The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) by George Harrison

Album: All Things Must Pass (1970)

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This song was inspired by the English lawyer, Sir Frank Crisp (1843-1919), who was the original owner of Friar Park, which Harrison purchased in 1970. A keen horticulturist, he developed spectacular public gardens in his mansion's grounds. Harrison's 1976 song "Crackerbox Palace," was also inspired by Friar Park. Harrison's widow, Olivia, recalled to The Sun June 12, 2009: "I love that song. George was a young man - aged 27 - when he bought it. The garden was derelict and overgrown. It would take a rare person to look at that and say, "This is great." But he just set about restoring it. It's really a beautiful, beautiful place and it was just about doing it for the love of it."
The lyrics are derived from phrases inscribed around the grounds at Friar Park. The song has been described as a love song to the house made with its own words. >>
Suggestion credit:
Joey - Athens, GA
The Friar Park estate has caves, an underground lake, and many more eccentricities that fascinated Harrison, who lived there until his death. The album cover is a photo of Harrison at Friar Park surrounded by some of his garden gnomes.
This is one of 23 songs released on All Things Must Pass, Harrison's first solo album after The Beatles broke up. The album was produced by Phil Spector with a few dozen renown musicians contributing. On "The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp," Billy Preston, who was one of the few outside musicians to play on some Beatles recordings, played organ. Other musicians on the track were:

Harrison: vocals, guitar
Bobby Whitlock: piano
Gary Wright: electric piano
Pete Drake: pedal steel guitar
Klaus Voormann: bass guitar
Alan White: drums

Comments: 7

Mikman from CaliforniaOhhh Sir Frankie Crisp.
Craig from CaliforniaSir Frank Crisp was a 19th century English lawyer who built Friar Park, the estate that George bought in 1970. Crisp decorated the house and grounds with aphorisms such as "The answer's at the end" (which George used in another song). The song is kind of a guided tour of the property, pointing out the hedge maze and the woods. I'm not sure about Joan and Molly, but I think I remember reading somewhere that they are a pair of statues in the house near a staircase.
Cecile from Châteaubourg, France@ Madison from Norway, ME : the background voices are saying "Sir Fran... kie Crisp" ;-)
Madison from Norway, MeI can't tell what the voices are saying in the background. It sounds like they're saying "So Far....So Far....".
Hernan from Buenos Aires, ArgentinaIn this nice song many of the characters named along it are the same as the characters of certain Beatles' songs:
Joan (Maxwell Silver Hammer)
Molly (OBLADI OBLADA)
Eyes...full of inner light (Innner Light)
Fool's illusions everywhere(The fool on the hill)
and so forth
It seems to be a song that recalls old Beatles' times that will never come back again (let it roll)
It is one of the best of such great album

Hernán
Kurt from Flemington, NjThis is a great song...also, on a rare Harrison CD titled Beware of Abcko! which consists os 1970 summer rehearsals, there is a song titled "Everybody, Nobody." This song is acoustical and the guitar is exactly the same as the guitar on "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll).
Josh from Plainview, NyGood song but strange lyrics. Anyone have any idea what they mean?

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