SEBTP Lyrics--Um....

BiGi wrote: Ahem...MUST lyrics have a meaning?

No they MUST not necessrilly, for example:

• Focus: Not properly lyrics except in a couple of songs, voice is mostly used as another instrument, Thijs Van Leer uses his voice to make yodeling and strange sounds.
• Yes: Even when some of their lyrics have meaning, Jon uses the words as in poetry, the most inportant aspect of the words is how they sopund in the context of the melody

But there are other bands in which lyrics have meaning, the most evident case is Genesis:

• The Return of the Giant Hogweed: Tells the story of a hazardous plant that was taken to London and became a plague.
• Can Utility and the Coastliners: The story of King Knute of Norway and I believe England, who one day shouted during a storm and the waters calmed, so his  followers claimed that "at his command waters retreat". According to the legendary story, he was accused of witchcraft and he had to prove his innocence accepting to be tied to a stone throne and almost drowned because the high tide didn't accepted his command.
• Supper's Ready: Is a personal experience of Peter, one night he saw the face of his wife change (almost as a posession), -well remember the guy is bipolar- and created all the story of good against evil using quotes from The Book of Revelations.
• Fountain of Salmacis: The Mythological story of Hermaphroditus the son of Gods (Hermes and Aphrodite) who blended with the femenine spirit of a Fountain and both became one, male and female all together.
• The Knife: Evident satire of a revolutionary messiah who sends his people to death without any problem while he stays safe "Some of you are going to die, marthyrs of course of the freedom that I shall provide"
• Watcher of the Skies: Some sort of religious Sci Fi story of an Alien who comnes to a post apocalyptic earth "Judge not this earth by it's empty remains".
• Musical Box: A terror story about a kid  (Little Henry) who is beheaded  by a girl (Little Cynthia). Little Henry goes to heaven and it's forced to come back as an old man into a Musical Box. But of course his feelings  for Little Cynthia had changed due to his different age, now his desire was close to sexual (If you see Pete singing you can watch his body language), that's why the costume of Old Henry and the shouts of Touch Me, Touch Me in his concerts while opening his shirt as for Little Cynthia to touch him. 

And I could go for hours, because almost every Genesis song has a story, their style was absolutely narrative, and as Genesis we have other bands like Kansas (Even made a song about Howard Huges) or Jethro Tull (Most of thier lyrics have a meaning).

But this are different perceptions of music and lyrics, I like the narrative style more, but that's personal choice only.

Iván