The most clever thing you've heard in prog lyrics - Progressive Rock Music Forum

Most folks ignore The Final Cut, but it has my favorite moments from Roger Waters. Lyrically, it is Pink Floyd/Roger's peak -

"Gunner's Dream"

Good-bye Mags.
Good-bye Ma.
After the service when you're walking slowly to the car
And the silver in her hair shines in the cold November air
You hear the tolling bell
And touch the silk in your lapel
And as the tear drops rise to meet the comfort of the band
You take her frail hand
And hold on to the dream.
A place to stay
Enough to eat

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"Two Suns in the Sunset"

like the moment when your brakes lock
and you slide toward the big truck
and stretch the frozen moments with your fear
and you'll never hear their voices
and you'll never see their faces
you have no recourse to the law anymore
and as the windshield melts

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"The Fletcher Memorial"

they can polish their medals and sharpen their
smiles, and amuse themselves playing games for a while
boom boom, bang bang, lie down you're dead
safe in the permanent gaze of a cold glass eye
with their favourite toys

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Bitter, bitter stuff.

It isn't prog, but the lyrical quality of Leonard Cohen needs to be mentioned.

"Everybody knows"

Everybody knows that its now or never

Everybody knows that its me or you

Everybody knows that you live forever

Ahh, when you've done line or two

Everybody knows that the deal is rotten

Old black Joe is still pickin' cotton

For your ribbons and bows

Everybody knows

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Edited by ExittheLemming - June 17 2012 at 07:30

He gave her his town house and his racing horses. Each meal she ate was a dozen courses. She had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes. She sat around and counted them all a million times.

Robert Calvert made a lot great ones. my favorite is this:

petro dollar, petro dollar,
petro dollar, petro dollar,
petro dollar, petro dollar,
petro d' Allah"

A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival.

...ya know? ....then ya just dump the bag after ya vacum!!!!

Originally posted by BaldJean

Robert Calvert made a lot great ones. my favorite is this:

petro dollar, petro dollar,
petro dollar, petro dollar,
petro dollar, petro dollar,
petro d' Allah"

What does it mean?

"Composing itself, in a way, is a simplifying process, just trying to pick some (strands?) out [of] the clamour in the head." - Robert Wyatt.

^ What song is that from and by who? 'Cause I can't find it in Google.

"Composing itself, in a way, is a simplifying process, just trying to pick some (strands?) out [of] the clamour in the head." - Robert Wyatt.

From Pat Traver's album Putting It Straight, it is kind of prog, i guess

from "Life In London", a song about the scene in England around 1977, I've always liked these lines

"Well, I'd like to see,
Some peace and harmony
   Well, everybody thinks differently,
    But that shouldn't mean a thing,
     Shouldn't mean a thing"

"and what music unites, man should not take apart"--Helmut Koellen

"Strangers passing in the street, by chance two separate glances meet, and I am you and what I see is me" from Echoes by Pink Floyd. "I am you and what I see is me" What a line!

“Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind. ”
― George Orwell

Rush - Losing It

The dancer slows her frantic pace
In pain and desperation,
Her aching limbs and downcast face
Aglow with perspiration

Stiff as wire, her lungs on fire,
With just the briefest pause,
The flooding through her memory,
The echoes of old applause.

Peart really grew into a fantastic lyricist when he ditched the fantasy stuff, but for some reason that's all anyone seems to remember him for...

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*Ta for the edit: it probably should have crossed my mind not to post the whole bloody thing. Sorry!

Edited by JS19 - June 17 2012 at 13:43

Everything under the sun is in tune

But the sun is eclipsed by the moon

-"Eclipse", Pink Floyd

I don't know how many people interpret this the way I do, but that's one of my favourite parts about music; it means different things to everyone.

Anyway, the way I see it, this means that everything might be a little chaotic, going poorly, or "out of tune" at the moment, but just like an eclipse, it'll pass. Then everything will be under the sun again, and "everything under the sun is in tune". I think it's worded cleverly too; everything's fine, except for the fact that actually nothing is at the moment. But it will be!

Those two lines single-handedly changed my view on music from something people listen to, to something people live through.

And everything under the sun is in tune
But the sun is eclipsed by the moon

Originally posted by Gentle Gryphon

I'll go with KC's Epitaph..Best one I've heard so far..
''Knowledge is a deadly friend,if no one sets the rules..The faith of all mankind I see,is in the hands of fools..''

I agree. But it's so difficult to say, because prog rock is here to say only clever ideas.

It doesn't feel so very bad now,
I think the end is the start.
Begin to feel very glad now.
All things are a part