The Weaver's Answer
Encyclopedia
"The Weaver's Answer" is a song by the British progressive rock band Family
that is the first track on their 1969 album Family Entertainment.
, in the late sixties. It was performed live frequently before being properly recorded in the studio. Family also performed "The Weaver's Answer" for BBC Radio 1
in September 1968. Family Entertainment was issued the following February.
Once it was widely available on record, "The Weaver's Answer" became Family's signature song, becoming their most popular stage number. When the band performed their final concert on October 13, 1973, "The Weaver's Answer" was the last song in the set.
After an instrumental break (see below), the old man grows more sorrowful, remembering the day his wife died and being unable to see his grandchildren after age has robbed him of his sight. Suddenly, he regains his sight to see the weaver's loom drawing closer. Realizing that he's about to see his life as a tapestry, the old man understands the reason why - because he's about to die.
Some Family fans have suggested that the "weaver" is the Lord, but to state that the "weaver" is the Christian God is unlikely. The weaver is thus an unspecified poetic device; the weaver's answer is, in fact, death itself. "The Weaver's Answer" portended a trend toward songs about mortality such as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" by Blue Öyster Cult
.
Commenting on the meaning in his own web guestbook, Roger Chapman said "The 'Weaver' in question comes from mythology, folklore and a bit of acid! Include any Marvel hero, Aesop's Fables, anything simply written with a moral and a story I could understand and make sense of. All the stuff I was interested in as a kid, read about and later included in my story telling."
The mythological origins of the 'weaver' can be found in the story of Arachne and Athena: http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/athena/stories/athena-arachne
This story also features in the song 'The Goddess and the Weaver' recorded by Australian pagan folk rock band 'Spiral Dance. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQvW3cLNXg&playnext_from=TL&videos=bNtd1wmTeV0)
As with Family's 'The Weaver's Answer, the Spiral Dance lyrics also suggest that the "weaver" is connected with processes of life and death, where Athena comes to earth to view the "sins and the secrets of the gods" on the tapestry that Arachne has woven depicting their lives.
In the context of pagan symbolism, the mortal 'weaver of live' Arachne, and the goddess Athena who controls the loom, could be interpreted as representing the 'bright goddess' of fertility and physical life, and the 'dark goddess' of the realm beyond the physical world out of which all is born and ultimately returns to in death, in a continuous cycle of regeneration and renewal. (Source: 'Reincarnation and the Dark Goddess' by Rae Beth, http://libraries.wiltshire.gov.uk/02_Catalogue/02_005_TitleInformation.aspx?searchTerm=Beth%2C+Rae&searchTerm2=&searchTerm3=&searchTerm4=&searchType=0&Page=1&media=&branch=&authority=&language=&junior=&rcn=0709054041&fr=tl)
Musically, there is also some similarity between underlying rhythm and chord structure in the Spiral Dance 'weaver' song and Family's 'the Weaver's Answer. In a podcast interview the singer and composer, Adrienne Piggot, mentions having been influenced by British bands such as Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac, so it's possible that Family may also have been an influence. (Podcast of interview available at: http://www.spiraldance.com.au/)
and Glyn Johns
on Family Entertainment, The Weaver's Answer is a stately, polite rock song slowly and quietly opened by Whitney's guitar and Ric Grech
's violin. The drums of Rob Townsend
come into the mix to propel the song at a faster tempo, with Grech's bass providing a strong undercurrent and Chapman's vocals giving a desperate voice to the old man's sentiments. The music gets heavier and more intense while remaining understated, slipping into an instrumental break punctuated by Jim King's brooding saxophone and Whitney's biting guitar. The song slowly continues to build into intensity, with Chapman's bleating vibrato becoming inescapable and unsettling, up to the revelation of the old man's death. With that the song slips back to where it began, with Grech's violin more prevalent as it represents the old man's passage into the next world.
and multi-instrumentalist John "Poli" Palmer respectively replaced Grech and King, Family redid The Weaver's Answer as a loud, violent song in concert. Palmer offered a fiery flute solo in the instrumental break that replaced King's saxophone, and Whitney's guitar became more vicious; both of these changes in the arrangement brought the song into Jethro Tull
territory. The most notable differences were Chapman's voice, as he punctuated his delivery with bloodcurdling screams, while Townsend's drum patterns became more devastating. Subsequent personnel changes after 1971 forced Family to alter this arrangement slightly - Weider's departure that June precluded them from employing the violin that had become integral to the song - but "The Weaver's Answer" never lost its popularity with Family fans.
In June 2006 Roger Chapman performed the song with a new orchestral arrangement. It was specially written by the German composer and arranger Ingo Laufs for the open-air concert Bridges to Classic at Haendel-Festival in Halle/Germany.
's weekend broadcasts on the BBC's Radio 2. Though it is a natural "classic rock" number, Family's signature song gets little airplay in the United States - an indication of the band's lack of success in that country.
Family (band)
Family were an English rock band that formed in late 1966 and disbanded in October 1973. Their style has been characterised as progressive rock, although their sound often explored other genres, incorporating elements of styles like as folk, psychedelia, acid, jazz fusion and rock and roll...
that is the first track on their 1969 album Family Entertainment.
History
"The Weaver's Answer" was composed by the two leaders of Family, guitarist Charlie Whitney and lead vocalist Roger ChapmanRoger Chapman
Roger Chapman , also known as Roger "Chappo" Chapman and Chappo, is an English rock vocalist. He is best known as a member of the Progressive rock band Family, which he joined along with Charlie Whitney, in 1967 and also the rock, R&B band Streetwalkers formed in 1974...
, in the late sixties. It was performed live frequently before being properly recorded in the studio. Family also performed "The Weaver's Answer" for BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
in September 1968. Family Entertainment was issued the following February.
Once it was widely available on record, "The Weaver's Answer" became Family's signature song, becoming their most popular stage number. When the band performed their final concert on October 13, 1973, "The Weaver's Answer" was the last song in the set.
Lyrics
"The Weaver's Answer" is one of Family's more straightforward songs; it's about an old man asking for the "weaver of life" to show him "the patterns of my life gone by upon your tapestry". As the song gets underway, the old man recounts his childhood, his first love, and the day he took a wife; he wonders aloud how it looks on the fabric from the weaver's loom. He goes on to ruminate about his sons and how they grew into adulthood to take wives of their own.After an instrumental break (see below), the old man grows more sorrowful, remembering the day his wife died and being unable to see his grandchildren after age has robbed him of his sight. Suddenly, he regains his sight to see the weaver's loom drawing closer. Realizing that he's about to see his life as a tapestry, the old man understands the reason why - because he's about to die.
Some Family fans have suggested that the "weaver" is the Lord, but to state that the "weaver" is the Christian God is unlikely. The weaver is thus an unspecified poetic device; the weaver's answer is, in fact, death itself. "The Weaver's Answer" portended a trend toward songs about mortality such as "(Don't Fear) The Reaper
(Don't Fear) The Reaper
" The Reaper" is a song by the rock band Blue Öyster Cult from their 1976 album, Agents of Fortune. It was written and sung by the band's lead guitarist, Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser and was produced by David Lucas, Murray Krugman, and Sandy Pearlman. It is built around Dharma's guitar riff that...
" by Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult
Blue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
.
Commenting on the meaning in his own web guestbook, Roger Chapman said "The 'Weaver' in question comes from mythology, folklore and a bit of acid! Include any Marvel hero, Aesop's Fables, anything simply written with a moral and a story I could understand and make sense of. All the stuff I was interested in as a kid, read about and later included in my story telling."
The mythological origins of the 'weaver' can be found in the story of Arachne and Athena: http://www.greek-gods.info/greek-gods/athena/stories/athena-arachne
This story also features in the song 'The Goddess and the Weaver' recorded by Australian pagan folk rock band 'Spiral Dance. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VQvW3cLNXg&playnext_from=TL&videos=bNtd1wmTeV0)
As with Family's 'The Weaver's Answer, the Spiral Dance lyrics also suggest that the "weaver" is connected with processes of life and death, where Athena comes to earth to view the "sins and the secrets of the gods" on the tapestry that Arachne has woven depicting their lives.
In the context of pagan symbolism, the mortal 'weaver of live' Arachne, and the goddess Athena who controls the loom, could be interpreted as representing the 'bright goddess' of fertility and physical life, and the 'dark goddess' of the realm beyond the physical world out of which all is born and ultimately returns to in death, in a continuous cycle of regeneration and renewal. (Source: 'Reincarnation and the Dark Goddess' by Rae Beth, http://libraries.wiltshire.gov.uk/02_Catalogue/02_005_TitleInformation.aspx?searchTerm=Beth%2C+Rae&searchTerm2=&searchTerm3=&searchTerm4=&searchType=0&Page=1&media=&branch=&authority=&language=&junior=&rcn=0709054041&fr=tl)
Musically, there is also some similarity between underlying rhythm and chord structure in the Spiral Dance 'weaver' song and Family's 'the Weaver's Answer. In a podcast interview the singer and composer, Adrienne Piggot, mentions having been influenced by British bands such as Jethro Tull and Fleetwood Mac, so it's possible that Family may also have been an influence. (Podcast of interview available at: http://www.spiraldance.com.au/)
Music
As performed by Family and produced by John GilbertJohn Gilbert
John Gilbert may refer to:*John Gilbert , Bishop of Hereford, 1375–1389*John Gilbert , Archbishop of York*John Gilbert , land agent and engineer...
and Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns
Glyn Johns is a musician, recording engineer and record producer.-Career:He has worked with such artists as Bob Dylan, The Beatles, The Easybeats, The Band, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Eagles, Eric Clapton, The Clash, The Steve Miller Band, Small Faces, Spooky Tooth, The Ozark...
on Family Entertainment, The Weaver's Answer is a stately, polite rock song slowly and quietly opened by Whitney's guitar and Ric Grech
Ric Grech
Richard Roman Grech was a British rock musician.-Career:Grech originally gained notice in the United Kingdom as the bass guitar player for the progressive rock group Family. He joined the band when it was a largely blues-based live act in Leicester known as the Farinas; he became their bassist in...
's violin. The drums of Rob Townsend
Rob Townsend
Rob Townsend is a British rock and blues drummer. He was influenced by jazz greats such as Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa and is best known for being the drummer for progressive rock band Family and later The Blues Band....
come into the mix to propel the song at a faster tempo, with Grech's bass providing a strong undercurrent and Chapman's vocals giving a desperate voice to the old man's sentiments. The music gets heavier and more intense while remaining understated, slipping into an instrumental break punctuated by Jim King's brooding saxophone and Whitney's biting guitar. The song slowly continues to build into intensity, with Chapman's bleating vibrato becoming inescapable and unsettling, up to the revelation of the old man's death. With that the song slips back to where it began, with Grech's violin more prevalent as it represents the old man's passage into the next world.
Live performances
Charlie Whitney and Roger Chapman were never satisfied with how "The Weaver's Answer" came out in the studio, finding the arrangement too mannered. When bassist/violinist John WeiderJohn Weider
John Weider is a rock musician who plays guitar, bass, and violin. He is best known as the bass player for the British band, Family from 1969 to 1971.-Biography:...
and multi-instrumentalist John "Poli" Palmer respectively replaced Grech and King, Family redid The Weaver's Answer as a loud, violent song in concert. Palmer offered a fiery flute solo in the instrumental break that replaced King's saxophone, and Whitney's guitar became more vicious; both of these changes in the arrangement brought the song into Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull (band)
Jethro Tull are a British rock group formed in 1967. Their music is characterised by the vocals, acoustic guitar, and flute playing of Ian Anderson, who has led the band since its founding, and the guitar work of Martin Barre, who has been with the band since 1969.Initially playing blues rock with...
territory. The most notable differences were Chapman's voice, as he punctuated his delivery with bloodcurdling screams, while Townsend's drum patterns became more devastating. Subsequent personnel changes after 1971 forced Family to alter this arrangement slightly - Weider's departure that June precluded them from employing the violin that had become integral to the song - but "The Weaver's Answer" never lost its popularity with Family fans.
In June 2006 Roger Chapman performed the song with a new orchestral arrangement. It was specially written by the German composer and arranger Ingo Laufs for the open-air concert Bridges to Classic at Haendel-Festival in Halle/Germany.
Radio play
The Weaver's Answer still gets airplay in Great Britain, most notably on Bob HarrisBob Harris (radio)
Robert Brinley Joseph "Bob" Harris, OBE , known as "Whispering" Bob Harris, is British radio host who currently works for BBC Radio 2, presenting music two nights a week...
's weekend broadcasts on the BBC's Radio 2. Though it is a natural "classic rock" number, Family's signature song gets little airplay in the United States - an indication of the band's lack of success in that country.
External links
- Family Bandstand (includes video of The Weaver's Answer live)