VIDEO Incredible String Band - Three Is A Green Crown

Incredible String Band - Three Is A Green Crown The YouTube video features the song "Three Is A Green Crown" by the Incredible String Band, taken from their iconic 1968 album The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter. This track highlights the band's signature blend of folk, psychedelic rock, and whimsy, showcasing their unique sound and lyrical depth. The Incredible String Band is known for their eclectic music style, which often incorporates a variety of instruments and influences, enriching the listening experience. "Three Is A Green Crown" is no exception, as it weaves melodic vocals with intricate instrumentals, reflecting the band's innovative approach to music during the late 1960s. While the video does not provide captions or a transcript, the visuals accompanying the song often enhance the ethereal nature of their performances and the themes explored in their music. The imagery resonates with the band’s psychedelic aesthetic, drawing viewers further into their artistry. For fans of the Incredible String Band or those exploring 1960s music, this song encapsulates a pivotal era of artistic experimentation. Have you listened to this track before? What are your thoughts on the themes presented in their music? Feel free to share your experiences or discuss related artists in the comments! Engage with other community members about your favorite tracks from the era or any off-topic discussions related to the music scene of the 60s and 70s.

This is a delightfully strange piece of late-1960s or early-1970s British acid-folk filmmaking. The clip opens at a megalithic stone tomb site on a misty hillside before introducing three women in flowing, floral-adorned gowns engaging in a mystical ritual with a crystal ball. Intercut with their ritual is a theatrical, painted-faced figure who lurks in the foliage, dances through open fields clad in branches, and wields a sword. The musical backing is pure vintage psych-folk, built around acoustic guitar strumming, harp, and dramatic, layered vocal harmonies chanting poetic, esoteric verses.
The imagery gets increasingly surreal around 2:20 as the disguised figure scrambles through high grass wearing a bizarre bird-like mask, before transitioning to an indoor tent scene where he reclines on a patterned rug, surrounded by painted cardboard faces, eating pears off a plate. A woman playing a Celtic harp accompanies the vocal trade-offs around 5:45 as the song drifts into a dreamlike, hypnotic meditation on nature, transformation, and mysticism. The handheld camera work, soft lighting, and grainy film stock give the entire performance a wonderfully authentic, unearthed artifact quality.
It has that distinct, unpolished charm of the UK underground folk scene—think Incredible String Band or Third Ear Band mixed with the pagan atmosphere of The Wicker Man. Whether it was originally an art school project, a promotional film, or a piece of forgotten experimental television, it captures a very specific era when folk music and avant-garde theatrical storytelling collided. It’s definitely worth a watch for anyone who appreciates oddball vintage cinema and hypnotic acoustic tunes.