The band has kept up the mix of traditional Irish or Scottish songs and self-written tracks, though the self-written tracks have progressively become less and less folky. The band's influences are wide and varied, but obviously heavily influenced by Celtic rock bands like the Pogues, the Waterboys and Great Big Sea. Recent albums also see a clear influence from Gothic rock music. Having enjoyed growing success in and around Germany, the band reached 1000 played concerts in 2004 (the only band member to play them all is bass player Rainer Schulz), which was celebrated with a concert at Castle Hoheneck. This concert was filmed and released on two DVDs: Celebrate! and Jubilate! The concert saw participation from former band members and other guest musicians. Main lyric and music writer Peter Pathos has left the band in summer 2006 and was replaced by Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara. A live DVD Folk's not dead was released to celebrate the band's 20th anniversary in 2010
Members:
Ralf 'Albi' Albers - Vocals, Guitar, Bouzouki
Tobi Heindl (Tobias Anton Heindl) - Violin, Vocals (since 2000)
Rainer Schulz - Bass
Stefan Klug - Accordion, bodhrán (since 1991)
Frank Jooss - Drums, percussion (since 2001)
Patrick 'Pat' Prziwara - Guitar, vocals (since 2006)
Former members:
Dr. Robert Oppel (1990 - 1991) - Violin
Eric Obst (1990 - 1995) - Drums
Wolfram Kellner (1995 - 2000) -Drums
Tobias Rempe (1991 - 1995) - Violin
Tobias Schäfer (1995 - 2000) - Violin
Peter Pathos (Peter Müller) (1990 - 2006) - Guitar, whistle, mandola
Discography:
Fiddler’s Green (1992)
Black Sheep (1993)
King Shepherd (1995)
Make Up Your Mind (1996)
On and On (1997)
Spin Around (1998)
Stagebox (1999) (Live)
Another Sky (2000)
Folk Raider (2002)
Nu Folk (2003)
Celebrate! (2005) (Live)
Celebrate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Jubilate! DVD (2005) (Live)
Drive Me Mad! (2007)
Sports Day at Killaloe (2009)
Folk's not dead DVD (2010) (Live)
Wall of Folk (2011)
Winners and Boozers (2013)
Charlie
Fiddler's Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Charlie he's a dandy
Charlie he's the very lad
Who stole my stocking candy
()
Over the river to feed my sheep
Over the river Charlie
And measure up my barley
My pretty little pink
I once did think
I never could do without you
Since I lost all hopes of you
I care very little about you
()
Your weevily wheat ain't fit to eat
Neither do I want your barley
I'll take a little of the best you've got
To make a cake for Charlie
()x2
I wish I had some sticks and stones
To build my chimney higher
'Cause every time it rains and snows
It Blows out all my fire
()x3
The song "Charlie" by Fiddler's Green is a traditional folk song with a catchy tune and humorous lyrics that tell a story. The song is narrated by someone who has been wronged by a man named Charlie, who is described as a dandy. Charlie is accused of stealing the singer's stocking candy, which adds to the humor in this song. The opening lines, "Charlie's neat, Charlie's sweet," serve to emphasize the opposite of what the singer truly thinks of Charlie. The refrain, "Over the river to feed my sheep" and "And measure up my barley" creates a pattern and structure that reflects the regular work that the singer has to do to sustain himself.
The middle verse, "My pretty little pink, I once did think, I never could do without you," shows a hint of romanticism but is immediately followed-up with "Since I lost all hopes of you, I care very little about you." This indicates a change in the singer's emotions and the fact that he has fallen out of love with Pink. The chorus of "Your weevily wheat ain't fit to eat, neither do I want your barley, I'll take a little of the best you've got to make a cake for Charlie" highlights the ironic relationship between the singer and Charlie. Even though Charlie has wronged him, the singer still wants to make a cake for his companion, which creates a humorous situation.
Overall, the song "Charlie" combines an enjoyable melody with amusing lyrics, making it a well-liked traditional folk song among fans of this genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Charlie's neat, Charlie's sweet
Charlie is a well-groomed and charming person
Charlie he's a dandy
Charlie is a fashionable and sophisticated man
Charlie he's the very lad
Who stole my stocking candy
Charlie is the man who took the candy from the singer's stockings
Over the river to feed my sheep
Over the river Charlie
Over the river to feed my sheep
And measure up my barley
The artist is going across the river to tend to their sheep and measure their barley, and Charlie is also going over the river
My pretty little pink
I once did think
I never could do without you
Since I lost all hopes of you
I care very little about you
The artist used to love someone referred to as 'my pretty little pink', but since losing hope in that person, they no longer care much about them
Your weevily wheat ain't fit to eat
Neither do I want your barley
I'll take a little of the best you've got
To make a cake for Charlie
The singer does not want the poor quality wheat or barley, but will take the best ingredients to make a cake for Charlie
I wish I had some sticks and stones
To build my chimney higher
'Cause every time it rains and snows
It Blows out all my fire
The singer wants to build their chimney higher to prevent wind and weather from extinguishing their fire
Contributed by Parker S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.