Denny recorded a first demo of the song in 1966. It was the second song she ever completed. She again recorded the song as a
demo in 1967, singing and playing guitar on the track. In 1967 she joined the folk band
The Strawbs, and in 1968 she re-recorded the song, again with only her voice and guitar, for what became the Strawbs album
All Our Own Work, which was not released until 1973. (This version has the opening line "Across the purple sky..." She released her recording first as the
B-side of her version of "
Both Sides, Now", and then as the title track of her album
Who Knows Where the Time Goes, both released in 1968. Hers was the first commercially released recording of the song. In 1968, Denny joined the folk-rock band
Fairport Convention. She recorded the song on her second album with the band, the 1969 album
Unhalfbricking. This version had more of a rock influence, although it retained its tranquil and contemplative spirit, with Richard Thompson playing the delicate guitar licks (that are fed through the right audio channel on the track). The song became a
signature song for both Denny and Fairport Convention, and was subsequently covered by many artists. It was the last song Denny sang at her last ever performance, before she died at age 31. ==Structure and lyric==