The Wisdom by Elfin Bow

I walked the streets where ancients roamed on cobbled stone, on cobbled stone
And in the crack I saw a flower, life had grown, a flower had grown
Why do we make things complicated? Just be silent, a wisdom of old
It’s my own voice that has spoken and I’m not broken, if truth be told

He said the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, far from the tree
And if I opened up my eyes then I would see, then I would see
He preached the word of God in the market, but I didn’t hear it, it left me cold
Said that if I didn’t believe him, I’d regret that I didn’t save my soul

I’m the jack-of-all-trades, master of none, master of none
But I’m the master of myself and time has gone and time has gone
Why do we make things complicated? Just be silent, a wisdom of old
It’s my own voice that has spoken and I’m not broken, if truth be told

THE WISDOM (Elfin Bow)
Produced by Gary Edward Jones & Elfin Bow with Gary Lloyd 
Oscar South Bass
Daniel J. Logan Percussion
Victoria Wasley & Muireann McDermott Long Backing Vocals 
Charles Sweeney Trumpet
Engineer Allan Crookes

SCOTTISH SESSION ORCHESTRA
Conducted by Adam Robinson
Produced by Kobus Frick
Recording Engineer & String Orchestra Mix David Donaldson Sound Engineer Hedd Morfett-Jones
Recorded in the New Auditorium, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall by Clockwork Sessions Ltd
Mixed & Mastered by Gary Lloyd

The Wisdom (Orchestral Version)

Daffadilly Down is a dreamy, pastoral psych-folk song about love, loss and longing. It is a taster track from my forthcoming album, due for release later this year. 

Daffadilly Down features traditional Sakha vocals in the form of birdsong and seasonal wind by Saydyko Fedorova, which was sampled and performed by Oscar South using the latest digital performance tools such as Samplr by Marcos Alonso. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this track! Please contact me on www.elfinbow.com

Daffadilly Down by Elfin Bow 

Have you seen the south slope of the river? 
The fish are all fighting to get home 
Have you heard the sweet sound of the songbird? 
As he yearns for the nest he has known 
As he yearns for the nest he has known 

And the flowers bow their heads 
Stand silently at rest 
My lover we’ll lay here 
With the evesong in our ear 
Daffadown dillydown dillydown 

Have you felt the weight of worry on your back? 
Winter’s bone is hard on the teeth 
You been glad when that burden is lifted? 
And like the sweet songbird you’re free 
Like the sweet songbird you’re free 

And the flowers raise their faces 
And sing dawn’s early praises 
My lover we’ll wake here 
With the mornsong in our ear 
Daffadown dillydown dillydown 
Daffadown dillydown dillydown 
Daffadown dillydown dillydown 
Daffadown dillydown dillydown

released April 4, 2016 
Lyrics and music by Elfin Bow 
Lead vocals and guitar by Elfin Bow 
Backing vocals by Muireann McDermott Long 
Fretless bass and digital performance of samples by Oscar South 
Sakha vocal performance of wind and birdsong by Saydyko Fedorova
Percussion by Daniel J. Logan 
Recorded by Allan Crookes at Hound Dog Studios 
Mixed and produced by Gary Edward Jones



Daffadilly Down

Listen in to my interview with the wonderful Chris Currie of Wirral radio, talking about my influences, songwriting, performing and also singing a few live songs. 

Elfin Bow Interview and Live songs on Wirral Radio 09.05.16

I was asked to work with Summerhill Primary School in Maghull, Liverpool, to write a new school song for their 50th Birthday celebrations. Inspired by songs that used to be sung in school assemblies in the 1960's, like Cat Stevens' Morning Has Broken, mixed in with a twist of folk and country, I tried to create a song that would make the grown ups cry, the children wriggle and dance and the whole school clamour to be the one who got to use the megaphone! To commission your own song, please email info@elfinbow.com

Lyrics:

History is calling, for us to remember
The days of the past have flown by too fast
And how things have changed

We look at the photographs, the good times and memories
But times they move on and this is where we belong
And there’s still love in this place

Hold a little acorn in your hand
For when you plant it in loving ground
A tree will grow tall, an oak, big and strong
You have everything you need, right here, right here

From England’s ancient lands and pastures green
The farmer built his home right here and sowed the seed
Now he’s long since gone but the tale of this place still goes on and on
We’ll tell our story on our field of greenå

Live! Learn! Dream! Grow! Live! Learn! This is Summerhill, you know!
Live! Learn! Dream! Grow! Live! Learn! This is Summerhill, let’s go!

Stone by stone and brick by brick they built a school
And it became a place where our childhood could bloom
And though we all move on the tale of this place still goes on and on
We’ll tell our story on our field of green

Live! Learn! Dream! Grow! Live! Learn! This is Summerhill, you know!
Live! Learn! Dream! Grow! Live! Learn! This is Summerhill, let’s go!

And everyday we grow and learn about the world
Our knowledge like the leaves of the oak tree unfurled
And though we all move on the tale of this place still goes on and on
We’ll tell our story on our field of green

Live! Learn! Dream! Grow! Live! Learn! This is Summerhill, you know!
Live! Learn! Dream! Grow! Live! Learn! This is Summerhill, let’s go!

Hold a little acorn in your hand
For when we plant it in loving ground
A tree will grow tall, an oak, big and strong
We have everything we need, right here, right here




Summerhill 50

Field of Green - Song for Summerhill Primary School

The Wisdom' is a song about finding your voice and having the confidence to be yourself in a world of people who are all too ready to tell you what to think, do and believe. It expresses the freedom felt when you learn to trust and believe in yourself.

Review by blogger Shaznay Spence:

Elfin Bow is unassuming and exudes a quiet confidence with an air of humility and serenity. The single "The Wisdom" is sent with love and the video shot on location at Lowther Castle and Gardens in Cumbria  provides the perfect setting. It is a place of enchantment and peace. The use of dream catchers in the video is perfect symbolism for the theme of wisdom. The original dream catcher of the Ojibwa was intended to teach natural wisdom. *Ojibwa were  a group of indigenous people from North America.

The video is an excellent visual representation of the song. It is  gentle and filmed in a place of natural beauty - a trusted place synonymous with that space within where your inner wisdom and self-belief resides should you confidently tap into it. A place that should be your safe place, a haven. Elfin Bow uses her own personal experience and journey to empower others through her music. This track is a delightful, life affirming expression, extolling the virtues of the liberation and emotional freedom that is felt from trusting in your inner wisdom, living in your truth and allowing the flower of self-belief to bloom within you.

 Elfin Bow captivates you with her ethereal tone and provides reassurance that things do not have to be complicated. If we take the time to just be silent and to reflect on our inner wisdom, we will attain a place of confidence and no longer be broken emotionally. We merely need to open up our eyes and see. This is a stunning, beautiful piece of music, an exciting first  release from what promises to be an exciting and grounded album with a underlying tone of all things wholesome and enriching.

Video Credits:
 
Filmed on location at Lowther Castle and Gardens in Cumbria. and edited by Brian Roberts
Art Direction by Elfin Bow
 
Song Credits:
 
Lyrics and music by Elfin Bow
Guitar, vocals and brass arrangements by Elfin Bow
Bowed Bass by Oscar South
Backing vocals by Victoria Wasley and Muireann McDermott Long
Percussion by Daniel J. Logan
Trumpet by Charles Sweeney
Song recorded at Hound Dog Studios by Allan Crookes
Production mix and mastering by Gary Lloyd
Produced by Elfin Bow and Gary Edward Jones

Elfin Bow

The Wisdom

Listen to a sample of every song on my album. Released online 10th March(digitally from iTunes, amazon etc. and CD'd from www.elfinbow.com). Album Launch at the Epstein Theatre 18th March. Tickets from www.epsteinliverpool.com

email info@elfinbow.com to say hello!

Track List

1. The First Red Leaf of Autumn
2. Sweet Jonathan
3. Daffadilly Down
4. Bull of the Freeway
5. The Sleep of Reason
6. Grimshaw and the Fingerclaw
7. Edith's Song
8. The Wisdom
9. Hey Auld Friend
10. Holler in the Hollows
11. City Beach
12. Prairie Madness

Credits:

All tracks recorded at Hound Dog Studios by Allan Crookes, produced by Gary Edward Jones and Elfin Bow. Studio mix and mastering by Gary Lloyd.

Elfin Bow – lead vocals, guitar, mandolin
Oscar South – bass and treatments
Daniel J. Logan – percussion
Victoria Wasley – backing vocals, flute
Muirreann McDermott Long – backing vocals
Tom Kitching – fiddle
Jamie Francis – banjo
Charles Sweeney – trumpet
Allan Crookes – backing vocals
Saydyko Fedorova – nature vocalisations (wolf, wind, birdsong)

Elfin Bow Album Teaser

Grimshaw and the Fingerclaw was inspired by three characters I encountered whilst growing up in the outskirts of Liverpool; a lady we used to call 'The Witch of Melling,' because she looked like a witch, and hobbled past our house to the railway station everyday; an old-fashioned gypsy that used to call at our house and threaten to curse us if my mum didn't bring her what she asked for; and a mean dinner lady at my school, who had a claw instead of a fingernail on her little finger. 

Remembering these women got me thinking about how there has always been outsiders in society. People who are misunderstood and strangers in their own towns. I decided to amalgamate these three characters into one and call her 'Edith Grimshaw,' known to local children as 'The Witch of Melling,' or 'Fingerclaw.' 

This is the first of two songs about her on my album. Grimshaw and the Fingerclaw is all the the rumours about her, whilst 'Edith's Song, is a slow, mournful waltz, told from her point of view, with her voice. 

Edith Grimshaw is a key character from my album, who's life will be explored through an art installation, illustration workshops, music and dance at my Welsh Album launch at Theatr Clwyd, Mold, on August 4th, 2017. Visit www.elfinbow.com to find out more...

Lyrics:

Grimshaw and the Fingerclaw by Elfin Bow

Grimshaw and the fingerclaw
Kept a secret in the bottom drawer
Where there lay a skillet wrapped in a folded sheet
With old fish bones and salted meat

Grimshaw and the fingerclaw
Kept a secret in the bottom drawer
Where there lay a wedding dress in a darkened space
And a gown of threadbare cotton and yellowed lace

The secret was a ten pound note
Kept in the holy book that God wrote
That printed paper was cursed with wrath
Should you ever cross her path

Grimshaw and the fingerclaw
Kept a secret in the bottom drawer
Where there lay a wooden heart and a golden ring
And a soul never more to sing

Fingers boned from weathered years
Face of leather from shedding tears
Broken heart buried alive
A stitch in time it don’t save nine
Fingers boned from weathered years
Face of leather from shedding tears
Broken heart buried alive
A stitch in time it don’t save nine

Grimshaw And The Fingerclaw

This is the sister track to Grimshaw and the Fingerclaw, telling the story of Elfin Bow's character, from her point of view. It is a haunting, yet beautiful track that speaks of being misunderstood and alone. 

The character of Edith Grimshaw will be explored through an art installation, illustration workshops, music and dance at Elfin Bow's Welsh Album Launch in Theatr Clwyd, Mold, on August 4th 2017. To find out more, please visit www.elfinbow.com

Lyrics:

Edith’s Song by Elfin Bow

They call me ‘The Witch of Melling Town’
They call me ‘Fingerclaw’
Father called me ‘Darling Girl
My beautiful Edith Grimshaw’

Call me a flower on the water
With petals that float in the rain
Call me a branch on the willow
With leaves that wither and wane

Call me ‘The Witch of Melling Town’
That’s not a name I know
Once I had a soul that was gentle
Now a flower on a cactus it grows

Call me a flower on the water
With petals that float in the rain
Call me a branch on the willow
With leaves that wither and wane

Call me a flower on the water
With petals that float in the rain
Call me a branch on the willow
With leaves that wither and wane

Call me ‘The Witch of Melling Town’
Call me ‘Fingerclaw’
Father called me ‘Darling Girl
My beautiful Edith Grimshaw’

Call me a flower on the water
With petals that float in the rain
Call me a branch on the willow
With leaves that wither and wane

Call me a flower on the water
With petals that float in the rain
Call me a branch on the willow
With leaves that wither and wane
With leaves that wither and wane
With leaves that wither and wane

Edith's Song

Elfin Bow music has been described as a fairytale experience for grown ups, with hints of americana and psych-folk. Elfin Bow is a storyteller of the finest kind. With a voice that is as vulnerable as it is strong, she weaves together her art and music in a way that is truly captivating.

Elfin Bow

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