> Ashley Hutchings and The Albion Band > Songs > Wings

Wings

[Ashley Hutchings, Ken Nicol]

This biographical song is the Albion Band’s signature song now like the earlier Albion Sunrise. It’s earliest known recording from 1996 is by the songwriters - Ashley Hutchings and Ken Nicol - themselves and was released on The Guv’nor Vol. 4. Ashley Hutchings sang Wings with a classic Fairport Convention line-up - Simon Nicol, Richard Thompson and Dave Mattacks - at Cropredy ’97; this was published on The Cropredy Box. Then the Albion Band recorded it in 1998 as title track of their CD single Wings and for their CD Happy Accident. The single version has later been reissued on the compilations The HTD Years, Albion Sunrise, and Burning Bright, while the CD version was added to the compilation CD Albion Heart. A live recording from 2000 or 2001 can be found on both An Evening With the Albion Band and the Ashley Hutchings / Albion Band compilation No Surrender.

Lyrics

When the Byrds flew in then the dance began
We all were lifted up on Californian wings
And over London streets in the drizzling rain
Well we danced to the sound of Rickenbacker strings
It was the kickstart that our young and precious lives needed then
And so we started on our long and winding trail
We played

Soon we found we could fly ourselves
We all were lifted up on sturdy home-made wings
And in sixty-nine in the summertime
Well we danced to the sound of Swarb’s flying fiddle strings
And all the rules and safety first were left unheeded then
And with the confidence of youth well we couldn’t fail
No more

Now the years have flown and our lives have grown
And we’re held aloft by torn and tattered wings
And over city streets in the pouring rain
We still dance to the sound of thumb-and-fingered strings
Now the screams are where our children make their music now
But soon enough they’ll find their fledgling wings
And they’ll play

Acknowledgements

Transcribed by Reinhard Zierke. Thanks to Garry Gillard for corrections.