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Eria Tarka 
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 Posted: August 26 2012 at 16:59 |
Robert Wyatt's lyrics aren't great in the first SM albums, but in a way the lyrics are what made the albums great.  If you know what I mean 
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The Doctor
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 16:10 |
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I don't think that prog is plagued by poor lyrics any more than any other genre of music. You should try listening to some country music ("Drop Kick Me Jesus Through the Goal Posts of Life" or "Proud to be an American" come to mind) or current pop music ("Skater Boy" or some of Taylor Swift's musings anyone?) for some really god-awful lyrics. I saw that the OP mentioned Fish as an example. I think Fish is an incredible lyricist, as is Peter Hammill, Roger Waters, Neil Peart (although I didn't like some of his earlier Randian lyrics, they were still well-written I thought). Now some prog falls into the Tolkien trap and when they yammer on about goblins and orcs and swords and wizards, it can start to sound pretty cheesy (although I even like this in small doses).
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I can understand your anger at me, but what did the horse I rode in on ever do to you?
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Earthmover
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 15:51 |
 Josef_K wrote:
@mister nobody
Just my preference but I tend to get really bored with those lyrics glorifying the typical rock n roll lifestyle. I guess I prefer the fantasy stuff etc, I just don't find anything silly in it like many people seem to do ^^
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Indeed. Fantasy lyrics are created with more imagination and creativity than "lets make a rock hit" lyrics, which I find all over the rock scene.
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HURBRET
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 15:50 |
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I guess something a lot of people dislike about prog's lyrics is they're often "nerdy," but I guess to me, the nerdiness is what makes some of them interesting. I find fantasy more interesting because if I wanted realism, I'd go out into the real world every once in a while. I rather like most of prog's lyrics, especially the ones that make no sense.
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"I don't know if I like it, but it's what I meant."
~Ralph Vaughan Williams, on his fourth symphony
"I don't know if it's what I meant, but I like it."
~Me, on basically everything I've created.
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Josef_K
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 15:22 |
heptadecagon wrote:
I tend to like prog lyrics, certainly more than anything played by other bands people I know listen to. Some lyrics can be very profound, intelligent, and emotional, but of course some lyrics are outright nonsense, at least to me. (Jon Anderson, I'm thinking of you) |
Just saying, you are entitled to your opinion but these lyrics are some of the finer poetry I've ever seen. Not THE best maybe, but still freaking awesome.
"Straight light moving and removing, sharpness of the colour sun shine Straing light searching all the meanings of the song Long last treatment of the telling that relates to all the words sung Dreamer easy in the chair that really fits you
Love comes to you and then after, dream on to the heart of the sunrise Sharp! Distance! How can the sun with its arms all around me Sharp! Distance! How can the wind with so many around me I feel lost in the city..."
Add the incredible musical contrasts in this song, the excellent dynamic shifts and the plain godlike musicianship of all members in the band... I just want to close my eyes and fade away every time I hear "Heart of the Sunrise". Granted, there are better lyricists than Jon Anderson, but I've never read anything bad from him, at least not from the 70s.
@mister nobody
Just my preference but I tend to get really bored with those lyrics glorifying the typical rock n roll lifestyle. I guess I prefer the fantasy stuff etc, I just don't find anything silly in it like many people seem to do ^^
Edited by Josef_K - August 26 2012 at 15:27
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Leave the past to burn,
At least that's been his own
- Peter Hammill
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heptadecagon
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 13:13 |
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I tend to like prog lyrics, certainly more than anything played by other bands people I know listen to. Some lyrics can be very profound, intelligent, and emotional, but of course some lyrics are outright nonsense, at least to me. (Jon Anderson, I'm thinking of you)
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And your wise men don't know how it feels... to be thick as a brick.
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Earthmover
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Joined: June 03 2012
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 09:50 |
Every genre has bad lyrics and good lyrics. Take a look at this:
Living easy, living free Season ticket on a one-way ride Asking nothing, leave me be Taking everything in my stride Don't need reason, don't need rhyme Ain't nothing I would rather do Going down, party time My friends are gonna be there too I'm on the highway to hell No stop signs, speed limit Nobody's gonna slow me down Like a wheel, gonna spin it Nobody's gonna mess me round Hey Satan, payed my dues Playing in a rocking band Hey Momma, look at me I'm on my way to the promised land I'm on the highway to hell (Don't stop me) And I'm going down, all the way down I'm on the highway to hell
I'd take (nearly) any prog lyrics over this.
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Josef_K
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 08:33 |
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I think progressive rock has some of the best lyricists ever, both during its golden era and today. Many progressive rock songs have wonderful poetry to go along with the beautiful music. Sometimes when bands try to blend in too much comedy in their work I might find that a bit disturbing, but that's just my preferences, I still consider it to be excellent from an "objective" standpoint.
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Leave the past to burn,
At least that's been his own
- Peter Hammill
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Meta
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Joined: August 22 2012
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Posted: August 26 2012 at 03:40 |
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Peter Sinfield singlehanded elevates prog lyrics.
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KingCrInuYasha
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 20:47 |
Dellinger wrote:
ZeppelinTull wrote:
Have you ever listened to the album by Genesis called: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway? It has some of the greatest lyrics and music i've ever heard. |
Yeah, I know that album and those lyrics. And they don't do anything to me but put me away from some of the songs. I don't really like those "funny-like" lyrics and so on, about slippermen with squeaky feet, and serpents with female faces and so on. Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy and mythology, I just don't like the way Gabriel paints those fantasy images in my head. I would say the same things about songs like "Musical Box", "Return of the Giant Hogweed", "Fountain of Salmacis", and "All in a Mouses Night" (though that last one wasn't Gabriel's work). |
Personally, I think Gabriel-rea Genesis was one of the better users of fantasy lyrics; I love the weirdness I get from those albums.
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He looks at this world and wants it all... so he strikes, like Thunderball!
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Dellinger
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 18:49 |
Alitare wrote:
What's wrong about writing about losing a loved one? That, in and of itself, can be ambiguous.Take, for example, Cohen's 'Famous Blue Raincoat'. It is effectively a song about losing a loved one (two of them, possibly). The song isn't regarding losing a loved one in death, but in betral, secrecy, grief, jealousy, regret, and virulent acceptance. It is so ambiguous and vague, yet scathingly direct. It ain't prog, either. Of course, hardly anybody could beat L. Cohen at the lyrics game, prog or otherwise. When it comes to pure poetry, I'd take him over Dylan (although not musically, not ever). I don't think I had a relevant point, though. I just had 'Famous Blue Raincoat' going on in my head - among others. And the skylight is like skin for a drum I'll never mend. And all the rain fell down, amen, on the works of last year's man. So bitter, so deep, so striking and well-written. I wish he'd stop making music and just release beat poetry (which is kinda what he's doing now, too bad his voice is wrecked beyond repair). |
I don't think there's much particularly wrong about love lyrics, or lyrics about losing someone. It's just that they are so common, that I thank prog artists for attempting, often enough, to depart from such toppics. Of course, they are not always succesful trying to diversify their lyrics, and sometimes you will find someone writing better love lyrics than progers writing... whatever they want to write about. But sometimes you will find some good prog artsits writing good lyrics too. I just don't think that prog artistst are worse lyristist just because they are prog, nor do I think that pop or rock artists are worse or better lyricists just for writing love songs.
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Dellinger
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 18:43 |
ZeppelinTull wrote:
Have you ever listened to the album by Genesis called: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway? It has some of the greatest lyrics and music i've ever heard. |
Yeah, I know that album and those lyrics. And they don't do anything to me but put me away from some of the songs. I don't really like those "funny-like" lyrics and so on, about slippermen with squeaky feet, and serpents with female faces and so on. Don't get me wrong, I love fantasy and mythology, I just don't like the way Gabriel paints those fantasy images in my head. I would say the same things about songs like "Musical Box", "Return of the Giant Hogweed", "Fountain of Salmacis", and "All in a Mouses Night" (though that last one wasn't Gabriel's work).
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Dellinger
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 18:39 |
Horizons wrote:
Stevo wrote:
coolerking wrote:
I remember Q magazine reviewing (I think) Big Generator and they said Jon Anderson's lyrics would struggle to get a pass in A level English.
He definitely comes up with certain phrases that fit beautifully to certain passages of the music but in general I find his lyrics incomprehensible. |
That used to really bother me about YES, until I started to think of his lyrics like I would an impressionistic painting. They are very effective at creating a mood , or a suggestion of a scene. |
That's how they're supposed to be interrupted. Not all lyrics have to be blatant stories, or have zero subtlety. They can be ambiguous, mysterious, abstract. Too me, lyrics are another instrument. They can just sound good to make me connect to them, not talk about losing a love one or whatever.
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Indeed, that's what Jon Anderson himself has said. He sometimes chooses lyrics for how the words sound together, not necessarily for their meaning. For him lyrics (not only vocals) are another instrument. I think it's an interesting idea. I wouldn't like everyone doing that kind of stuff, though. Still, I think Anderson went over the top with his lyrics for Close to the Edge, talking about seasoned witches and rearanging livers.
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Monadology
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 17:32 |
Horizons wrote:
That's how they're supposed to be interrupted.
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So you're not supposed to sing with the song? Concerts must've been interesting. 
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Snow Dog
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 09:35 |
ZeppelinTull wrote:
Have you ever listened to the album by Genesis called: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway? It has some of the greatest lyrics and music i've ever heard.
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No. We don't know that one.
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Alitare
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 09:31 |
What's wrong about writing about losing a loved one? That, in and of itself, can be ambiguous.
Take, for example, Cohen's 'Famous Blue Raincoat'. It is effectively a song about losing a loved one (two of them, possibly). The song isn't regarding losing a loved one in death, but in betral, secrecy, grief, jealousy, regret, and virulent acceptance. It is so ambiguous and vague, yet scathingly direct. It ain't prog, either. Of course, hardly anybody could beat L. Cohen at the lyrics game, prog or otherwise. When it comes to pure poetry, I'd take him over Dylan (although not musically, not ever).
I don't think I had a relevant point, though. I just had 'Famous Blue Raincoat' going on in my head - among others. And the skylight is like skin for a drum I'll never mend. And all the rain fell down, amen, on the works of last year's man. So bitter, so deep, so striking and well-written. I wish he'd stop making music and just release beat poetry (which is kinda what he's doing now, too bad his voice is wrecked beyond repair).
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Horizons
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 07:56 |
Stevo wrote:
coolerking wrote:
I remember Q magazine reviewing (I think) Big Generator and they said Jon Anderson's lyrics would struggle to get a pass in A level English.
He definitely comes up with certain phrases that fit beautifully to certain passages of the music but in general I find his lyrics incomprehensible. |
That used to really bother me about YES, until I started to think of his lyrics like I would an impressionistic painting. They are very effective at creating a mood , or a suggestion of a scene. |
That's how they're supposed to be interrupted. Not all lyrics have to be blatant stories, or have zero subtlety. They can be ambiguous, mysterious, abstract. Too me, lyrics are another instrument. They can just sound good to make me connect to them, not talk about losing a love one or whatever.
Edited by Horizons - June 01 2012 at 07:56
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Crushed like a rose in the riverflow.
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Stevo
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 07:35 |
coolerking wrote:
I remember Q magazine reviewing (I think) Big Generator and they said Jon Anderson's lyrics would struggle to get a pass in A level English.
He definitely comes up with certain phrases that fit beautifully to certain passages of the music but in general I find his lyrics incomprehensible. |
That used to really bother me about YES, until I started to think of his lyrics like I would an impressionistic painting. They are very effective at creating a mood , or a suggestion of a scene.
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ZeppelinTull
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Posted: June 01 2012 at 06:02 |
Have you ever listened to the album by Genesis called: The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway? It has some of the greatest lyrics and music i've ever heard.
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Find a queen without a king,
They say she plays guitar and cries and sings...
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harmonium.ro
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Posted: May 30 2012 at 04:17 |
One shouldn't take Dy'er Mak'er seriously, it's a parody. I've no problem with the less than great lyrics from other genres, as they normally don't advertise themselves as sporting fancy lyrics.
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Prog often Plagued by Poor Lyrics?
