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Topic ClosedPeter Sinfield Lyrics

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Poll Question: Peter Sinfield's best lyrical work:
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
11 [29.73%]
3 [8.11%]
7 [18.92%]
4 [10.81%]
6 [16.22%]
2 [5.41%]
0 [0.00%]
0 [0.00%]
4 [10.81%]
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Magnum Vaeltaja View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Peter Sinfield Lyrics
    Posted: October 08 2016 at 13:04
Peter Sinfield was one of the most prolific prog lyricists way back when, and collaborated with some of the genre's biggest names. 

Never mind the music, or the vocal delivery; which of these albums do you think represents his best lyrical work?
when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 13:28
I think he was generally a terrible lyricist - guilty of much pretentious, half-baked Sixth Form poetry.

Having said that, he did occasionally manage something decent, and the lyrics to 21st Century Schizoid Man still hold up rather well. So I voted ItCotCK.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 15:08
King Crimson - In The Wake of Poseidon - Cat Food
"Everyone is born with genius, but most people only keep it a few minutes"
and I need the knits, the double knits!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 15:10
Originally posted by EddieRUKiddingVarese EddieRUKiddingVarese wrote:

<span style=": rgb240, 241, 245;">King Crimson - In The Wake of Poseidon - Cat Food</span>


That's the other one I like!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 17:47
Sinfield's lyrics on Love Beach are inspired
Actually, I've always loved his solo album Still. A beautiful work of discriptive poetry.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 18:14
Other: Land of Make Believe
What?
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 19:34
Islands, because of "The Letters". Love that track. Strong and moving lyrics. And the rest of the album (both lyrical- and musical-wise) ain't bad either, really underrated. 
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 08 2016 at 21:51
Originally posted by Dean Dean wrote:

Other: Land of Make Believe
Good ol' Buck's Fizz eh ??
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 09 2016 at 02:18
Other:  'Officer and Gentleman' by ELP - the line about 'central heating' is priceless!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 09 2016 at 09:47
Originally posted by Tom Ozric Tom Ozric wrote:

Sinfield's lyrics on Love Beach are inspired
Actually, I've always loved his solo album Still. A beautiful work of discriptive poetry.
Yes, his solo album's lyrics are quite good.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 09 2016 at 10:28
BSS. His lyrics on Karn Evil 9 are amazing. Closely followed by ITCOTCK.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 09 2016 at 11:37
BSS followed by Islands.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2016 at 12:28
"The Seagoat casts aquarian runes through beads of mirrored tears" from his solo album remains a fave. And how about "Gargoyles chewing on wet cigars" for vivid imagery? 
Pretentious is a big word used negatively by pretentious critics who slammed prog back in 1977 when it as the media's national sport.  
I never post anything anywhere without doing more than basic research, often in depth.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2016 at 12:53
Originally posted by The Bearded Bard The Bearded Bard wrote:

Islands, because of "The Letters". Love that track. Strong and moving lyrics. And the rest of the album (both lyrical- and musical-wise) ain't bad either, really underrated. 

I also voted for Islands, in large part because of The Letters, although there are lyrics that I adore from every one of the first four KC albums. I certainly agree with you, it's a very underrated album, and took me a few years to truly appreciate it.

The Letters has such phenomenally descriptive language:

With quill and silver knife
She carved a poison pen
Wrote to her lover's wife:
"Your husband's seed has fed my flesh".

As if a leper's face
That tainted letter graced
The wife with choke-stone throat
Ran to the day with tear-blind eyes.

Formentera Lady also has fantastic imagery. The first verse takes me right to the Mediterranean:

Houses iced in whitewash guard a pale shore-line
Cornered by the cactus and the pine.
Here I wander where sweet sage and strange herbs grow
Down a sun-baked crumpled stony road.

I think my all-time favourite Peter Sinfield song lyrics-wise is Islands, though. The whole thing is breathtakingly beautiful, but this line may be the one that stands out most for me:

Gaunt granite climbs where gulls wheel and glide
Mournfully glide o'er my island.

As far as Sinfield lyrics from other albums that I adore, there's:

Moonchild:

Sailing on the wind
In a milk white gown
Dropping circle stones on a sun dial
Playing hide and seek
With the ghosts of dawn
Waiting for a smile from a sun child

In The Wake of Poseidon:

Bishop's kings spin judgment's blade
Scratch "Faith" on nameless graves.

Their children kneel in Jesus till
They learn the price of nails,
Whilst all around our mother earth
Waits balanced on the scales

Cirkus:

Night: her sable dome scattered with diamonds

when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2016 at 13:01
Voted Lizard and was delighted the poll result had three 6's until just recently!
Maybe Crimson King has the first initial shock of new, but compared "I Talk To The Wind" and "Happy Family" as lyrics, "Moonchild" to "Indoor Fireworks".
The first album captured the lyrical innocence but Lizard is really (well for me) my get to for thinking of Pete Sinfield.
The innocence replaced by this cackling resentful tongue.
No wonder he left, but I can't think his lyrics for Islands were as inspiring as he was on Lizard.
And yeah, Karn Evil 9, but he should never co_write lyrics!

Edited by AZF - October 10 2016 at 13:03
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 10 2016 at 13:58
I voted for Islands, mostly for the title track. Sinfield could write some incredible nature poetry. Another terrific example from his solo album--though actually it dates from the pre-Crimson days:
 
High in the hawthorn tree
Bee and butterfly
Seek fortune in the leaves
Under the sky.
 
So simple and effective.
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 11 2016 at 21:30
I'll go for Court because it's still my favorite though there are lyrics all over Poseidon, Lizard, and Islands that are excellent.

Edited by dr wu23 - October 11 2016 at 21:33
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: October 12 2016 at 12:16
Court, though the rest of the stuff he did with Crimson was pretty good.
He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!
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