Folk Song's 40-Year Journey from Juvenile to Anthem

Richard Thompson once dismissed "Meet On The Ledge," a song he wrote for Fairport Convention in 1968, as "immature, juvenile." Now, this track is a much-loved communal singalong, closing the band's annual Cropredy Convention. The festival in Cropredy, Oxfordshire, typically hosts 15,000 music lovers.

The song's journey began when Thompson, then 18, co-founded Fairport Convention in 1967. Initially experimental, the band quickly signed to Island Records. After Sandy Denny joined in 1968, the band's songwriting improved significantly, incorporating traditional British music.

Thompson penned "Meet On The Ledge" with a melodic idea first, followed by lyrics about future connection and love. Bandmates recognized its special quality, though Thompson remained private about its meaning. Recorded with a powerful chorus, it became Fairport's second single in December 1968.

While not a chart hit, the song gained traction, and its meaning deepened over time, especially after personal tragedies, including the 1969 van accident that killed drummer Martin Lamble and Thompson's girlfriend, and Denny's death in 1978. By 1980, "Meet On The Ledge" was a traditional curtain closer at Cropredy.

Thompson now respects the song, acknowledging that "the public own it now." He views it as a powerful evocation of the past, while bandleader Ashley Hutchings considered it a "heavyweight composition." For attendees, it has become a unifying hymn.