I heard this song about forty years ago and a few lines have been stuck in my head since: "I will add new words to my language, but I write them on the wind" and "if I could tell the future, I would ask it not to come." I didn't know the title or writer/singer, but I searched periodically for those lines and got nothing . . . until today! I used Ask.com and found Ralph McTell. And that led me here. Thanks so much for sharing this. It fills a small hole in my head.
Bought this album when at university in 1975. Loved it from the moment I first heard it. Now, nearly 40 years later, very happy to be going to Ralph's 70th birthday concert at the Theatre Royal on 7/12/14. Ralph McTell has touched my heart more with his music, over the years, than any other musician or band. Simply wonderful!
ChristoTracey1 Brilliant - and it lasted so long, with some great musicians joining Ralph. What was the last song that he performed - we had to slide out at 10.10 to catch the last train back to Southampton?
Gillian Crossley I lost track, they were all so good! I've been singing half of them down the halls at University I think it might have been "The Setting"? I was hoping for "Terminus", but sadly he didn't play it. As a 21yr old, I reckon I was one of the younger people there! That's the problem with this generation, no taste for good music!!
I have an original vinyl of a well played/worn 'You well meaning brought me here', simply a classic album...'First and last man', is poetry and all very true.
I was given this album many years ago and learned the guitar part so that I could add the song to my repertoire. A haunting melody with beautiful lyrics. Thank you Ralph!
A memory of a lifetime Ralph fan... Back in the late 70's I went to a concert performed by Ralph in the room of an Oxford undergrad. It was cold as hell that evening and the way he kept his hands from freezing was with a small space heater. As he was almost at the end of the gig he introduced a song he was later to identify as 'The Ferryman.' After playing he asked if anyone knew the story behind it... no one did, so he explained that after reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse he was inspired to write this tribute. I went to an all-night bookstore, bought the book and sat up until dawn to finish it. Thus began a life-long love affair with Ralph's music and the novels of a distinguished German-born Swiss poet and novelist.
I bought the album when it was released as a teenager. Yes I too read Siddartha by Herman Hesse. Such beauty in both Musician & Writers work. I'm now heading toward 70, still listening & reading. 🎼🎶🎶💜
I too have the origional album, fortunately mine hasnt warped.......yet, it should have because I played it non stop for a long long time, brilliant album, brilliant music a musician with the heart of a poet !!
Captainsoul 1953, thanks for putting that old album on UA-cam. I sort of like the faint scratchy sound as it brings back a lot of memories. And this is an excellent album.
Thanks for posting. A good pairing of two great songs. As for the warpiness I suggest you buy a CD and melt the vinyl into a nice bowl for fruit or something, or maybe cut out the tracks part for a nice coaster.I've seen a few record label coasters and they are great for putting a cup of tea on,reminding us of the great originals. I've got The Who's Pictures of LIly on a coaster on the Track label.
+Peter M. Adamson i hate to tell you my friend,,but most experts, me included know that vinyl sounds better,,its the only true sound of the recordings...
+cat fan54 I don't disagree at all. of course Vinyl sounds better but not when it's warped or scratched. I've just bought a Vintage record player to get that vintage sound of crackles and mono but Vinyl to sound really better needs a quality system with a £500 needle as I recently discovered at a friends house. I listened to Behind Blue Eyes by The Who and The Acoustic guitar sounded like it was in the room. In the final analysis it is all down to taste and opinion and of course if you are an expert you must know best.I am not an expert in sound. I hear musical notes not sounds so I can listen to a hissy cassette on a mini player with a tin speaker and still enjoy it . The point I was making was that a record was warped and buying a CD would be easier than tracking down the Vinyl and that the Vinyl could be recycled as a collectable. as I said in my comment - ''reminding us of the great originals'', meaning Vinyl is better.
Such a beautiful work of Art. Still listening on vynal in 2023. Thanks for posting 🎼🎶🎶❤😊
Bought this 1st month it was released it was brilliant then, and still is it should released again
I heard this song about forty years ago and a few lines have been stuck in my head since: "I will add new words to my language, but I write them on the wind" and "if I could tell the future, I would ask it not to come." I didn't know the title or writer/singer, but I searched periodically for those lines and got nothing . . . until today! I used Ask.com and found Ralph McTell. And that led me here. Thanks so much for sharing this. It fills a small hole in my head.
The First and Last Man has long been one of Ralph's better songs; far better than you know what.
Bought this album when at university in 1975. Loved it from the moment I first heard it. Now, nearly 40 years later, very happy to be going to Ralph's 70th birthday concert at the Theatre Royal on 7/12/14. Ralph McTell has touched my heart more with his music, over the years, than any other musician or band. Simply wonderful!
Fantastic concert, wasn't it? I was there too!
ChristoTracey1 Brilliant - and it lasted so long, with some great musicians joining Ralph. What was the last song that he performed - we had to slide out at 10.10 to catch the last train back to Southampton?
Gillian Crossley
I lost track, they were all so good! I've been singing half of them down the halls at University I think it might have been "The Setting"? I was hoping for "Terminus", but sadly he didn't play it.
As a 21yr old, I reckon I was one of the younger people there! That's the problem with this generation, no taste for good music!!
I have an original vinyl of a well played/worn 'You well meaning brought me here', simply a classic album...'First and last man', is poetry and all very true.
I was given this album many years ago and learned the guitar part so that I could add the song to my repertoire. A haunting melody with beautiful lyrics. Thank you Ralph!
Had this album once lost it in divorce reckon she threw it out. Ralph McTell is a folk icon.
A memory of a lifetime Ralph fan...
Back in the late 70's I went to a concert performed by Ralph in the room of an Oxford undergrad. It was cold as hell that evening and the way he kept his hands from freezing was with a small space heater. As he was almost at the end of the gig
he introduced a song he was later to identify as 'The Ferryman.' After playing he asked if anyone knew the story behind
it... no one did, so he explained that after reading Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse he was inspired to write this tribute. I went to an all-night bookstore, bought the book and sat up until dawn to finish it. Thus began a life-long love affair with Ralph's music and the novels of a distinguished German-born Swiss poet and novelist.
Yes Narcissus and Goldmund is a great book. As is this music.
I bought the album when it was released as a teenager. Yes I too read Siddartha by Herman Hesse. Such beauty in both Musician & Writers work. I'm now heading toward 70, still listening & reading. 🎼🎶🎶💜
Great album and played first and last man to death on my copy. Thanks for posting and bringing back some good memories.
Ralph at his best. (:-)
Been a long-time fan, saw him again a couple of weeks ago.....but 'First and Last Man' is new to me....completely blown away.....
I too have the origional album, fortunately mine hasnt warped.......yet, it should have because I played it non stop for a long long time, brilliant album, brilliant music a musician with the heart of a poet !!
Love it. Scratches n all.
Captainsoul 1953, thanks for putting that old album on UA-cam. I sort of like the faint scratchy sound as it brings back a lot of memories. And this is an excellent album.
I got this album from my dad. It's bloody marvellous!!
Very enjoyable. Thanks!
Thanks for posting. A good pairing of two great songs. As for the warpiness I suggest you buy a CD and melt the vinyl into a nice bowl for fruit or something, or maybe cut out the tracks part for a nice coaster.I've seen a few record label coasters and they are great for putting a cup of tea on,reminding us of the great originals. I've got The Who's Pictures of LIly on a coaster on the Track label.
+Peter M. Adamson i hate to tell you my friend,,but most experts, me included know that vinyl sounds better,,its the only true sound of the recordings...
+cat fan54 I don't disagree at all. of course Vinyl sounds better but not when it's warped or scratched. I've just bought a Vintage record player to get that vintage sound of crackles and mono but Vinyl to sound really better needs a quality system with a £500 needle as I recently discovered at a friends house. I listened to Behind Blue Eyes by The Who and The Acoustic guitar sounded like it was in the room. In the final analysis it is all down to taste and opinion and of course if you are an expert you must know best.I am not an expert in sound. I hear musical notes not sounds so I can listen to a hissy cassette on a mini player with a tin speaker and still enjoy it . The point I was making was that a record was warped and buying a CD would be easier than tracking down the Vinyl and that the Vinyl could be recycled as a collectable. as I said in my comment - ''reminding us of the great originals'', meaning Vinyl is better.
agreed my frien,it nice to know theres still some of us here that can appreciate this,,,
you should check out his newer stuff. 'brighton belle' is one of his greatest. streets of london is poor in comparison to his other material :)
funny im looking for this album now,,,started today,,,,
+cat fan54 Good luck in finding it. I could never find it on Vinyl so had to get a CD.
im having trouble even finding it on cd,,,we have alot of vintage record stors here and i do have some leads ,so,with a bit of luck,i will
+cat fan54 Hope you find it.
+cat fan54 hi....its readily available on Amazon for about £10.......jim
+cat fan54 about 5 vinyls on ebay....£9 to £11