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Best and Worst prog lyrics

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Topic: Best and Worst prog lyrics
Posted By: Frets N Worries
Subject: Best and Worst prog lyrics
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 13:08
Give me any number of lyricists, then state your favorite and least favorite lyrics by them. Simple premise I think.. something like this: (this is an example and does not reflect my opinion)

Peter Hamill
Best: 'If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man'

Worst: 'The Maelstrom of my memory is a vampire and it feeds on me, now staggering madly over the brink I fall'

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The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...



Replies:
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 13:16
ELP  Best-                                     "Hallowed Be Thy Name"

There may be an om in moment
But there's very few folk in focus
Not the first, not the last, not the least
You needn't be well to be wealthy
But you've got to be whole to be holy
Fetch the rope, fetch the clock, fetch the priest
Oh this planet of ours is a mess
I bet Heaven's the same
Look the madman said, "Son,
As a friend, tell me what's in a name"
Hallowed be thy name.

I give you the state of statesmen
And the key to what motivates them
On the left, on the right, on the nail
Still I don't see a man in a mansion
That an accurate pen won't puncture
Go to town, go to hell, go to jail
And there's bars and saloons
Where the jukebox plays blues in the night
Till the madman says "Son,
Time to go we could both use some light"
And thy will be done

We live in an age of cages
The tale of an ape escaping
In the search for some truth he can use
But many a drunk got drunker
And mostly a thinker, thunker
Set the place, set the time, set the fuse,
The optimist laughed and the pessimist cried in his wine
And the madman said "Son,
Take a word they'll all wake given time"
Let thy kingdom come

The madman and I got drunker
Till both thought the other tank you
And we laughed all the way to the stars
The optimist asked for a taste of the pessimist's wine
And the madman said "Son,
How do you feel?" I said "Me? I feel fine
Lead me into temptation
Into temptation
I said into temptation
I need my allocation of recreation
I want a revelation in degradation
No hesitation, give me variation, give me inspiration"



worst
Love Beach

Now that the coast is clear
I'm moving out of here
It's time to disappear - with you,.
To where the skies are blue
I want you by my side
Don't look so mystified

You know I said I'd
Always take you to love beach
Out of reach of the eagles eyes tonight
We can make it to love beach
Where pirate moons, throw silver spoons
Across the waves to you

Back when it all began
I was your highway man
Now I've got a different plan
For you

And me beside the deep blue sea
The way it's meant to be
Oh you'll believe me
When you see the ocean roll up
And the sun turn a mighty red

You can walk love beach forever
Till it lives inside your head .. I said
I want you by my side
I'll keep you satisfied
My love won't hide


Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 13:32
Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

Peter Hamill
Best: 'If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man'
 
I feel like I'm being invoked.
 



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No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 13:33
^I do love that line, and you're how I found it

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 13:47
Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

^I do love that line, and you're how I found it
 
Thumbs Up
 
I'm not sure what my favourite Peter Hammill / VdGG lyric is. There are so many great ones to choose from. The one you quote is from a song that speaks to me personally, especially when I was younger. Plus it has an awesome ending.
 



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No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.


Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 14:04
Here is my corrected my initial post. I need to pay more attention.

Rush
Subdivisions - great lyrics

"Growing up, it all seems so one-sided
Opinions all provided
The future pre-decided
Detached and subdivided
In the mass-production zone
Nowhere is the dreamer
Or the misfit so alone"

I Think I'm Going Bald - not so great lyrics

"I looked in the mirror today
My eyes just didn't seem so bright
I've lost a few more hairs
I think I'm going bald"


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 18:01
ELP Best
The Endless Enigma Pt1
From The Beginning
The Sheriff (their only humourous track that ever worked)
Trilogy
Pirates
Memoirs Of An Officer and a Gentleman Pt1
The Sage

ELP Worst
A Taste Of My Love
Daddy
Still You Turn Me On
Jeremy Bender
Tiger In A Spotlight
Benny The Bouncer
Lucky Man (might be controversial but its always struck me as a bit silly lyric wise ''He had white horses and ladies by the score'' Lake was no budding Bob Dillon for sure although I do love his work on Trilogy. After that Pete Sinfield got involved and Lake often didn't write the lyrics)





Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 18:27
Worst?  My own, hands down. 

From my non-hit, "Romanian Fluids"....

The Black Sea washes the broken shore
And the barrier shapes all around....
I cast my eyes on a blackened moon
That the shoreline police haven't found....
The air is so cold in the presence of these
Uncountable fluids I see.....
Their story relayed is retold in the waves
And the burden is now placed on me.....

(backstory - I visited Romania in 1979, when it was Communist and under the rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu.) 
The country was overrun with intimidating military police, carrying AK-47s.  It was a very interesting trip.  I did hear "Awaken" on Romania radio!


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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 20:29
^Lyrics aren't that bad, better than something I'd write

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: JD
Date Posted: September 16 2023 at 21:09
I'll start with these...

ELP Best
Cold and misty morning, I heard a warning borne in the air
About an age of power where no one had an hour to spare,
Where the seeds have withered, silent children shivered, in the cold
Now their faces captured in the lenses of the jackals for gold.
Thumbs Up
Beautifully poetic

ELP Worst
Go down gently
With your face to the east
The sun may be rising
But we haven't finished the feast

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody ever loved you
Climb on my rocket
And we'll fly
Sick
Ok, we get it Greg, you're getting laid.



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Thank you for supporting independently produced music


Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 00:17
Originally posted by JD JD wrote:


ELP Worst
Go down gently
With your face to the east
The sun may be rising
But we haven't finished the feast

I'm gonna love you
Like nobody ever loved you
Climb on my rocket
And we'll fly
Sick
Ok, we get it Greg, you're getting laid.


oh yeah, horrid, I hope the "taste of my love" does have the meaning many think it has. 


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 00:47
Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

^Lyrics aren't that bad, better than something I'd write

Thanks!  I'd LOVE to put stuff online, but it is all on cassette tapes, and I have to have them digitized etc. 

I play bass with Squire's technique, play Fripp-like fuzz tone guitar leads, and have a whiny, nasal Eno-esque voice!  It has made for hilarious music with my friends over the years!  Watch this space....


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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 02:42
Oasis
Best:
  • Cast No Shadow
  • Gas Panic
Worst:
  • Little James
  • Stop Crying Your Heart Out (the music is kickass but the lyrics are too vanilla and repetitive)


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“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
— Ernest Vong


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 06:09
^Nothing Oasis did is worse than 'slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball, where were you while we were getting high?"

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: wiz_d_kidd
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 10:56


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“I don’t like country music, but I don’t mean to denigrate those who do. And for those who like country music, denigrate means to ‘put down.'” – Bob Newhart


Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 10:56
Originally posted by wiz_d_kidd wiz_d_kidd wrote:


LOL
this one never gets old LOL


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 11:23
Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 


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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 11:36
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 


Because nothing screams Prog as much as Blind Guardian.

Prog, and I think Prog fans, have often been very associated with the fantasy genre generally by people. So you have things like Uriah Heep's Demons and Wizards, Hawkwind music, numerous references to Lord of The Rings (Camel with Nimrodel..., Rush with Rivendell...).

I heard someone once ask something like, "As you like Prog, does that men you are also into Dungeons & Dragons?" I think it's broad fantasy stereotype associated with Prog, and with kinds of heavy rock and power metal.... And I think the cape and costumes add to that fantasy image.

-------------
Just a music fan passing through trying to fill some void. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4IKuxIZkenfvukL_Y8VBqzK" rel="nofollow - Various music I am into now: a youtube playlist


Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 12:51
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 
Neal Morse sings about his imaginary friend a lot. Similar to fairies and elves to me.   


Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 15:18
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 
Neal Morse sings about his imaginary friend a lot. Similar to fairies and elves to me.   


Comparing Neal Morse's friend to fairies and elves is like comparing homepathy to magic. :)

Anyway, if you want some real prog fantasty shіt there's always Three Magicians Suite Part 1 by Banzai.


-------------
“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
— Ernest Vong


Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 16:12
The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 


Posted By: JD
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 16:13
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 
Neal Morse sings about his imaginary friend a lot. Similar to fairies and elves to me.   
LOLLOL   Classic, Richard Dawkins would be proud of you for that one !


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Thank you for supporting independently produced music


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 17:43
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

Yeah, that one always struck me as pretty damn bad!!  LOL

He could have used "puff adder" (One of the most widespread venomous snakes, puff adders are native to Africa and parts of the Saudi Arabian peninsula),  "bladder,"  "fatter" (certainly applied to Greg Lake) and so forth.  Those all would have been better than "ladder." 


-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:05
Rush (both from the song territories with the last one from the Manhatten project):

Best: "A whole wide world an endless universe yet we keep looking through the eye glass in reverse. Don't feed the people but we feed the machines. Can't really say what international means.

Worst (and from the same song): "Better people better food better beer."

Also from same album:  "All the brightest boys to play with the biggest toys."


Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:07
The ELP ladder thing has some other deeper significance. I don't remember the details but if you google it it might pop up.


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:15
Pink Floyd:
Worst: I though I though of everything

Best: just the entirety of 'Time'

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: mathman0806
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 18:42
I often don't pay much attention to lyrics, but the good lyrics quoted for Rush do stand out. I like the lyrics from Between the Wheels:

You know how that rabbit feels
Going under your speeding wheels
Bright images flashing by
Like windshields towards a fly
Frozen in the fatal climb
But the wheels of time
Just pass you by
Wheels can take you around
Wheels can cut you down

And I have a hard time with the lyrics in Dog Years:

In the dog days
People look to Sirius
Dogs cry for the moon
But those connections are mysterious

It seems to me
While it's true that every dog will have his day
When all the bones are buried
There is barely time to go outside and play

Dog years, it's the season of the itch
Dog years, with every scratch it reappears
Dog years, for every sad son of a bitch
Dog years, with his tail between his ears



Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 19:12
Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 


Because nothing screams Prog as much as Blind Guardian.

Prog, and I think Prog fans, have often been very associated with the fantasy genre generally by people. So you have things like Uriah Heep's Demons and Wizards, Hawkwind music, numerous references to Lord of The Rings (Camel with Nimrodel..., Rush with Rivendell...).

I heard someone once ask something like, "As you like Prog, does that men you are also into Dungeons & Dragons?" I think it's broad fantasy stereotype associated with Prog, and with kinds of heavy rock and power metal.... And I think the cape and costumes add to that fantasy image.
 
Even Van der Graaf Generator had "Necromancer". Actually, I find the association of prog with fantasy somewhat off-putting, though I'm ok with science fiction in prog.
 



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No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 19:29
Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Originally posted by Logan Logan wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Why do so many prog-critics complain about lyrics regarding "Fairies," "Elves" etc.??

I'm hard-pressed to think of any prog music with those lyrics! 


Because nothing screams Prog as much as Blind Guardian.

Prog, and I think Prog fans, have often been very associated with the fantasy genre generally by people. So you have things like Uriah Heep's Demons and Wizards, Hawkwind music, numerous references to Lord of The Rings (Camel with Nimrodel..., Rush with Rivendell...).

I heard someone once ask something like, "As you like Prog, does that men you are also into Dungeons & Dragons?" I think it's broad fantasy stereotype associated with Prog, and with kinds of heavy rock and power metal.... And I think the cape and costumes add to that fantasy image.
 
Even Van der Graaf Generator had "Necromancer". Actually, I find the association of prog with fantasy somewhat off-putting, though I'm ok with science fiction in prog.
 

There is quite a bit in prog-related - Queen's "Fairy Feller's Master Stroke," Uriah Heep's "Wizard" etc. 

However, the lyrics of Yes, King Crimson and Genesis, although fanciful, do not go down the rabbit hole of fantasy in the form of Dungeons & Dragons etc.   Beats the hell out of me how that started!!  


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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 21:30
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

Yeah, the backstory to those lyrics is better than the lyric itself, and it wasn't so bad as to prevent them naming a whole tour after them.

Personally I cringe when I hear:

"How did he lose
Six Million Jews."

As for "Lucky Man", Lake wrote those lyrics when he was 12 and it was nothing more than a filler to begin with. It was only the magnificent first take moog solo at the end that lifts it above mediocre (and if I'm not mistaken, it is probably ELPs best known/ most popular song).

Yes, Lakes lyrics have always been somewhat soft around the edges, however the debut does feature Lakes best lyrics (IMHO) with both "Take a Pebble" and "Knife Edge".


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I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas


Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: September 17 2023 at 21:55
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Personally I cringe when I hear:

"How did he lose
Six Million Jews."
 
I'm a little curious as to specifically why... that whole track is very anti-religious.
 
 
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

As for "Lucky Man", Lake wrote those lyrics when he was 12 and it was nothing more than a filler to begin with. It was only the magnificent first take moog solo at the end that lifts it above mediocre (and if I'm not mistaken, it is probably ELPs best known/ most popular song).
 
In Australia (at least), ELP's version of "Fanfare for the Common Man" became synonymous with sporting events for decades following the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
 
On television, I sometimes hear parts of "Karn Evil 9" played in shows set in the '70s.
 



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No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.


Posted By: Deadwing
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 02:22
Worst, Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet - "An xbox is a god to me", etc


Posted By: Criswell
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 07:35

IMO, any lyrics Dave Cousins (Strawbs) writes are a cut above most anything else out there.

There are so many awful Prog Rock lyrics that I don’t know where to start.



Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 12:50
Originally posted by Criswell Criswell wrote:

IMO, any lyrics Dave Cousins (Strawbs) writes are a cut above most anything else out there.

There are so many awful Prog Rock lyrics that I don’t know where to start.


I agree completely!  

I also enjoy Jon Anderson's gibberish, songs like "To Be Over" have moved me greatly.  


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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: altered_beast
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 18:20
Being a tiger means your mate when overfed
will defecate in places least expected.
Jethro Tull-Tiger Tune

Not sure whether to say it’s best or worst. To each his own I guess. Nothing like some warped potty humor from Jethro Tull.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 21:11
Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

“Somebody get me a ladder” refers to hitting rock bottom and wanting help to climb out.




-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 21:18
- not a terrible lyric, its more the ''even though your flesh has crystallized'' bit I don't like personally and in general its just very heavy handed. For me most of Lake's best lyrics are on Trilogy including the excellent From The Beginning especially showed that he could write a great lyric as well as the pseudo hymn The Endless Enigma. I also enjoy the romanticism of Trilogy a lot. However as good as they tracks were on the album, ELP though struggled to get these songs across live and so I think a more theatric approach beckoned. Context is important here.


Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 22:43
Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

Personally I cringe when I hear:

"How did he lose
Six Million Jews."

 
 
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

As for "Lucky Man", Lake wrote those lyrics when he was 12 and it was nothing more than a filler to begin with. It was only the magnificent first take moog solo at the end that lifts it above mediocre (and if I'm not mistaken, it is probably ELPs best known/ most popular song).
 
In Australia (at least), ELP's version of "Fanfare for the Common Man" became synonymous with sporting events for decades following the Montreal Olympics in 1976.
 
On television, I sometimes hear parts of "Karn Evil 9" played in shows set in the '70s.
 


Sure, I'm an Aussie to, but I wonder how many people even knew who "Fanfare..." was by, let alone listen to the whole track from beginning to end.

...and "Lucky Man" was featured on "The Simpsons".

For me, those lines from (Hymn) just seem to trivialize what it's trying to address. A simplistic take on an extremely complex situation.

Why not attack this god for the total 60 million people estimated to have died during that particular conflict?


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I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas


Posted By: Hugh Manatee
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 22:56
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by Psychedelic Paul Psychedelic Paul wrote:

The best and the worst lyrics all in one song....

ELP - Still You Turn Me On

Every day a little sadder
A little madder
Someone get me a ladder 

“Somebody get me a ladder” refers to hitting rock bottom and wanting help to climb out.



That ladder line refers to just how crazy the whole ELP stage experience had become. It references Emersons continued escalation in showman ship, specifically when Emerson had his keyboard rig lifted off the stage, at one point failing and leaving Emerson stranded in mid air, a situation which facilitated Emerson calling out for the aforementioned piece of climbing equipment.

The song itself is Lake addressing his audience, saying that no matter the madness, it was all worth it for the crowd reaction.



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I should have been a pair of ragged claws
Scuttling across the floors of uncertain seas


Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: September 18 2023 at 23:33
^ I thought they could not find a better rhyme for "sadder". Big smileLOL


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 06:12
such a cynic when there are so many great options

what about?

''Curse my inadequate bladder''

or 

''Damn, nearly stood on an adder''


or even

'' yadda, yadda, yadda!''

(ok not enough syllables in that last one but why spoil a good 'joke' Wink)


Posted By: Spacegod87
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 06:23
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

However, the lyrics of Yes, King Crimson and Genesis, although fanciful, do not go down the rabbit hole of fantasy in the form of Dungeons & Dragons etc.   Beats the hell out of me how that started!!

 I reckon a lot of prog SOUNDS nerdy to people who aren't into prog.

I remember my younger brother walking into the room while I was playing 'Karn Evil 9' and his exact words were: "What the hell is this nerd sh*t?"  lol.

And what do people associate nerds with? High fantasy, D&D, etc.


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Levitating downwards,
atomic feedback scream.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 12:35
Originally posted by Spacegod87 Spacegod87 wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

However, the lyrics of Yes, King Crimson and Genesis, although fanciful, do not go down the rabbit hole of fantasy in the form of Dungeons & Dragons etc.   Beats the hell out of me how that started!!

 I reckon a lot of prog SOUNDS nerdy to people who aren't into prog.

I remember my younger brother walking into the room while I was playing 'Karn Evil 9' and his exact words were: "What the hell is this nerd sh*t?"  lol.

And what do people associate nerds with? High fantasy, D&D, etc.

Good point, mate!  

I guess that, upon casual listening, early KC (ITCOTCK for example) went close to the fantasy realm....

The rusted chains of prison moons 
Are shattered by the sun, 
I walk a road, horizons change
The tournament's begun....

etc. etc. 

Plus the artwork, especially "Lizard" (drawing more from medieval England than Tolkien).  It still featured a few "worms" aka dragons etc.  




-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 12:36
I'm surprised no one has mentioned 'Time Table' it's pretty fantasy

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 15:10
Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

I'm surprised no one has mentioned 'Time Table' it's pretty fantasy

Actually, I view it as more of a lens through history!  Gabriel is pining about the days of King Arthur & knights of the round table. 

"Time Table" does not seem to be the most popular Genesis song on this website, but I think it is sublime! 

A carved oak table, 
Tells a tale 
Of times when kings and queens sipped wine from goblets gold, 
And the brave would lead their ladies from out of the room to arbors cool. 
A time of valor, and legends born 
A time when honor meant much more to a man than life 
And the days knew only strife to tell right from wrong 
Through lance and sword. 
Why, why can we never be sure till we die 
Or have killed for an answer, 
Why, why do we suffer each race to believe 
That no race has been grander 
It seems because through time and space 
Though names may change each face retains the mask it wore. 
A dusty table 
Musty smells 
Tarnished silver lies discarded upon the floor 
Only feeble light descends through a film of grey 
That scars the panes. 
Gone the carving, 
And those who left their mark, 
Gone the kings and queens now only the rats hold sway 
And the weak must die according to nature's law 
As old as they. 
Why, why can we never be sure till we die 
Or have killed for an answer, 
Why, why do we suffer each race to believe 
That no race has been grander 
It seems because through time and space 
Though names may change each face retains the mask it wore.




-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 15:17
Here's a REALLY hot take, I like it more than Watcher of the Skies. (as of now, but that'll probably change)

An underrated gem for sure!

On an unrelated note, Cstack joined prog archives the same day my brother was born! Day, Month, and Year!!


-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 18:25
Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

Here's a REALLY hot take, I like it more than Watcher of the Skies. (as of now, but that'll probably change)

An underrated gem for sure!

On an unrelated note, Cstack joined prog archives the same day my brother was born! Day, Month, and Year!!

An auspicious event for sure!  Clap


-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 19:58
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

Here's a REALLY hot take, I like it more than Watcher of the Skies. (as of now, but that'll probably change)

An underrated gem for sure!

On an unrelated note, Cstack joined prog archives the same day my brother was born! Day, Month, and Year!!

An auspicious event for sure!  Clap

Indeed!


-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 20:08
Here, I'll do my own (Atmos)

Picking a worst one was hard, they're all not great...

(Taken from Part 8 of 'The Stardust Medley')

VIII. BACK

Please come back

Why did you go

Don’t fade into black

We hope you enjoyed the show

Of radiation seeping into his soul

There’s no way he could’ve survived

Please come back

Come Back

Come Back

Come Back…


That needs a re-write... well, making a debut is a learning experience.

Taken from "Hole in the Wall"

The end does not come quickly

As we are drifting here alone

The officer with open casket

The frozen child with no home


None of em are great, check the album's comments on YouTube for all the lyrics. everyone can pick out a least favorite then LOL





-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 19 2023 at 23:51
Hi,

The sad side for me, as a writer, is that there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" and every day I look at this thread, I get sadder yet some more.

Thousands of years of literature and stuff has a lot of different ways to saying things, but we think some is good and the rest is bad ... and in the end, that is an illusion ... since a bad actor and singer can make one lyric sound right and better than it might be.

Some folks think that Prufrock is nuts and an ideal in poetry ... others think Shakespeare is ... and in the end, that is not the point ... the expression that it brought out is ... and there is no better or worse, but I get really sad seeing this commercially minded thing consistently putting down material that has a right to be there ... regardless of what we think!


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 20 2023 at 11:56
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Hi,

The sad side for me, as a writer, is that there is no such thing as "good" or "bad" and every day I look at this thread, I get sadder yet some more.

Thousands of years of literature and stuff has a lot of different ways to saying things, but we think some is good and the rest is bad ... and in the end, that is an illusion ... since a bad actor and singer can make one lyric sound right and better than it might be.

Some folks think that Prufrock is nuts and an ideal in poetry ... others think Shakespeare is ... and in the end, that is not the point ... the expression that it brought out is ... and there is no better or worse, but I get really sad seeing this commercially minded thing consistently putting down material that has a right to be there ... regardless of what we think!

Thanks for bringing up literature! 

I've always considered Jon Anderson of Yes to be an English poet in the mold of the famous "Romantic" movement (Shelley, Keats, Byron etc.).  Sure, some (much) of his stuff is a confusing hash, but when he is on, he is sublime!  

Not far behind Anderson is Peter Gabriel.  The sign of good lyrics is that they stand on their own as poetry, without the music.  

Prog is fortunate to have many excellent poets contributing.  Peter Sinfield, Richard Palmer James and others were visionaries.  I'd add Ian Anderson to the mix.  

Thoughts?


-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 20 2023 at 11:59
^ Hamill? Waters?

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 20 2023 at 18:23
Originally posted by Frets N Worries Frets N Worries wrote:

^ Hamill? Waters?

Hi,

I wonder if he knows of Roy Harper? ... heck, even Bob Dylan! Robin Williamson! Heck, Jim M even has books of poetry available.

One of our old favorites in the 60's started their material with a poem ... and we thought it was cool, too!


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: September 20 2023 at 18:25
^ ALL those are great, I'm a huge Dylan fan myself, but these are prog lyricists only sadly.

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: September 20 2023 at 21:22
Drink up dreamers, you're running dry            (love this)

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Lady kiss that frog                                        (hate this)



Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 21 2023 at 02:54
I like a lot of Al Stewart's lyrics. He was on the fringe of prog perhaps but he researched a lot of historical stuff. I love Roads To Moscow  especially

They crossed over the border, the hour before dawn
Moving in lines through the day
Most of our planes were destroyed on the ground where they lay
Waiting for orders we held in the wood
Word from the front never came
By evening the sound of the gunfire was miles away
Ah, softly we move through the shadows, slip away through the trees
Crossing their lines in the mists in the fields on our hands and on our knees
And all that I ever was able to see
The fire in the air glowing red, silhouetting the smoke on the breeze
All summer they drove us back through the Ukraine
Smolensk and Viasma soon fell
By autumn we stood with our backs to the town of Orel
Closer and closer to Moscow they come
Riding the wind like a bell
General Guderian stands at the crest of the hill
Winter brought with her the rains, oceans of mud filled the roads
Gluing the tracks of their tanks to the ground while the sky filled with snow
And all that I ever was able to see
The fire in the air glowing red silhouetting the snow on the breeze
In the footsteps of Napoleon the shadow figures stagger through the winter
Falling back before the gates of Moscow, standing in the wings like an avenger
And far away behind their lines the partisans are stirring in the forest
Coming unexpectedly upon their outposts, growing like a promise
You'll never know, you'll never know which way to turn, which way to look you'll never see us
As we're stealing through the blackness of the night
You'll never know, you'll never hear us
And the evening sings in a voice of amber, the dawn is surely coming
The morning roads leads to Stalingrad, and the sky is softly humming
Two broken Tigers on fire in the night
Flicker their souls to the wind
We wait in the lines for the final approach to begin
It's been almost four years that I've carried a gun
At home it will almost be spring
The flames of the Tigers are lighting the road to Berlin
Ah, quickly we move through the ruins that bow to the ground
The old men and children they send out to face us, they can't slow us down
And all that I ever was able to see the eyes of the city are opening
Now it's the end of the dream
I'm coming home, I'm coming home, now you can taste it in the wind, the war is over
And I listen to the clicking of the train-wheels as we roll across the border
And now they ask me of the time that I was caught behind their lines and taken prisoner
"They only held me for a day, a lucky break, " I say they turn and listen closer
I'll never know, I'll never know why I was taken from the line and all the others
To board a special train and journey deep into the heart of holy Russia
And it's cold and damp in the transit camp, and the air is still and sullen
And the pale sun of October whispers the snow will soon be coming
And I wonder when I'll be home again and the morning answers "Never"
And the evening sighs, and the steely Russian skies go on forever


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: September 21 2023 at 06:01
Originally posted by Heart of the Matter Heart of the Matter wrote:

Drink up dreamers, you're running dry            (love this)

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Lady kiss that frog                                        (hate this)
...

Hi,

I'm not sure that this person knows what the joke is about ... let me tell you in a comedic sort of way, since it would be inappropriate to say it here.

It's about the "peche a la frog" or the "frog a la peche" ... and if you don't know what it means ... sorry ... the joke is not new and wasn't then!


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: Heart of the Matter
Date Posted: September 21 2023 at 07:04
^ Really? What do you smoke? Kiss that frog, and you will get your prince..., C'mon!


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: September 21 2023 at 07:10
Originally posted by Heart of the Matter Heart of the Matter wrote:

Drink up dreamers, you're running dry            (love this)

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
Lady kiss that frog                                        (hate this)


Stunning photo. Sinead is gorgeous beyond reproach and PG almost looks like a proud dad with his progeny. Thanks!


Posted By: axeman
Date Posted: September 21 2023 at 13:43
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

“Somebody get me a ladder” refers to hitting rock bottom and wanting help to climb out.
Ah. Somebody who gets it. 


-------------
-John


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: September 21 2023 at 16:39

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - "The Only Way (Hymn)"    (excerpt)

"People has stirred moved by the word.
Kneel at the shrine, deceived by the wine.
How was the earth conceived? Infinite space.
Is there such a place? You must believe in the human race.
Can you believe, God makes you breathe.
Why did he lose six million Jews.
Touched by the wings, fears angel brings
Sad winter storm, grey autumn dawn
Who looks on life itself, who lights your way?
Only you can say. How can you just obey?
...........
Don't be afraid: man is man made."

That's great lyrics and not only anti-religious but first and foremost telling that "man is man made" - even I can see 
a problem or two from a religious point of view.


-------------
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: September 22 2023 at 13:20
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

For me, those lines from (Hymn) just seem to trivialize what it's trying to address. A simplistic take on an extremely complex situation.

Why not attack this god for the total 60 million people estimated to have died during that particular conflict?
 
I think mentioning the 6 million Jews was quite appropriate for the song because, according to the Bible, Jews were God's chosen people, and yet...
 
I don't think those lines from the song trivialises the loss of 6 million Jews because those lines actually provides impact to what the song is about. Everybody dies, and wars have been killing people for millennia, but the Holocaust was an occurrence like nothing else in history.
 



-------------
No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man.


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: September 22 2023 at 15:17
Originally posted by I prophesy disaster I prophesy disaster wrote:

.... but the Holocaust was an occurrence like nothing else in history.

exactly!


-------------
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: September 22 2023 at 15:30
Originally posted by Hugh Manatee Hugh Manatee wrote:

For me, those lines from (Hymn) just seem to trivialize what it's trying to address. A simplistic take on an extremely complex situation.

Why not attack this god for the total 60 million people estimated to have died during that particular conflict?

I won't say the lyrics attack "God" regarding Holocaust, as they see the Holocaust as pure human matter - "God" is very probably non-existing here, and at least non-acting in human matters.


-------------
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: September 24 2023 at 23:32
Lot of mentions to EL&P but I still haven't seen any Jon Anderson quoted.

From "Sound Out The Galleon - Olias Of Sunhillow"

Do ga riytan sha too raytan

Gan matta sha pa
Mutto mutto mutto

Radan atto raddan atto
Stou to mutto sha go teka
Sha go teka
Dei

But this from "Sound And Color - Toltec" is a reference to Castaneda's books

Sound can acknowledge and reveal
The very nature of the body line
Color coexists as a meter to the soul





-------------
Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: September 25 2023 at 01:58
Originally posted by octopus-4 octopus-4 wrote:

Lot of mentions to EL&P but I still haven't seen any Jon Anderson quoted.

From "Sound Out The Galleon - Olias Of Sunhillow"

Do ga riytan sha too raytan

Gan matta sha pa
Mutto mutto mutto

Radan atto raddan atto
Stou to mutto sha go teka
Sha go teka
Dei


Oh come on!!  That is high poetry!!  LOL  

I filmed "Flight of the Moorglade" at a Jon Anderson "Voice of Yes" concert, it is my favorite song from "Olias!" 




-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frets N Worries
Date Posted: December 29 2023 at 21:40
Childlike Faith in Childhood's End

-------------
The Wheel of Time Turns, and Ages come and pass. What was, what will be, and what is, may yet fall under the shadow.

Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time...


Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: December 31 2023 at 01:22
I don't think that anything can get any worse than this.

Oh I need the bathroom
Oh I need the bathroom
Oh keep on fighting
Oh I need the bathroom

And oh it's keeping on
Oh keep on fighting

Oh I need a bathroom
We're 'bout keeping on
Oh keep on fighting
And you keep me on

Then call again to Alaro
Maybe things will change, things tomorrow
And call again - keeping on

Oh I need a bathroom
Oh I need a bathroom
Oh keep on fighting
Oh

And yet it seems tomorrow maybe change things
I don't know if you're right
Oh keep on rocking
Oh keep on fighting
Oh



Posted By: Magog2112
Date Posted: December 31 2023 at 02:07
Steve Hogarth

Best lyric: "I want to be someone who someone would want to be" (Neverland)

Worst lyric: "I had no idea what martyrdom meant until my older brother... my older brother... I'm sorry. I can't continue" (Gaza)


Posted By: David_D
Date Posted: December 31 2023 at 04:24

Some of the lyrics, I'm most fond of, are by Peter Hammill and Ian Anderson, like "Killer", "House with no Door", "Aqualung" 
and "Cross-eyed Mary".







-------------
                      quality over quantity, and all kind of PopcoRn almost beyond


Posted By: Floydoid
Date Posted: December 31 2023 at 06:05
Maybe not the worst lyrics ever by a prog artist, but for Pink Floyd 'A New Machine' has got to be an all time low (for me).

I have always been here
I have always looked out from behind these eyes
It feels like more than a lifetime
Feels like more than a lifetime

Sometimes I get tired of the waiting
Sometimes I get tired of being in here
Is this the way that it's always been?
Could it ever have been different?

Do you ever get tired of the waiting?
Do you ever get tired of being in there?
Don't worry, nobody lives forever
Nobody lives forever

I will always be here
I will always look out from behind these eyes
It's only a lifetime
It's only a lifetime
It's only a lifetime



-------------
'We're going to need a bigger swear jar.'


Posted By: Jaketejas
Date Posted: December 31 2023 at 19:47
Interesting
Yesterday a morning came, a smile upon your face
Caesar's palace, morning glory, silly human race,
On a sailing ship to nowhere, leaving any place,
If the summer change to winter, yours is no disgrace

Not the greatest
And we can fly from here
And we can fly from here
And we can drink some beer
And we can have a Happy New Year …



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