

@barrowsb because the author refers to his sweetheart as fine as the bee's wings

[fiddler59]

I am from Athens GA USA and I was at the Vancouver Celtic fest that night...I was completely blown away !! If you do some research on this guy he has deep roots in many styles of fiddling. The world needs to hear more from this fiddler !!

[TheBachands]

Yes, he is pretty amazing. Quinn was to accompany him at Vancouver Celticfest but because the show was held in a casino Quinn wasn't allowed to even set foot in the venue. He was pretty bummed about it. Check out our other videos - Quinn accompanied Ashley MacIsaac on March 14th (also part of Vancouver Celticfest)

[fiddlelover]

that was totally mind blowing!

[TheBachands]

ok, but what did you think??? Notice Quinn in the background, this was at Christmas, outdoors, and he had been playing for about 20 minutes before - his hands were frozen - Daniel gave him his crazy huge mittens and played this tune while Quinn's hands had a chance to warm up.

Way to go Daniel!

[iheartfiddling]

i've searched and defenitely no body plays this song like Daniel does :)

[UFOIST]

Interesting rendition delivered with great gusto but a tad too fast in my honest opinion.

[blackangeloflove666]

interesting, but it kinda breaks the emotional side of the song. it´s to fast and cheerfull now.

[theoriginalbensteele]

@tilleytubbie Not my favourite version either, but each to their own I suppose

[theoriginalbensteele]

What's his violin tuned to?

[theoriginalbensteele]

@TheBachands I think barrowsb means the song is actually called 'Beeswing' not 'Bees' Wings'. Don't suppose it really matters a lot

[sizefam4]

Singing is good, but I wouldn't do that with my bow (I like my bow too much). Interesting though!

[malboll]

What an amazing concept, slack bow upside down to play all four strings - its so obvious but why have I never seen it before? Stunning!