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ProgFrog635 
Forum Newbie
Joined: November 06 2004
Location: United States
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Points: 9
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 Topic: Best prog lyrics? (literary or otherwise)
Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:08 |
If you could pick some prog rock songs with the best lyrics, which songs would you choose? In terms of literary quality, sophistication, originality, or just sheer eloquence?
The reason I'm asking is because I'm planning on writing a thesis on prog rock as a literary movement, and am in the process of compiling a list of great prog songs (or albums) that showcase the lyrical genius of prog rock. There are SO many, I'm having trouble picking a few that really, really stand out. The lyrics of Peter Sinfield, for example, or Jon Anderson, come to mind, but I'm trying to think of some specific songs to interpret and would gladly appreciate any input...specific lines too!
Oh yeah, I've been a member on here for a long time, but haven't made hardly any posts, so I figure now is a good time to start. 
Thanks!
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Chicapah
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 14 2006
Location: United States
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Points: 8238
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:12 |
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Been listening to "Wish you were here" and am convinced that Waters' lyrics are still as amazing and viable today as they were 30 years ago.
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"Literature is well enough, as a time-passer, and for the improvement and general elevation and purification of mankind, but it has no practical value" - Mark Twain
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moonlitbay
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 08 2005
Location: Norway
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Points: 201
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:20 |
Daniel Gildenloew's Pain Of Salvation.
The lyrics on the album Remedy Lane is fantastic and really moving.
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A reunion.......it will never happen in my lifetime!!
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moonlitbay
Forum Senior Member
Joined: September 08 2005
Location: Norway
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Points: 201
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:21 |
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He knows you know, and Sugar mice by Marillion.
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A reunion.......it will never happen in my lifetime!!
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ProgBagel
Prog Reviewer
Joined: May 13 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 2819
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:22 |
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Pink Floyds 'Animals'. Pain of Salvation's 'Remedy Lane'.
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moonlitbay
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Joined: September 08 2005
Location: Norway
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:23 |
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Evergrey: The inner circle
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A reunion.......it will never happen in my lifetime!!
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Avantgardehead
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 29 2006
Location: Dublin, OH, USA
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Points: 1170
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:40 |
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A handful of King Crimson stuff. "Lizard", "The Letters", "21st Century Schizoid Man", and many others come to mind.
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http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian
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tszirmay
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: August 17 2006
Location: Canada
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Points: 6673
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 19:26 |
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Most obviously Sinfield's poetry both with KC, PFM and solo (on which he says :The Sea Goat casts aquarian runes through beeds of mirrored tears). Then Fish both with early Marillion and on his stupendous debut solo "The Vigil", Ian Anderson is loaded with humor, sarcasm and at times a little innuendo. Waters can write (or is that Wright?), the sadly departed Robert Calvert of Hawkwind, the weird Daevid Allen of Gong, the highly underrated Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music, Guy Manning and in French, the inimitable and irrascible Christian Decamps of Ange. Decamps & Sinfield rule, though.
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cynthiasmallet
Forum Senior Member
Joined: October 01 2007
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 545
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 19:38 |
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Just about every track from the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
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Would you like to watch TV, or get between the sheets, or contemplate the silent freeway, would you like something to eat?
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xhouse
Forum Groupie
Joined: July 08 2005
Location: United States
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Points: 83
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 21:16 |
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Peter Hammill, specifically "the Lie" from Silent Corner and the Empty Stage.
http://www.sofasound.com/lyrix.htm
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Between Thought and Expression Lies True Perception
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ProgFrog635
Forum Newbie
Joined: November 06 2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 9
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 22:27 |
 ProgBagel wrote:
Pink Floyds 'Animals'. Pain of Salvation's 'Remedy Lane'. |
Yeah, Animals is great, a bit Orwellian in concept but conceived brilliantly. One line in the song 'Dogs' really stands out to me:
"And when you loose control, you'll reap the harvest you have sown
And as the fear grows, the bad blood slows and turns to stone
And it's too late to loose the weight you used to need to throw around
So have a good drown, as you go down, all alone
Dragged down by the stone."
Awesome. Also, Close to the Edge...I can't even begin interpret that stuff  "Passed around a moment clothed in mornings faster than we see...." Haha, I'm not sure I know what it means, but it sounds good!
Thanks all for the replies!
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allan Duul II
Forum Groupie
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Wales
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Points: 56
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 23:02 |
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Animals, Wish you were here and Dark side and most other floyd Lyrics. Apart from them, from my experience the lyrics have been utter sh*te. Though I do love the fun humorous lyrics of the Canterbury Scene. Oh and Magma of course :P
I usually prefer my Prog Rock as instrumental as possible, as unless the lyrics are either inspiering or amusing I don't pay much attention to them.
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Jshutt64
Forum Senior Member
Joined: January 06 2008
Location: California, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 116
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Posted: January 12 2008 at 23:18 |
Of course I'm biased, but Opeth's lyrics really do it for me. Mikael's grasp of the English language is nothing short of amazing...and the themes he puts in his songs are very satisfying.
The entire album of "Still Life" has my favorite lyrics ever.  |
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Zwerg Bart
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Joined: September 29 2007
Location: United States
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Points: 62
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 00:26 |
I am also a huge fan of Akerfeldt's lyrics.
There's some great stuff on Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica. I particularly like the line: "her lovin' makes me so happy, if I smiled I'd crack my chin."
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"Freud's cranium is a snail!" - Dali
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-Radioswim-
Forum Senior Member
Joined: December 15 2005
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 331
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 02:02 |
I find the lyrics in ELP's Tarkus (while breaf) to be very powerful
Has the dawn ever seen your eyes?
Have the days made you so unwise?
Realize, you are.
Had you talked to the winds of time,
Then you'd know how the waters rhyme,
Taste of wine,
How can you know where you've been?
In time you'll see the sign
And realize your sin.
Will you know how the seed is sown?
All your time has been overgrown,
Never known.
Have you walked on the stones of years?
When you speak, is it you that hears?
Are your ears bone?
You can't hear anything at all.
If that's not eloquence, i dont know what is...
By the way, good luck in your writing.
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Ahmadbarqawi
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 10 2007
Location: Jordan
Status: Offline
Points: 149
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 02:26 |
hmm for me its:
1- all lyrics by the band "Tinyfish"
2- Anathema (especially the albums "Judgement" & "Eternity")
3- I think Geoff Tate is a master of this craft especially on the early Queensryche albums
4- Paul O'niel (Producer of Savatage) is a great Lyricist
& you might as well check out an album by "viggo mortensen" (the guy from the lord of the rings), i know its not prog but its basically Poetry set to music done by Buckethead & you might find some interesting stuff in there...
& speaking of Poetry; how about the doors?
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{Flashlights shade shrunken views
Of a red demon’s foxtrot in brews
Guns & flowers crown morning news
Panic-stricken guilt now ensues}
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sean
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 02 2005
Location: United States
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Points: 1155
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 02:35 |
Definitely Peter Hammil, the way he was able to capture so many emotions with his lyrics was so powerful. For specific songs, Childlike Faith in Childhood's End comes to mind, as to A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers and Refugees also come to mind, but most of their songs will do anyway. But the main point is, read the lyrics to Childlike Faith in Childhood's End, it's a brilliant pondering of life after death. Existence is a stage on which we pass, a sleepwalk trick for mind and heart: it's hopeless, I know, but onward I must go and try to make a start at seeing something more than day-to-day survival chased by final death. .... Peter's a pretty wordy guy but it's worth it to read them all.
Post edited, please see my later post
Edited by Easy Livin - January 13 2008 at 10:45
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fuxi
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 08 2006
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 2459
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 06:07 |
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Hmmm... 'Keep it simple' seems to be the best policy. I agree with Progfrog and Progbagel that Roger Waters used to be a highly efficient lyricist, on "Dogs" in particular. When you grow up with a track like that, you can never get it out of your head. The same goes for SELLING ENGLAND and THE LAMB LIES DOWN, at least for me, but here it's not so much the message that appeals to me but rather PG's baroque word-play! I also enjoy AQUALUNG, and even MINSTREL IN THE GALLERY (particularly the lyrics on the B-side), but as I indicated once before, Ian Anderson can be rather vague sometimes, and you hear him thinking: "Oh, the cleverness of me!"
I have similar problems with Pete Hammill: he's far too verbose. When you just see his words printed, they do not convince, but they really come alive through his extraordinary performances.
Someone mentioned the Canterbury Scene. Well, Robert Wyatt and his partner Alfreda Benge can be very, very good - particularly on SHLEEP, CUCKOOLAND and - dammit, what was last year's album called again? No showing off, just evoking sad, dreamy, confused, angry moods. Superb!
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sleeper
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 08:31 |
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People have already said PoS's Remedy Lane, but I'd add The Perfect Element to that as well. Other songs/albums I love the lyrics too:
Opeth- The Drapery Falls
Saens- Babel Lights, XX84
Marillion- Brave (whole album), Estonia, The Invisable Man, The Party, Somewhere Else
Dream Theater- The Mirror, Voices
Genesis- The Kniefe, Firth of Fifth, Can-Utility and the Coastliners, Get 'Em Out By Friday, Dancing with the Moonlit Knight
Pain of Salvation- Entropia, One Hour by the Concrete Lake, BE
Pinl Floyd- Darkside of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, The Wall
King Crimson- Starless, Easy Money
Van der Graaf Generator- Lost, Pioneers Over C, Man Erg, Lemmings, The Emporer in His War Room, Every Bloody Emporer, Nutter Alert
Threshold- Turn on Tune in, Narcissus, Paradox, Sanity's End, The Latent Gene, Pilot in the Sky of Dreams
Tool- Vicarius, Parabol/Parabola, Wings for Mary/ 10 000 Days (Wings for Mary Pt2)
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Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Codis
Forum Groupie
Joined: January 06 2006
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 75
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Posted: January 13 2008 at 08:44 |
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What about Gerald Bostock's masterpiece "Thick As A Brick"? Or "A Passion Play"?
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 Grammy Award Winning Jethro Tull! 1989 Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance 
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Best prog lyrics? (literary or otherwise)
