Best prog lyrics? (literary or otherwise)
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Topic: Best prog lyrics? (literary or otherwise)
Posted By: ProgFrog635
Subject: Best prog lyrics? (literary or otherwise)
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:08
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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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Replies:
Posted By: Chicapah
Date 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. ------------- "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 |
Posted By: moonlitbay
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:20
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Daniel Gildenloew's Pain Of Salvation.
The lyrics on the album Remedy Lane is fantastic and really moving. ------------- A reunion.......it will never happen in my lifetime!! |
Posted By: moonlitbay
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:21
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He knows you know, and Sugar mice by Marillion. ------------- A reunion.......it will never happen in my lifetime!! |
Posted By: ProgBagel
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:22
| Pink Floyds 'Animals'. Pain of Salvation's 'Remedy Lane'. |
Posted By: moonlitbay
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 18:23
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Evergrey: The inner circle ------------- A reunion.......it will never happen in my lifetime!! |
Posted By: Avantgardehead
Date 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.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Avantgardian |
Posted By: tszirmay
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 19:26
| 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. |
Posted By: cynthiasmallet
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 19:38
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Just about every track from the Lamb Lies Down on Broadway ------------- Would you like to watch TV, or get between the sheets, or contemplate the silent freeway, would you like something to eat? |
Posted By: xhouse
Date 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 ------------- Between Thought and Expression Lies True Perception |
Posted By: ProgFrog635
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 22:27
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 Thanks all for the replies!
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ProgBagel wrote:
"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!Posted By: allan Duul II
Date 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. |
Posted By: Jshutt64
Date Posted: January 12 2008 at 23:18
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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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Posted By: Zwerg Bart
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 00:26
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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." ------------- "Freud's cranium is a snail!" - Dali |
Posted By: -Radioswim-
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 02:02
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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. |
Posted By: Ahmadbarqawi
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 02:26
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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? ------------- {Flashlights shade shrunken views Of a red demon’s foxtrot in brews Guns & flowers crown morning news Panic-stricken guilt now ensues} |
Posted By: sean
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 02:35
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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
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Posted By: fuxi
Date 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! |
Posted By: sleeper
Date 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) ------------- Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005 
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Posted By: Codis
Date 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"?
-------------  Grammy Award Winning Jethro Tull!
1989 Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance 
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Posted By: Floydian42
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 10:40
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I'm not sure if this goes here, since it's technically crossover prog, but "Here comes the Flood" is simply outstanding! Particularly emotional in the growing up DVD. And although I'm not a fan of tool, I have to say Lateralus was great! That song is fantastic. |
Posted By: Easy Livin
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 10:46
| Please only quote example extracts of lyrics. They are covered by copyright in the same way as the music is. |
Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 11:54
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Posted By: fuxi
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 11:54
I love A PASSION PLAY, but I get irritated by its lyrics. "She lay her head upon my disbelief" - oh, come ON! |
Posted By: TGM: Orb
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 14:33
I think Waters' lyrics for Echoes (as with most of his lyrics) remain the best. Poetic, enigmatic, intelligent, beautiful, perfectly fit the music.
The Fountain of Lamneth (even more so than Xanadu) is also one of my favourites. I think it's a rare instance where a fairly repetitive song is carried by superb lyrics rather than the other way round. To be perfectly honest, I think Jon Anderson's lyrics are overrated, though they're fairly good for most of The Yes Album, Fragile and CTTE. I agree wholeheartedly with the earlier suggestions of Sinfield. I also like some of Steve Wilson's (of Porcupine Tree) lyrics, especially Waiting Phase One. |
Posted By: Thomicas
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 14:40
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The lyrics for Roger Water's Amused To Death album beats everything I've heard so far. What he wrote on "Animals" is also among my favourite lyrics. Collapes The Light Into Earth by Porcupine Tree is also among my favourites. ------------- I tried to catch my eye, but I looked the other way |
Posted By: asimplemistake
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 14:59
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Ian Anderson and Steve Wilson get my votes for best lyricists. PT's softer songs (especially on In Absentia ie. Trains, Collapse The Light Into Earth, Heartattack in a Layby) are just beautifully crafted, and the same goes a lot of JT's lyrics. Opeth and Pink Floyd also deserve mentioning. |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 15:32
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Pink Floyd - Dogs, Echoes, Time...
VDGG - Man Erg
The best ones i can think of at the moment
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Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 15:33
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oh, and alot of Opeth ones.
And Frank Zappa's lyrics are always fun to listen to.
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Posted By: Kim Ankara
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 17:08
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Individual songs: "Sleepless" and "Neurotica" by King Crimson, "Time" by Pink Floyd. Reading Waters' words without the music, you realise how poetic and well-written they actually are. "Starless", also, so much detail and emotion in so little amount of words. Albums: "In the Court of the Crimson King", "Misplaced Childhood". Both are full of amazingly-written phrases, it surprised me just how good a lyricist Fish was. ------------- "I'm a dinosaur" - Adrian Belew "I am a camera" - Trevor Horn "I am yourself" - Keith Emerson |
Posted By: Nowhere Man
Date Posted: January 13 2008 at 19:10
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I've memorized all of the lyrics to A Plague Of Lighthouse Keepers and The Sleepwalkers, but just about anything Peter Hammill writes is incredible. At one time, I had all of the lyrics to the entire ITCOTCK album memorized. Not so much now. Moonchild throws me off because it doesn't rhyme, and each line sounds like it could go anywhere in the song. ------------- 
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Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: March 22 2008 at 04:03
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here an exclusive preview to the lyrics of one of the songs from the upcoming album of the Bald Angels; they will
show you what a strong lyricist Friede is. to me at least these lyrics
totally evoke the scenery. the translation is included in the lyric
sheet which comes with the album. (note the interesting rhyming pattern of the song: A-B-A-A-A-B) Die Priesterin der Gäa The Priestess of Gaia Sie stand bei einem heil'gen Born She stood by a holy spring In wallenden Gewändern In seething robes. Ihr Haupt war völlig kahlgeschor'n, Her head was completely shorn Sie hielt ein großes Muschelhorn, She held a big conch horn, Sie blies darauf der Erde Zorn On which she blew the wrath of earth Und konnte doch nichts ändern. But couldn't change anything. Sie blies ein Lied von Untergang She blew a song of ruin Und schleichender Zerstörung. And creeping destruction. Sie blies es viele Stunden lang, She blew it for many hours, Jedoch des Muschelhornes Klang, But the sound of the conch horn, In dem urzeit'geTrauer schwang, In which ancient sorrow rang, Fand keinerlei Erhörung. Was not heeded at all. Sie hatte lange nicht geglaubt Long time she had not believed An dieser Welt Verderben. In the perdition of the world. Dann ward der Wald des Laubs beraubt, Then the wood was robbed of its foliage, So kahl beinahe wie ihr Haupt, Almost as bald as her head, Und was die Bäume so entlaubt, And what had defoliated the trees Das war das Wäldersterben. Was the decease of the forests. Es dämmerte der Abend schon, Evening was already dawning, Die Nacht, sie rückte näher. Night was approaching. Verklungen war des Hornes Ton, The horn's sound had faded away, Verweht im Wind sein leeres Droh'n. Its hollow threat blown with the wind. Da hatte sie eine Vision Then she had a vision Der Göttermutter Gäa. Of Gaia, the Mother Goddess. Die Göttermutter Gäa sprach: The Mother Goddess spake: "Ach, dass ich so geschändet! "Alas, how I have been defiled! Womit verdien' ich diese Schmach, With what do I deserve this ignominy, Womit dies große Ungemach? With what this huge adversity? Fast liegt die ganze Erde brach! Almost all of Earth lies barren! Wer weiß, wo das noch endet? Who knows where this will end? Vielleicht in hundert Jahren schon, Maybe in but a hundred years, Vielleicht sogar noch eher, Maybe even sooner, Erhält die Menschheit ihren Lohn, Mankind will receive its reward, Ganz ohne Absolution". Without any absolution". Damit verblasste die Vision Thus faded the vision Der Priesterin der Gäa. Of the Priestess of Gaia. Sie sehnte nach den Hügeln sich She longed for the hills Des Sonnenlandes Aea. Of the sunland Aea. Dann, als das Tageslicht entwich Then, as daylight eluded Und in den heil'gen Hain sich schlich And into the holy grove Die Nacht, da weinte bitterlich Crept night, there wept bitterly Die Priesterin der Gäa. The Priestess of Gaia. (Lyrics and translation by Friederike Greifswald-Tolleson) this song is based on a dream we surprisingly both had. that we had shared a dream made such an impression on us that we founded the religion of which we are High Priestesses. it is the only song which features double lead vocals; I wrote 2 independent voices for it. usually I just sing some harmony vocals -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |