Five Leaves Left
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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| :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEAsZa4Qz2Y, see "[[River Man]]" | :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEAsZa4Qz2Y, see "[[River Man]]" | ||
| - | '''"River Man"''' is the second listed song from [[Nick Drake]]'s [[1969]] album ''[[Five Leaves Left]]'', remastered and released as a single in 2004. | + | '''''Five Leaves Left''''', recorded in [[1969]], was the first of three albums by [[United Kingdom|British]] [[folk music|folk]] musician [[Nick Drake]]. |
| - | ==Musical structure and lyrics== | + | Like ''[[Bryter Layter]]'' and unlike ''[[Pink Moon]]'', this album contains no completely solo songs. Nick was accompanied by members of the British [[folk-rock]] group [[Fairport Convention]]. |
| - | The song features a 5/4 timing, and is one of the few songs he wrote to be played in standard tuning. The string arrangement was composed by [[Harry Robertson (composer)|Harry Robinson]] and [[Robert Kirby]]. Though Drake never revealed the identity of the 'Betty' character in the lyrics, [[Trevor Dann]] speculated that she may have been drawn from [[Betty Foy]], a character in [[Wordsworth]]'s "[[The Idiot Boy]]", a poem Drake had studied while attending [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]]. | + | |
| - | [[United States|American]] [[jazz]] pianist [[Brad Mehldau]] has been known to be a great admirer of Drake's music, and has recorded River Man on numerous albums, such as [[Live in Tokyo]], usually remaining very faithful to the dark, autumnal sound that defines Drake's recording. | + | ==Album information== |
| + | The title of the album is said to be derived from a contemporary message contained within packets of Swan cigarette papers, which warned people that only five papers were left in the packet. It is sometimes suggested that this was aimed at people rolling [[cannabis (drug)|marijuana]] joints, since many joints required five individual papers in order to be assembled. However, even up to the present day many smokers in the UK prefer to roll their own tobacco cigarettes. [[Rizla]] is the most popular brand of "skins" for this purpose as well. Today the message near the end of a pack of Rizlas reads "There's only 10 left." instead of "Five leaves left." | ||
| - | ==Single recording details== | + | There has been some speculation into the name being acquired from [[O. Henry]]'s short novel ''The Last Leaf'', in which a woman states that she can happily die when all the leaves have fallen from her tree, she states that it will not be long as there are only five leaves left . |
| - | The single was backed by versions of "River Man" and "Day Is Done" (also from ''[[Five Leaves Left]]'', performed by [[Norah Jones]]. | + | |
| + | ==Reception and influence== | ||
| + | ''Five Leaves Left'' was ranked 85th in a 2005 survey held by British television's [[Channel 4]] to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time. | ||
| + | ==Track listing== | ||
| + | All songs written by [[Nick Drake]] | ||
| + | # "Time Has Told Me" – 4:27 | ||
| + | # "[[River Man]]" – 4:21 | ||
| + | # "Three Hours" – 6:16 | ||
| + | # "Way to Blue" – 3:11 | ||
| + | # "Day Is Done" – 2:29 | ||
| + | # "'Cello Song" – 4:49 | ||
| + | # "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" – 3:22 | ||
| + | # "Man in a Shed" – 3:55 | ||
| + | # "Fruit Tree" – 4:50 | ||
| + | # "Saturday Sun" – 4:03 | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
Revision as of 11:49, 19 June 2008
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Five Leaves Left, recorded in 1969, was the first of three albums by British folk musician Nick Drake.
Like Bryter Layter and unlike Pink Moon, this album contains no completely solo songs. Nick was accompanied by members of the British folk-rock group Fairport Convention.
Album information
The title of the album is said to be derived from a contemporary message contained within packets of Swan cigarette papers, which warned people that only five papers were left in the packet. It is sometimes suggested that this was aimed at people rolling marijuana joints, since many joints required five individual papers in order to be assembled. However, even up to the present day many smokers in the UK prefer to roll their own tobacco cigarettes. Rizla is the most popular brand of "skins" for this purpose as well. Today the message near the end of a pack of Rizlas reads "There's only 10 left." instead of "Five leaves left."
There has been some speculation into the name being acquired from O. Henry's short novel The Last Leaf, in which a woman states that she can happily die when all the leaves have fallen from her tree, she states that it will not be long as there are only five leaves left .
Reception and influence
Five Leaves Left was ranked 85th in a 2005 survey held by British television's Channel 4 to determine the 100 greatest albums of all time.
Track listing
All songs written by Nick Drake
- "Time Has Told Me" – 4:27
- "River Man" – 4:21
- "Three Hours" – 6:16
- "Way to Blue" – 3:11
- "Day Is Done" – 2:29
- "'Cello Song" – 4:49
- "The Thoughts of Mary Jane" – 3:22
- "Man in a Shed" – 3:55
- "Fruit Tree" – 4:50
- "Saturday Sun" – 4:03
